Orange stained tattoo

Recently a woman came into the shop that I work at complaining about a
tattoo she had received elsewhere. Her complaint was that all around
her tattoo (that is on the inside of her left calf) there was an
orangeish stain. The same stain was also on the inside of her right
hand as well as on the opposing calf. The lady also had a darker skin
tone, kinda like a medium brown color so the staining, although
noticeable, was not a completely stark contrast to her natural skin
tone.She claimed that she saw the person who did her tattoo put an
orange coloured substance on the bandage that he applied but couldn't
tell more then that. The lady went on to complain about every single
aspect of this person and that he looked high etc. Granted I don't
know the artist so I have no idea about the person but I kinda got the
feeling that she may have been just coming up with things to just to
bad mouth the guy.

I at first thought maybe a betadine type substance was put on the
tattoo but she said that the tattoo was about two weeks old (which it
did appear to be) and I know that betadine doesn't stain the skin for
several weeks. She also claimed that the ink that he used was what
caused the staining (she did have a similar colour in her tattoo) but
I've never heard of tattoo pigment staining the skin for weeks (a day
or two at most maybe). Of course her story about it being the ink
kinda made me lose faith in her earlier story of it being an orange
substance put in the bandage.

The reason that I'm even presenting this question is because I'm
really curious as to what could have caused this. Personally I have
the theory that she has put some form of self tanning product on her
tattoo( knowingly or otherwise) and that has caused the staining. It
looks like the same type colour as a self tanning product.It seems to
me that she would have had to put something on her tattoo in order to
cause this for it seems like if something would have been applied at
the time of bandaging then at the most it would have stained the area
around the tattoo(which it did) and maybe her hand slightly. But her
hand was fairly stained and so was the opposing calf. Almost as if she
had put something on her tattoo and then went to sleep (causing her
calves to touch and thus spread to the other).

It has been a month now sense she came in and has called today
complaining that the stain was still there. That even further makes me
think that she is putting something on there to cause this. Even henna
starts to fade after a month without reapplication.
Anyone got any ideas? I know it's hard to say much without actually
seeing the tattoo but is there any insight that I don't have? Anyone
experience anything similar? Any help would be appreciated.

rev_b...@yahoo wrote:

> Recently a woman came into the shop that I work at complaining about a
> tattoo she had received elsewhere. Her complaint was that all around
> her tattoo (that is on the inside of her left calf) there was an
> orangeish stain.
[...]
> Personally I have the theory that she has put some form of self tanning
> product on her tattoo( knowingly or otherwise) and that has caused the
> staining. It looks like the same type colour as a self tanning product.It
> seems to me that she would have had to put something on her tattoo in
> order to cause this <snip> her hand was fairly stained and so was the
> opposing calf. Almost as if she had put something on her tattoo and then
> went to sleep (causing her calves to touch and thus spread to the other).
>
> It has been a month now sense she came in and has called today
> complaining that the stain was still there. That even further makes me
> think that she is putting something on there to cause this.
[...]

The self tanning product sounds like a reasonable guess to me.

> Anyone got any ideas?

I've got an idea. The woman is one of twenty percent of adults, or
about 40 million Americans, experiencing some form of mental disorder
each and every year according to the The National Alliance on Mental
Illness.

> I know it's hard to say much without actually seeing the tattoo but is
> there any insight that I don't have?

In need of mental health services or, as you mentioned, "she may have
been just coming up with things to just to
bad mouth the guy."

> Anyone experience anything similar?

I'm certain I mentioned this previously in a Usenet post. Working as a
clerk at a GNC in the mall, an individual entered the store and asked
for the very best thing we have. That particular GNC sold a variety of
products - vitamins, energy bars, massagers, weights, clothing,
supplements to help with weight gain, weight loss, healthier nails,
hair, etc. So when I heard the person's request I asked for some
specifics. What was their goal or what need did they want met. The
person simply repeated, something like, "I want the best thing you
have." After going back and forth with my asking for clarification and
their repeating their request for the best, I reached out to the shelf
in front of me and handed whatever product it was to the shopper. They
purchased it and left the store.

I've repeated that story to other people and the one person said that
perhaps the customer just didn't know what they wanted but that
whoever it was for might have told them that they shop at GNC. The
customer may not have been out of touch with reality at all, but
rather just unsure of what to purchase. I find that a stretch, but
then I aslo find your visitor a bit of a stretch as well.

How about this? The woman's friend, significant other, or family
member - someone with access to the woman when she's sleeping - is
upset that they got a tattoo. While the woman, who is a rather hard
sleeper, rests, the disgruntled friend is applying the "organge stain"
to the woman's tattooed area and hand in order to drive her bonkers or
make her regret getting the tattoo.

What? It could happen.

Punk'd: Tattoo!

[...]

--
Curt

rev_bama@yahoo.com wrote:
>
> tell more then that. The lady went on to complain about every single
> aspect of this person and that he looked high etc. Granted I don't
> know the artist so I have no idea about the person but I kinda got the
> feeling that she may have been just coming up with things to just to
> bad mouth the guy.

Contact that guy. Maybe he has a funny story to tell :D
Did she explain the stained hand and other leg?

> Anyone got any ideas? I know it's hard to say much without actually
> seeing the tattoo but is there any insight that I don't have? Anyone
> experience anything similar? Any help would be appreciated.

Send her to a dermatologist, who will likely refer her to an appropriate
practitioner ;)

Nina
--
C'est les microbes qui auront le dernier mot.
Louis Pasteur
http://www.chaotropic.net