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

[xcom]

Fresh forearm tattoo and strength training day, YEAH BUDDY. Gonna feel AWESOME*.

*terrible

Is that a good idea?

Allot of tattoo artist advice against hitting the gyms for at least two weeks. It also depends on the area... BUT just sayin :)

[sophistre]

Yeahhhhh, it'll be okay. I don't sweat a huge amount on strength days, and my trainer and I just make sure to avoid anything that would affect the skin of my arm, put pressure on or stretch or abrade it, or anything like that. Luckily/unluckily for me, he has a huge arsenal of exercises to torture me with, so we never run out of alternative ways to do what we need to do. :/

If it was over a bendy part, I'd probably cancel.

[tay943]

Little over a week old tattoo doing it's second peel, been back at rhe gym since yesterday lut putting off week day until tomorrow considering its on the side of my calf, just to be safe. Its been at the so unbearably itchy its painful stage since yesterday though which is killing me on the inside :/

[CABS]

Team Tegaderm all day everyday. I just don't ride my bike after I get tattooed, because I tend to sweat a lot.

[bongsau]

Put another 4 hours into my bakpiece.

Went and trained the kung fu class with a bruised back 24 hours later.

Then my wife went away for the weekend...and I couldn't reach the tattooed spots.

So...dry healing it is lol !

[marley mission]

getting some back work on thursday - went and got one of those 'lotion applicators' to use for washing and ointment application - could have the wife do it but would rather do it myself - i know seesea had success with it - i'll have to chime in a review once i use it - assuming i need to use it - not sure completely about size and placement of the piece but i have a feeling that i will need as my shoulders are banged up and my flexibility is sh1t

[Micky Vansittart]

Back of leg tattoo done in Feb also at The Family Business). That night in bed, not wanting clothes to stick, i origami'd the duvet and pillows to prop my leg up, convinced i'd stay still in the night.

Awoke wrapped up like a wee baby, bed sheets stuck to one side of the tattoo and ink leaked through to my brand new mattress topper.

So much fail.

[leggon]

Hello. Two days ago I got my first tattoo. Can you tell me it is healing good? I dont know how it looks like when tattoo is healing, so I'm scared. In some spots there are some red spots and in some parts the ink is rised. I dont know how to explain it.

http://www.part.lt/img/386f251298a81b2b2d96f750e5bdd3f7559.jpg

http://www.part.lt/img/9ba6afb089e5488e995b4b693e8fc9aa290.jpg (a little closer)

http://www.part.lt/img/2879c6f65f1cd6a0829e5e81f34534d0150.jpg

P.S you can press the picture to zoom it

[joakim urma]

Healing my right arm pit, third day today. It's difficult to sleep and to lift the arm more than shoulder high. I try really hard to not start sweating. The spot is certainly rough to tattoo. Pain wise not worse than say top of foot or back of knee. But because of how the skin is (hair follicles) it takes about three times as long to do both shading and lines. You get really sore.

----------- @leggon Looks perfectly fine to me, don't worry about it. Basically the first 3 to 4 days you should think of it as an open wound so don't mess around with it, keep covered when you go outside, always have clean hands when you clean and apply cream.

Rule of thumb is: it's better to use too little cream than too much! I put cream after the first time I clean the tattoo in the morning (just water) and then clean 1-2 times more during the day but without cream, clean once more before going to bed and apply thin layer of cream.

[ElizabethBee]

In some spots there are some red spots and in some parts the ink is rised.

Your tattoo looks great. Don't worry about a thing. Keep following the after-care instructions that your artist gave you.

Nice work, especially for a first tattoo!!

[leggon]

Your tattoo looks great. Don't worry about a thing. Keep following the after-care instructions that your artist gave you.

Nice work, especially for a first tattoo!!

Thank you very much. Now I can calm down :D

[SeeSea]

getting some back work on thursday - went and got one of those 'lotion applicators' to use for washing and ointment application - could have the wife do it but would rather do it myself - i know seesea had success with it - i'll have to chime in a review once i use it - assuming i need to use it - not sure completely about size and placement of the piece but i have a feeling that i will need as my shoulders are banged up and my flexibility is sh1t

Well, I use is for lotion application at the end of healing and after it's healed for suntan lotion. I never used it for washing. Hopefully you can muster enough flexibility to do the first couple washes by hand so you can feel when you've gotten through the gunk to ground zero. Have fun next Thursday! Did you happen to mention what you are getting?

- - - Updated - - -

Back of leg tattoo .... brand new mattress topper.

So much fail.

Yup, right there is the problem. There is either the "black sheets" route or the "doggy pee pad" method. I prefer the latter since I tend to goop mightily the first night right when I get home from a session. And also so I can see the extent of the damage!

[marley mission]

@SeeSea

lotion stick works great for wash and lotion

though i only really do that for first couple days

my upper tattoos are typically easy heals

its not finished - color in couple weeks

[SeeSea]

@marley mission - oh yeah - I saw that in another thread. Pretty cool little dude. Your tattoos have great character. I didn't realize that was on your back. Good luck on the heal!

[abeukeveld]

So its been 6 days sinse I got my forearm tattoo, and its about 2/3 finished healing. Allot of the flakes came off in the shower,daily washes and from putting clothes on, but the skin that is left underneath is milky, shiny, thin and most of all pretty sensitive. I was wondering if this is caused by the flakes coming off too early. or if this is normal? There are a few sports I know they came off too early as they have bled a little bit and are leaking ooz, but as for the rest of it it is just thin, shiny and sensitive to the touch. Is this normal? Ive healed tattoos before, but its been so long I forget what they looked like at this stage haha

On the picture I posted, the main area of concerned about had all the flakes taken off, and its pretty soupy and tender. Any thoughts? Am I just being paranoid?

(Heres a photo of what it should look like haha)

[Pleadco]

That shininess and sensitivity is all part of the healing process. That's part of having an open wound and then letting the skin repair itself. If you would like deeper clarity into the subject there are a quite a few threads that address what you are experiencing, and how to deal with them.

[pidjones]

Three weeks for me and she seems fully healed. I moisturize a couple times a day with a light rub of the Gold Bond Ultimate Healing with Aloe. The first week I slept in a clean tee shirt (tattoo on my shoulder) each night to a) keep the sheets from staining and b) see how much flaked off inside each morning (yech). I did have to take the shirt off (veerrry carefully) in the shower after letting the water free it from the skin on the first morning, but after that I had no issues.

I plan to wear UV shirts (I have several fishing shirts that I bought for motorcycle riding) from 10am-1pm daily and micro fiber shirts the rest of the time while on our beach vacation in a couple weeks.

[leggon]

When I can do workout after new tattoo? My artist said that I need to avoid intense sweating for 5 days after tattoo. Today is 5 day healing and it started to peel. Can I go to the gym on friday? It would be 8 day of healing.

[xcom]

When I can do workout after new tattoo? My artist said that I need to avoid intense sweating for 5 days after tattoo. Today is 5 day healing and it started to peel. Can I go to the gym on friday? It would be 8 day of healing.

Follow your artists advice.

I usually go after I am done healing but that depends on the area as well.

[leggon]

It's in my forearm, so no clothes or equipment on tattoo. I think after 3 days, my tattoo will be healed enough. But to be sure I will go to artist to show him his work

[marley mission]

When I can do workout after new tattoo? My artist said that I need to avoid intense sweating for 5 days after tattoo. Today is 5 day healing and it started to peel. Can I go to the gym on friday? It would be 8 day of healing.

8 days sounds good to me - but everyone is different and every tattoo is different - I think you are wise to take caution though - plus - if you work out on a regular basis the break will do you well and you'll probably end up making some gains from the layoff

[xcom]

Well today is my 1st day after my last night session. 9hrs.

Fuck I am hurting today.

It hurts all the way down to the bone.

[rufio]

Well today is my 1st day after my last night session. 9hrs.

Fuck I am hurting today.

It hurts all the way down to the bone.

Does it make you stronger aswell?

[xcom]

Does it make you stronger aswell?

Fuck yea. I am a super saiyan now.

[rufio]

Fuck yea. I am a super saiyan now.

xD, Im rewatching dragonball at the moment. Oh those were the days