In this thread, we commiserate about healing our fresh tattoos.

[Pugilist]

Of course they're totally worth it, it's not so bad, blah blah blah, but I thought it might be nice to have a space to bitch about one's healing in whatever stage it's in, as we all know that all there really is to do, beyond the basics, is wait.

Today the tattoo I got on Saturday started flaking en masse. I have never quite seen anything like it with my other tattoos, which usually go from stage to stage much more gradually; it went from nothing to the entire thing (and it's the entire front of my thigh) flaking off at one time. It felt so dry and uncomfortable under my work pants that I kept locking my office door to secretly strip down and give it a little moisturizer. The inside of my pants looks like I'm some kind of dandruff hoarder. Oof.

Whine away, folks.

[David Flores]

I will chime in, my son has been stepping on and/ or jumping on both my new tattoos for the last six days. He is lucky he is too young to know to really know better, he just wants to play and be a crazy little boy, but man a couple days ago tattoo was gnarly and it seemed like every time he wanted my attention bam right in the tattoo.

[Lori Todd]

In usual South Florida summer fashion, my entire front and back yard is filled with mosquitoes. It's particularly bad because tropical storm Issac dumped 12 inches on our lawn. Ugh. So my fresh calf tat is at least one bite on it, and another right next to it. As if the itching wasn't bad enough to begin with!

[Pugilist]

Oh yikes dudes.

@David Flores you reminded me that minutes after I came home from having my thigh done, and sat down on the couch, one of my cats of course just NEEDED to sit on that thigh, and only that thigh. Jerk.

[Colored Guy]

In usual South Florida summer fashion, my entire front and back yard is filled with mosquitoes. It's particularly bad because tropical storm Issac dumped 12 inches on our lawn. Ugh. So my fresh calf tat is at least one bite on it, and another right next to it. As if the itching wasn't bad enough to begin with!

12" of mofuckingsquitos?? I hope your screens are in good shape....

CG

- - - Updated - - -

Of course they're totally worth it, it's not so bad, blah blah blah, but I thought it might be nice to have a space to bitch about one's healing in whatever stage it's in, as we all know that all there really is to do, beyond the basics, is wait.

Today the tattoo I got on Saturday started flaking en masse. I have never quite seen anything like it with my other tattoos, which usually go from stage to stage much more gradually; it went from nothing to the entire thing (and it's the entire front of my thigh) flaking off at one time. It felt so dry and uncomfortable under my work pants that I kept locking my office door to secretly strip down and give it a little moisturizer. The inside of my pants looks like I'm some kind of dandruff hoarder. Oof.

Whine away, folks.

The thigh is a big expanse of skin and probably tends to dry out. I had a big forearm piece done a few days before I hit the road for Florida.. that flaked all over the place too. Had to carry a real small bottle of lotion on me since I was flying.

CG

[rozone]

I most definitely feel your pain right now...

I was tattooed 3 times this past week on three different body parts (my entire right arm, my right upper thigh, and the side of my left calf). Needless to say, sleeping, walking, sitting, standing, and lying down have all been a pain as a result. I'm itching and flaking all over the place!

Thankfully it's all worth it for getting a bunch of cool tattoos, but I still can't wait until everything is all healed up.

[semele]

I had a full day on my sleeve the weekend before last that filled in pretty much my whole forearm, and a couple other bits of upper arm. I didn't really sleep for four nights afterwards, because there was literally no way to avoid putting pressure on sore tattoo while lying down. It was hell, but somehow I'm still stoked to do it all again in a couple weeks.

[slayer9019]

Of course they're totally worth it, it's not so bad, blah blah blah, but I thought it might be nice to have a space to bitch about one's healing in whatever stage it's in, as we all know that all there really is to do, beyond the basics, is wait.

Today the tattoo I got on Saturday started flaking en masse. I have never quite seen anything like it with my other tattoos, which usually go from stage to stage much more gradually; it went from nothing to the entire thing (and it's the entire front of my thigh) flaking off at one time. It felt so dry and uncomfortable under my work pants that I kept locking my office door to secretly strip down and give it a little moisturizer. The inside of my pants looks like I'm some kind of dandruff hoarder. Oof.

Whine away, folks.

And I thought I was the only one that secretly disrobes at work to take care of new tattoos! You're lucky that you have an office. As a contractor I got the public bathroom :(

Being that I have been continously been getting tattooed for over a year and a half now I am pretty much used to the process (cleaning, sitting weird, sleeping weird, peeling, multi-colored skin flakes, etc) but this last tattoo takes the cake for the worst healing process.

Just got my ass to upper-calf tattooed in one shot. Actually had to call off of work (first time for a tattoo) because I could not sleep the night before and when I got up I couldn't bend my knee. Knee-ditch is aggravating since you have to keep your leg extended. Add your ass getting tattooed, I kinda sit on one cheek as to not let my clothes stick to it.

Also it does seem that wherever I get tattooed, that is the EXACT place that my body wants to sleep on...it is also usually the place my friends dog wants to jump on :(

[Pugilist]

Yikes, @slayer9019 . Fucking yikes.

[RoryQ]

My right arm is pretty tender right now, from about the bicep down. Trying to keep it relatively straight and avoid bending it totally in order to try and help the ditch heal.

My fiancee sleeps on the right side of me, and she keeps rolling over onto it. I've been retaliating with a knuckle or two in the side, and she seems to get the message (joking.... Mostly).

[ThaliaCamille]

I last got tattooed TWO WHOLE WEEKS AGO, and that mofo is still itchy.

[pintindola]

I got my tattoo on my upper arm. While using my computer at work, in a dress shirt, every time I was moving my arm, flakes would come out of the shirt from the wrist area and dump all over my desk. It was kind of funny as I noticed wherever I was in the office, I left some flakes. Copy machine, desk, kitchen area... and sadly a bit in my car.

My bed looked like I was around a volcano with "ashy" looking flakes all in it.

As far as sleeping went, I propped pillows in my bed so I couldn't roll over and it actually worked out pretty well.

Part of the right of passage for my first tattoo?

[Mr. Smith]

I got my tattoo on my upper arm. While using my computer at work, in a dress shirt, every time I was moving my arm, flakes would come out of the shirt from the wrist area and dump all over my desk. It was kind of funny as I noticed wherever I was in the office, I left some flakes. Copy machine, desk, kitchen area... and sadly a bit in my car.

My bed looked like I was around a volcano with "ashy" looking flakes all in it.

As far as sleeping went, I propped pillows in my bed so I couldn't roll over and it actually worked out pretty well.

Part of the right of passage for my first tattoo?

Oh, man...a few days after the second session on my back, I got out of bed and it looked like someone had dumped a handful of fruity pebbles on my sheets.

[slayer9019]

Oh' date=' man...a few days after the second session on my back, I got out of bed and it looked like someone had dumped a handful of fruity pebbles on my sheets.[/quote']

I switched to black sheets for this reason.

[David Flores]

I switched to black sheets for this reason.

I have black sheets, probably why I don't think about this, but I left ink all over the bedding at the Sheraton I stayed at last week. Two nights in a row.

[Pugilist]

Yeah, when we go to New York for tattoos we usually stay with friends, and I live in fear of fucking up their sheets/bathrooms during the cleaning and healing process. The last time we went down, for work reasons we were put up in first-year dorms at Columbia which were fucking disgusting, and it was tricky to try and wash an entirely outlined back in a communal washroom! Not to mention the uncomfortable scratchy sheets that wouldn't stay put and... augh. Not fun.

[Colored Guy]

Yeah, when we go to New York for tattoos we usually stay with friends, and I live in fear of fucking up their sheets/bathrooms during the cleaning and healing process. The last time we went down, for work reasons we were put up in first-year dorms at Columbia which were fucking disgusting, and it was tricky to try and wash an entirely outlined back in a communal washroom! Not to mention the uncomfortable scratchy sheets that wouldn't stay put and... augh. Not fun.

I always put down a big beach towel on my bed when I have very fresh ink. Everything has always washed out of it and I've never had any permanent damage to a bath towel. I can see the awkward issues with staying and haveing to wash away from home.

CG

[ItsNewport]

+1 for black sheets. I have a spare set i put on after every tattoo i get done, although i had to learn the hard way. My white sheets looked like something from a HR Giger wet dream

[MGblues]

I have a drawer full of plain white Hanes t-shirts that look like the back half is tie-dyed.

[RoryQ]

I wear disposable / old clothes to bed when I've got a fresh tattoo but inevitably get the kind of leakage you guys are talking about. A snapshot of what it'll be like to be an incontinent old man, perhaps.

One thing about wearing clothes on a healing tattoo in a situation like that is that you can't win. Wear nothing and you leak onto stuff and wipe whatever bepanthen / goo you're using onto the sheets, yourself and the pillow. Wear clothing and there's probably less mess but there's nothing more horrific than waking up and realising whatever you wore is now partially stuck to the tattoo.

Got a bad bollocking from my older brother a few years ago. I crashed on his sofa the night after getting a session on my leg done at the Family Business. Twisting and turning during the night, I ended up leaving blue streaks on the flesh-coloured sofa. They didn't come out so much.

[jade1955]

On the Wednesday & Thursday before last years London Tattoo convention I got tattooed on the outside of both lower legs. Nothing too large (about hand sized). On the Friday all seemed well a little swollen but nothing drastic.

So Saturday came and it was off to the Tattoo convention. Had a really great day there and even got a walk up from Nick Colella.

After a long day on my feet I got home I noticed my ankles felt a bit sore. Anyway when I took my trousers off I freaked out. My ankles were red raw bright red and really swollen as were my calves. A bright red rash covered both legs up to the knees.

Being diabetic I nearly crapped myself. The next day there was no improvement so I took myself to the A&E of the local hospital. Anyway they were totally mystified. They gave me some anti histamine and sent me home. I ended up having to take a week off work.

In May I got tattooed on the inside of my lower leg by @mario desa. Anyway when Mario showed me what he'd drawn up it was quite a bit bigger than I thought. It fitted really nice so great.

Usually ,with me, about a hour or two after a getting a tattoo it starts to sting a little and then after that it starts to calm down. This was completely different. When I was on the train home it felt like Mario was still tattooing me.

Taking into account my previous experience with lower leg tattoos I had taken a days holiday on the Thursday to give time for any swelling to subside. But as with the first lower leg tattoos the problems started a few days after the tattoo this time with the most excruciating pain.

Come Monday I only managed a half shift at work and had to take half shift holiday on the Tuesday & Wednesday.

Lower leg tattoos don’t you just love them?

[tatB]

Was in a wedding party 2 days after getting my half sleeve colored in. It had essentially turned into 1 big scab and the day of the wedding I had no time to step aside and reapply lotion so by the end of the night it was dry and very itchy. My dad "forgot" I had the tattoo and drunkenly grabbed/rubbed my arm while i was waiting in line at the bar, this ripped a few pieces of scab off and caused some minor bleeding. Left some blood stains on a nice dress shirt and needless to say I need a few spots touched up.

[Our Endless Days]

On the Wednesday & Thursday before last years London Tattoo convention I got tattooed on the outside of both lower legs. Nothing too large (about hand sized). On the Friday all seemed well a little swollen but nothing drastic.

So Saturday came and it was off to the Tattoo convention. Had a really great day there and even got a walk up from Nick Colella.

After a long day on my feet I got home I noticed my ankles felt a bit sore. Anyway when I took my trousers off I freaked out. My ankles were red raw bright red and really swollen as were my calves. A bright red rash covered both legs up to the knees.

Being diabetic I nearly crapped myself. The next day there was no improvement so I took myself to the A&E of the local hospital. Anyway they were totally mystified. They gave me some anti histamine and sent me home. I ended up having to take a week off work.

In May I got tattooed on the inside of my lower leg by @mario desa. Anyway when Mario showed me what he'd drawn up it was quite a bit bigger than I thought. It fitted really nice so great.

Usually ,with me, about a hour or two after a getting a tattoo it starts to sting a little and then after that it starts to calm down. This was completely different. When I was on the train home it felt like Mario was still tattooing me.

Taking into account my previous experience with lower leg tattoos I had taken a days holiday on the Thursday to give time for any swelling to subside. But as with the first lower leg tattoos the problems started a few days after the tattoo this time with the most excruciating pain.

Come Monday I only managed a half shift at work and had to take half shift holiday on the Tuesday & Wednesday.

Lower leg tattoos don’t you just love them?

I have the back of both of my calves tattooed. Each took over 4 hours, and I did them both in one sitting. My left ankle swelled up a pretty good size. It hurt like a bastard to walk on it for about 3 days. My right leg wasn’t nearly as bad, but still swelled up.

[jade1955]

I have the back of both of my calves tattooed. Each took over 4 hours, and I did them both in one sitting. My left ankle swelled up a pretty good size. It hurt like a bastard to walk on it for about 3 days. My right leg wasn’t nearly as bad, but still swelled up.

Strangely enough I had the back my of my calf tattooed from top to bottom in one session. Very little swelling and no pain afterwards.

[bulldog]

pesky red.

My tattoos heal in about 10days except the red, that's about 10weeks.