Allergic reaction after laser treatment: I have had 3 sessions on a black and red tattoo. Am I allergic to tattoo ink now?

If you had a systemic reaction there are a few options1) oral steroids before and after treatment with antihistamines2) excision of the areaI suggest avoiding any risk to your health.  Best, Dr. Emer.

Hello, we've seen this on occasion. It is almost always an allergy to the red ink. I would not recommend continuing with laser treatment for removal, especially due to the severity of the allergy you mentioned. The laser causes problems because the ink essentially migrates throughout the body after treatment. Surgical excision is an option to avoid this. Good luck, Dr. M

This can happen but is rare. The body walls off the tattoo but when lasered, it is re-exposed to the ink and an allergic reaction can occur. Discuss with your doctor and see if taking precautions with steroids around the treatment is an option. It might be that excision is your only option for removal.