A YOUNG woman was left fearing for her life when her tattoo began to rot.
Suraya Khan was proud of the ink – which read “ALONE” with a broken heart in the middle – until her skin started to “drop off”.
The tattoo began to rot and caused an abscess to grow on the side of Suraya’s armtiktok/@surayakhan460
The abscess grew so big that she was unable to move her armtiktok/@surayakhan460
The scabbed-over tattoo was ripped off by bandages, causing it to weeptiktok/@surayakhan460
The 20-year-old has claimed it happened because the artist wasn’t hygienic.
She has had tattoos before but opted to use a different one because her usual artist was fully booked and she got “impatient”.
Suraya shared that the tattoo started to rot inside her skin – which swelled her arm so severely she couldn’t move it.
A leaking abscess started to grow next to the tattoo as the scabs over the ink were ripped off by her bandages.
Eventually, the abscess “exploded” before proceeding to “bleed for seven hours straight”.
The retail worker from Doncaster, South Yorks rushed to emergency care after being warned the dodgy tattoo may cause sepsis – a life-threatening infection of the blood stream.
She has since had it redone and took to TikTok to share the ordeal and warn others.
Suraya penned over a series of graphic images showing the infection in her arm developing: “Tattoo went septic from the artist being uncleanly.
“My skin started to drop off and become fleshy.
“My bandages ripped off all the scab and it was oozing.
“Began to get an abscess at the side which kept leaking.
“Started getting bigger and bigger until I couldn’t move my arm and the tattoo was rotting.
“While I was serving a customer it exploded and bled for seven hours straight.
“Had to be taken to the emergency centre as they told me I could have sepsis. I was told I had to be there in an hour because I’d left it for weeks.
“Was bandaged up after I had it drained.”
The early warning signs of infection you must know
Sepsis can be deadly, so it’s important to know the early warning signs of infection.
Experts at the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) state that there are early indicators you might have an infection.
These include:
confusion or disorientation,
shortness of breath,
high heart rate,
fever, or shivering, or feeling very cold,
extreme pain or discomfort, and.
clammy or sweaty skin.
If you are worried about any of your symptoms then you should see a GP or call NHS 111. In the event of an emergency, always call 999 or go to your nearest A&E department.
Suraya was put on a two-week course of antibiotics and had the tattoo redone six months later as the area had gone patchy from the infection scarring her arm.
People were shocked by her experience and took to the comments to weigh in.
One said: “I would’ve been at that hospital as soon as I saw all the holes in my tattoo.
“I’m so sorry girl.”
A second penned: “That’s one of my biggest fears, even though my tattoo artist is amazing.”
Claudio Traina, an artist at Sixty Ink in London previously told Sun Health that there are lots of risks involved in getting inked, from nasty infections to allergic reactions.
Before you book in for a tattoo, go and have a look at the salon and have a look at reviews online, Claudio said.
The expert added that this is key as another way tattoos can often go wrong is due to an unsafe and unhygienic tattoo area, space and tools.
f you’re looking to get inked up then Claudio said it’s important to look for a clean and safe space.
Alongside this, it’s also important to look at each artist’s technique and skill set, as this can affect how fast your tattoo heals, he said.
“A good indicator here is to inspect the tattoo area,” he added.
“Once the station is set up – which is normally the case already when you are being led to the tattooing area – ensure that the beds, machine, stations, etc. are fully covered or wrapped with cling film or cellophane.
“Sadly, but definitely important, make sure your artist opens a new needle. It might seem like common sense, but you’d be surprised,” he said.
Suraya’s tattoo was supposed to read “alone” with a broken heart in the middletiktok/@surayakhan460 Read More