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

[Hospitelli]

Most of us have been there before. Stay positive. Even a few spots of ink loss become less obvious after a few months of settling into the skin.

Thanks for the encouragement! I'm past the peeling phase now and got some shiny new skin but with one particular scab remaining. I may have over reacted a tad because the line work is good but I'll reserve final judgement until it's settled into the skin. It just sucks that whenever I've had trouble healing a tattoo it's been with artists that are out of state making it difficult for touch ups.

[PackMan]

Blue, light blue, and white fruity pebbles in the bed and on the counter = wife is not happy :-)

[SeeSea]

Blue, light blue, and white fruity pebbles in the bed and on the counter = wife is not happy :-)

I was in the bathroom a couple weeks ago, after just having cleaned the floor when I saw this mess and thought, what the heck, I JUST CLEANED here. Then, oh yeah.... ::shake shake shake:: it's snowing pebbles in here.

[joakim urma]

Second day of healing on my upper back. Realized I'm bendy as fuck and cream my whole back without another persons help or any extra tools.

[OhBetty]

I've been working on my lower leg for about a year now. Just did front of lower shin and knee ditch. What the hell was I thinking doing them at the same time? The hot lava reference - fits perfectly. Everything was going great until day 4 when a few spots on my shin got bubbly and gooey. The ditch is doing great except in the crease as to be expected. I have 16 tattoos and have followed instructions of the artist(s) to the T but I still seem to ooze for days and scab horribly. Happily they seem to heal up nicely. A tiny bit of touch up and golden. The worst reaction so far was with the use of aquaphor. By the end of day 2 it looked like it melted the tattoo (I did not overuse it). I go to a great shop with great artists. Maybe just my skin? We're all stumped... Anyone have any suggestions?

[CShaw]

Just got my second round of outlining done for a large piece on my back a couple of weeks ago, and it's all healing fine, except the spots where my artist drew in the lines with a marker and then tattooed over it. Grah. So red and itchy.

[Cork]

#tattooproblems

[Pleadco]

I've been working on my lower leg for about a year now. Just did front of lower shin and knee ditch. What the hell was I thinking doing them at the same time? The hot lava reference - fits perfectly. Everything was going great until day 4 when a few spots on my shin got bubbly and gooey. The ditch is doing great except in the crease as to be expected. I have 16 tattoos and have followed instructions of the artist(s) to the T but I still seem to ooze for days and scab horribly. Happily they seem to heal up nicely. A tiny bit of touch up and golden. The worst reaction so far was with the use of aquaphor. By the end of day 2 it looked like it melted the tattoo (I did not overuse it). I go to a great shop with great artists. Maybe just my skin? We're all stumped... Anyone have any suggestions?

I might suggest trying a different healing method. I have had mixed results with dry healing, and lotions. I'm allergic to aquafor, and typically take a long time to heal.

The only healing method that's been effective for me has been using saniderm\tatuderm\tegaderm (all the same thing). It keep bacteria out, let's the tattoo breathe, and after taking it off I'm left only a few flakes.

You should of course ask your artist about what they think is best for you.

[OhBetty]

I might suggest trying a different healing method. I have had mixed results with dry healing, and lotions. I'm allergic to aquafor, and typically take a long time to heal.

The only healing method that's been effective for me has been using saniderm\tatuderm\tegaderm (all the same thing). It keep bacteria out, let's the tattoo breathe, and after taking it off I'm left only a few flakes.

You should of course ask your artist about what they think is best for you.

Thank you for the feedback. We did try dry healing this time. First one since the aquaphor nightmare. We have tried many different methods. Next on the list will be to keep it wrapped. I'll bring up your suggestion as well. I feel terrible because it's as though his beautiful work goes south and the tattoo ends up looking very aged. This is a pic of the rose I took this morning (had it done last Saturday). I love my tattoos but would really like to find a better healing method that preserves them. Thanks again.

[Tight-Lines]

I forgot how shitty leg tattoos heal. It's been three days and it still feels like garbage.

[Lee Hua]

I forgot how shitty leg tattoos heal. It's been three days and it still feels like garbage.

I guess I got lucky, my calf is healing with very little issue. Just 2 thicker scabs on where my artist may have overworked the black on the eyes of my tattoo...It was done last Monday and has been a breeze so far.

I want to say having your whole back done is a pain in the ass to keep fully moisturized and cared for. I had to have my fiancee help me every single time I had to tend to my back.

[hallious]

Had 5 hours on my right arm yesterday.

I'm already fed up of wrapping it up.

That is all.

[CShaw]

The parts drawn on with marker and then tattooed have finally started to settle down. Still a little red, but not as puffy. I just hope they stay down this time, or at least until my next session :P

[CABS]

Second day of healing on my upper back. Realized I'm bendy as fuck and cream my whole back without another persons help or any extra tools.

I'm with you on this. I think I'm gonna start my back soon. I was gonna wait till I'm dating someone to start my back, so they can lotion it, haah. But no need! Bendy arms for the win.

[HettyKet]

Urgh. Had a session a week ago on Saturday and have a nasty infection in one of the fillers in me ditch. Has been very strange, seemed to come up and out from inside rather than starting on the skin like the one tiny and easily manageable dodgy bit I once had before. It looks awful and hurts like fuck, the guilt is the worst part though. FFS.

Doctor gave me a course a systemic antibiotics rather than a cream which I though was a bit extreme but after 3 days it's only just starting to look a tiny bit better so maybe he was right. Can't yet see how buggered the tattoo is or not. Had a vile virus (same as the rest of the family) so maybe that's slowing things down again.

Whinge, whinge, whinge. sob.

[SeeSea]

@HettyKet - sucks! I hope it all works out - all I can say is - sucks!

[HettyKet]

@HettyKet - sucks! I hope it all works out - all I can say is - sucks!

Thanks. "St. Anthony's fire" is one of the translations for the type of infection that comes up a lot, but, yeah, not sure if that's it's common name in English or not. "Wondroos", they say here. Strangely I don;t seem to have lost much ink, well, yet. Bah. Not the foggiest idea what I did wrong :(

My arm is nearly done though, which is lovely!

[SeeSea]

"Wondroos", they say here.

Ohhhh, ok. I google it, and everything comes up in Dutch! (After translation) ouch. Fingers crossed for low-ink-loss.

Can't wait to see the finished product!

[HettyKet]

Am indeed in the Land of Cheese so was diagnosed in Dutch :) Cellulitis appears to be the correct translation, it's revolting and painfull whatever it's called though. It's getting a bit better but slowly and more antibiotics will be required, it seems. The lack of significant ink loss (until now) is really quite surprising but an undamaged tattoo is too much to hope for after all this. It's a forget me not flower and I will surely not be forgetting it. At least it's small and tucked away (ish).

OTOH the rest of the stuff from that session is looking grand.

[CABS]

I want to go the Tegiderm route but I'm being a cheap bastard. Plus I want to finish my Aquaphor which I have a ton of still.

[Fala]

I'm sorry @HettyKet! That totally sucks. Hope the tattoo is not damaged, or the ink loss is minimal!

[beez]

Am indeed in the Land of Cheese so was diagnosed in Dutch :) Cellulitis appears to be the correct translation, it's revolting and painfull whatever it's called though. It's getting a bit better but slowly and more antibiotics will be required, it seems. The lack of significant ink loss (until now) is really quite surprising but an undamaged tattoo is too much to hope for after all this. It's a forget me not flower and I will surely not be forgetting it. At least it's small and tucked away (ish).

OTOH the rest of the stuff from that session is looking grand.

Cellulitis is no joke!!! Very glad you caught it in time! I want to see pics of your arm soon, though!

[HettyKet]

Thanks @Fala and @beez

It's starting to itch! Very slightly, but still ;) Off to the doctor again tomorrow but it does look like it's turned a corner, thank goodness. It's scary stuff and I've still no idea how I managed to cause it either. I've not told Willem yet though, is it normal to be this damned ashamed of messing up someones work?

I'll get the husband to take some photos of my arm once I'm flake and manky bit free.

[KegRN]

I haven't read all these pages, so I apologize if this is redundant, but when my tattoo started to itch this time I took a benadryl before bed for a few days. I barely noticed it this time.

[pidjones]

If you tolerate it well, Benadryl (diphenhydramine) does knock down the histimes, which drive the itch. Beware that it knocks some folks out, though (active ingredient in Sominex). Don't take it with alcohol! Me, it doesn't even make drowsy. Dries up the nose, though.