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

[pidjones]

I got my adventure time tattoo this past April... It's still not healed. Did I do something wrong? I used aquaphor, lotion, and cleaned it with tattoo goo but it's such a weird colour and it's all spotty in places. Do you think I need to get it redone?

I think you should go back to your artist and ask them. That is a very long time to heal. Is it still weeping? scaling/flaking? What causes you to say it is not healed?

[dmon19]

I think you should go back to your artist and ask them. That is a very long time to heal. Is it still weeping? scaling/flaking? What causes you to say it is not healed?

It's still raised. When I touch it I can tell where the tattoo is... There's no new layer of skin covering it like there is with my other tattoos

[xcom]

Day one of my inner bicep piece, Pretty painful and my arm looks like a ham.

[Synesthesia]

Happy to be healing, but I'm a little bummed out that the tattoo isn't as precise as I had hoped. There are little imperfections that I never noticed before: lines that are too shallow (they look like several thin lines instead of one thick line), and places where a solid black line doesn't end cleanly and faintly trails off.

Pics? Just because I like to see tattoos. Don't worry about imperfections. No tattoo is perfect, it's art crafted by hand on another person, there's so many chances for it to go wrong! Minor imperfections add character.

Day one of my inner bicep piece, Pretty painful and my arm looks like a ham.

I decided to get my other inner bicep done ASAP after suffering through the first one. Everything about that spot sucks. Both of mine swelled like crazy too, despite all my best efforts to elevate and ice it. Glad I only have two inner biceps.

[xcom]

Pics? Just because I like to see tattoos. Don't worry about imperfections. No tattoo is perfect, it's art crafted by hand on another person, there's so many chances for it to go wrong! Minor imperfections add character.

I decided to get my other inner bicep done ASAP after suffering through the first one. Everything about that spot sucks. Both of mine swelled like crazy too, despite all my best efforts to elevate and ice it. Glad I only have two inner biceps.

WoW... You are brave. lol No way I would go for my other bicep at this time. I would at least wait till I forget how it felt.

8hrs of it and it was not easy :D

[pidjones]

Ok, you guys are killing me. Just about an inch of that soft inner flesh was worked on me last week, and I still vividly remember the burn! Like she was working it over with a soldering iron (and she has a very light hand). I had one of the black lines scab and seems to have lost its ink (Oh joy! A touch-up there!) @xcom: Eight hours? Whoa! Saw it in the Latest thread - made my arm react to see it. Beautiful piece, though.

Question - does it get worse getting closer to the pit?

[xcom]

@pidjones,

Thank you!

Yes it does get worst the closer they got to the armpit. He would warn me when he was going to work the area. Underneath the arm/bicep it was not bad but the inner side and armpit where painful and your description of it is right on point..

[Synesthesia]

Well maybe if mine took 8 hours, I would be less eager. :) One of them was about 3, the other was well under 2 (including time spent talking about movies and politics...Chad Koeplinger, everybody).

And yes, @pidjones, the area closest to the armpit is the worst I've found for pain yet. Especially with the one by Chad, where a couple of the leaves of my rose really went in there. It's one of those spots where I guess it's connected to other nerves because it would hurt all the way down to my elbow and in my ribs.

[six times seven]

day two of healing my right kneecap, left was a breeze! but I'm dying on this one. threw my back out limping afterwards. I am a right mess at work right now...ha.

[Blaue]

How silly of me to read any of this thread. I thought getting the tattoo was the only pain I really had to worry about, and now I see that's probably not the case. I've read just 3 pages and I'm going to stop before I really want to change my mind about getting a tattoo ... I did give my deposit already so there's no backing out now!

[Synesthesia]

^ Pain is temporary, awesome tattoos are forever.

[pidjones]

How silly of me to read any of this thread. I thought getting the tattoo was the only pain I really had to worry about, and now I see that's probably not the case. I've read just 3 pages and I'm going to stop before I really want to change my mind about getting a tattoo ... I did give my deposit already so there's no backing out now!

Honestly, the little pain involved in healing has been very minor compared to the actual tattooing. The worst for me is that when I brushed against a tender area, it brought back memories of the initial pain. Really, though - it is just bothersome for me (but I've never suffered swelling or bruising yet).

[cltattooing]

My butt itches u_____u

[sarahmohawk]

My skin still has a slight peeling effect on the back on the thigh - from a tattoo I got on the 30th June. I think it's just a problematic area because the same person tattooed my calf a week later and it's healed well. Pretty weird.

[xcom]

Still healing from my side bicep piece. Itching like crazy but healing well.

[rufio]

Still healing from my side bicep piece. Itching like crazy but healing well.

I call dibs on all your tattoos when u might meet someone either above or below

[xcom]

I call dibs on all your tattoos when u might meet someone either above or below

HAHAHA!

[sophistre]

I thought getting the tattoo was the only pain I really had to worry about, and now I see that's probably not the case.

Honestly, I think the apprehension and not-knowing before getting your first one is about 1000x worse than anything you'll experience afterward...because while, yeah, it does hurt, for the most part it's a known quantity and you know sorta what to expect. At least, that's how it has been for me.

We were joking last night at Liberty about how we get wussier with every tattoo we get, because the first few you're like 'I'm gonna tank this like a champ! There's no way I'm gonna wuss out! BRING IT ON!' by #6 it's like 'oh god damnit here we go again' and you kinda whine about it a little more.

That said, I think the fact that most people who get tattooed go back for more of the same is an indication that it's totally worth it in pretty much every way. :)

To stay on-topic: lower leg tattoo presents fresh challenges, like my cats trying to rub on my legs, and one of my cats LICKED IT WITH HIS FILTHY CAT MOUTH EW.

Should be fun walking around PAX with this thing healing. Woooo

[Hands On]

We were joking last night at Liberty about how we get wussier with every tattoo we get, because the first few you're like 'I'm gonna tank this like a champ! There's no way I'm gonna wuss out! BRING IT ON!' by #6 it's like 'oh god damnit here we go again' and you kinda whine about it a little more.

That said, I think the fact that most people who get tattooed go back for more of the same is an indication that it's totally worth it in pretty much every way. :)

to get back off topic, @sophistre, did you get something at Liberty?!

i definitely feel the apprehension and know that i'll have the "here we go again" thoughts when finally decide what to get on my torso. fuckin ribs, chest, and stomach... spots where i know i'll be earning it.

you're so right... as wise and wussy as we get, we still overcome it and get tattooed because they're that worth it. it's all part of the wizardry.

[sophistre]

to get back off topic, @sophistre, did you get something at Liberty?!

Yeah! From Chris Ayalin. Dagger with a rose and snake. He hasn't put the pic up yet, though, and I forgot to take one!

[The Tig]

I'll add a little something that may be useful but not likely an eye opener.

As a former bike racer who has had many nasty roadrash injuries over 3 decades, as well as a retired paramedic, the key to minimal scarring/best healing is to keep the damaged skin moist during the first 4 to 5 days of healing. Tegaderm/Saniderm is always a great bet.

Does this sound familiar? A fresh tattoo is similar to roadrash in the way the body reacts to it, just not as traumatic. Protecting it under the moist membrane allows everything to heal without drying out and scabbing, which we should always avoid.

[xcom]

Almost all healed. Had a small accident causing a laceration to my fresh tattoo. The healing has left almost no scaring. A small retouch up will be need it... Over all it healed very well.

Still itch like crazy in areas... ughhh.

Super stoked.

[Eevee]

I've hit the itchy stage (tattoo was Tuesday) and I want to claw off my skin. Argh.

[The Tig]

My leg's tiger was completed 5 days ago. I removed the plastic wrap 5 hours later and cleaned it with a soap from my wife's clinic as usual. I then used Saniderm overnight for the plasma stage and replaced it the next morning. I left the new Saniderm on for 4 days.

Wow, what an overall improvement compared to the past when I used triple antibiotic ointment the next day followed by aquaphor. The tattoo felt much less sensitive and didn't leak on any sheets or clothes. Not even the slightest sign of infection or edema. It was nice since nothing needed to be done.

[Eevee]

^ That sounds blissful. I think I need to research that method for my December appointment.

My feet are peeling, but at least that means the itching is almost over.