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Does anyone else have PN that started with a tattoo?

A MyPrurigoTeam Member asked a question 💭
Boulder, CO

I got the tattoo over 3 years ago, along a scar on my calf. As the sores heal (extremely slowly), the tattoo ink at those locations is mostly gone.

August 17
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Reactions
A MyPrurigoTeam Member

I also have a tattoo on my back, which healed fine. I suspect that the one on my leg would have healed properly if I hadn't kept picking at it - yes, that could have been the trigger. I hadn't heard of sarcoidosis - I'll ask my dermatologist about that, but she seemed positive from the biopsy that it's PN.

August 18
A MyPrurigoTeam Member

Ive wondered this too, if there is a connection with tattoos. I have full sleeves and ink on my shoulders. Its hard to see my sores on my arms due to all the colors, but if you run your hand over my arms you can feel raised lumps under the skin, from where there were sores at one time. I recently got a new tattoo and it is taking a long time to heal. I initially thought maybe I had Sarcoidosis because that can cause weird sores on old tattoos, I am still not ruling that out, but I cant say for sure.

August 18
A MyPrurigoTeam Member

Hi Laurel! I never thought about this, but I got a tattoo cover up in 2022. When I think back to when the PN started it was not long after. My tattoos are on my back and left arm, and the PN mainly stays on my right arm. Was this the trigger? I had a tattoo since I was 26 and never had any issues and didn't really feel anything until I got my arm tattoo. It would be interesting to learn if there is a correlation.

August 18
MyPrurigoTeam

That's a really interesting experience, and it makes sense you'd wonder if others have had something similar. While there isn't specific research linking tattoos directly to triggering PN, what you're describing — sores forming and healing very slowly — is consistent with how PN can behave.

The slow healing you're noticing Show Full Answer

That's a really interesting experience, and it makes sense you'd wonder if others have had something similar. While there isn't specific research linking tattoos directly to triggering PN, what you're describing — sores forming and healing very slowly — is consistent with how PN can behave.

The slow healing you're noticing is common with PN nodules. They can take months or even years to fully resolve, and once they do, they often leave behind:

- Flat, dark spots where nodules once were
- Scars from repeated scratching
- Lighter areas where skin pigment has been lost

The loss of tattoo ink at those spots makes a lot of sense given this — when skin goes through that kind of trauma and healing process, changes in pigmentation (and ink) are very likely. It's also worth knowing that PN symptoms can look and behave differently from person to person, depending on factors like skin tone, location on the body, and severity. Your calf location is also very typical — PN tends to show up in spots that are easier to reach and scratch.

Sharing your experience on MyPrurigoTeam would be a great way to hear if others have had a similar tattoo-related story — you might be surprised!

August 17

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