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

[Liz Stitch Ellis]

The back of my arm is driving me nuts, especially because i usually lean on it in school (ok so i sleep during class... shhh) Totaly forgot my lotion today too and had to borrow it from some other teacher. So now it smells all.. flowery.

smh. I still have to post pictures of it but now its a bit to flaky to show off.

[jayessebee]

ive gotten 4 this week and i am at many maddening stages of healing at once

[gougetheeyes]

ive gotten 4 this week and i am at many maddening stages of healing at once

You're a machine!

[TrixieFaux]

Can we commiserate about a spouse/partner's healing process instead...?

Well @DJDeepFried has been healing for a week now and we have different healing methods. I use a minimal amount of unscented moisturizer as needed. HE uses Aquafor slathered all over and it makes our sheets and comforter all greasy!

Hee hee.

Love ya honey. <3

[jayessebee]

You're a machine!

thats what happens when theres a convention, a buddy in from cali, and a tattooer staying in my house haha

I have an appt next week to blast over my chest :facepalm:

[Scott R]

ive gotten 4 this week and i am at many maddening stages of healing at once

share you will ?

[Delicious]

ah if only I had found this thread sooner. My ankle is healing like a bitch. All healed except for the red flowers. It has been almost 3 weeks, and they still itch, are rough to the touch, slightly scabbed. I just want it to be done and healed so I can be ready this saturday for my next tattoo... Wishful thinking though. I had to have my sister slap my leg like crazy today just so I wouldnt itch off the last of the scabs

[RoryQ]

My front has been healing since the weekend. Mostly outline, all over, some shading. While it sucked to get done I am pleasantly surprised that it has been ok-feeling since then... None of the shivers and whatnot I got with my back. That said, I had to shave my chest to get it done and a few hairs have gron back and seem to have kind of ingrown- some red pimples if that makes sense. Assuming they'll sort themselves out?

[Brock Varty]

@RoryQ Same thing happens every time I get worked on. They always figure themselves out after a week or so...

[Delicious]

I am really shocked, my chest tattoo is already peeling!

My ankle still isnt completely healed

[bulldog]

Panther on my leg by Stewart Robson last week, laser on my arm the day after and chest eagle next week, I must be a sucker for pain...

[DJDeepFried]

Anyone get tattoo zits? Not worried about it -- as I figure the ink is under a deeper layer of skin. But it is kinda gross. Too much information?

[Pugilist]

Anyone get tattoo zits? Not worried about it -- as I figure the ink is under a deeper layer of skin. But it is kinda gross. Too much information?

Yes. :(

[ThaliaCamille]

I recently learned a new name for the flaky stuff that comes off a tattoo - "fish food". Ugh.

[Our Endless Days]

Anyone get tattoo zits? Not worried about it -- as I figure the ink is under a deeper layer of skin. But it is kinda gross. Too much information?

the get the most heinous, big, gross zits. they're usually exclusively on the outline about a week after a get tattooed. shit's weird. although, i love popping them once my tattoo is healed.

[TrixieFaux]

ewwwwwww :D

[Delicious]

I got little ones on my chest, then on my shoulder.

I think it was the friction from the bra combined with the lotion during healing

[Michelle]

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!

I spent 3 days close to the Blue Mountains in Sydney, and there were soo many mosquitoes! My new, healing and itchy tattoo now have 4 mosquito bites right next to it! - but I actually think it makes the tattoo itch less, because I'm more focused on the bites :P

[tatB]

Anyone else feel like they suck at healing tattoos? Its not going to stop me from getting more work but its annoying and makes me hesitant about traveling to get a one shot piece because I know I'm going to need touch up.

[Dan S]

Harry, every time I get som ework, I try a different way to heal it. They all came out about the same!

Way back when, in the early seventies, a little hand-lotion whenever you though of it was about the extent of things. A few of my pieces I bandaged during work hours...I am a machinist and got enough burns/cuts/scrapes that I figured better safe than sorry. NEver seemed to hurt 'em.

In the eighties, when I got the next batch of work done, the big thing was Preparation H. It cut the swelling down almost instantly, and really held the moisture in. Healed some major large work with it, and other than smelling like an asshole all day, it worked fine.

In the late-ninties, early 00's, I got a full sleeve, and used mostly Vaseline Intensive Care lotion on it. Did use Preparation H on the outlining for it, as I was stuck in the mountains in Mexico, and it was like 105 every day-shit was popping out like a relief map! Anyhow, it all healed very well, tho' color in the ditch and a few other spots took a bit longer.

I've had the most trouble with healing in the last few years, but I think that's mostly because I'm elderly. Right now, I am putting Aquaphor on my latest work, one thin, thin coat a day, about an hour or two after showering, and it has worked wonderfully. I didn't use any lotion at all for the first three days after getting my ribs done, and on the 4th day, after I showered in the evening, I put the lotion on. Smae every day since. I am one week out today, and durn near healed.

Just my experiences, maintain, you'll figure out the combo that's right for you.

[dari]

I recently learned a new name for the flaky stuff that comes off a tattoo - "fish food". Ugh.

My favorite name is for the paper towel that goes under the saran wrap at the very bottom of a large piece, the "gravy tray."

[tatB]

Harry, every time I get som ework, I try a different way to heal it. They all came out about the same!

Way back when, in the early seventies, a little hand-lotion whenever you though of it was about the extent of things. A few of my pieces I bandaged during work hours...I am a machinist and got enough burns/cuts/scrapes that I figured better safe than sorry. NEver seemed to hurt 'em.

In the eighties, when I got the next batch of work done, the big thing was Preparation H. It cut the swelling down almost instantly, and really held the moisture in. Healed some major large work with it, and other than smelling like an asshole all day, it worked fine.

In the late-ninties, early 00's, I got a full sleeve, and used mostly Vaseline Intensive Care lotion on it. Did use Preparation H on the outlining for it, as I was stuck in the mountains in Mexico, and it was like 105 every day-shit was popping out like a relief map! Anyhow, it all healed very well, tho' color in the ditch and a few other spots took a bit longer.

I've had the most trouble with healing in the last few years, but I think that's mostly because I'm elderly. Right now, I am putting Aquaphor on my latest work, one thin, thin coat a day, about an hour or two after showering, and it has worked wonderfully. I didn't use any lotion at all for the first three days after getting my ribs done, and on the 4th day, after I showered in the evening, I put the lotion on. Smae every day since. I am one week out today, and durn near healed.

Just my experiences, maintain, you'll figure out the combo that's right for you.

Thanks Dan, you always give solid advice and are one of my favorite posters on here.

I've only started getting tattooed in the past year so I have only have a few pieces and tried different methods each time. My best results came from dry healing for the first 3 days then using lotion to help alleviate the dry/tight/itchy feeling. I would say 80% to 90% of the tattoo heals beautifully but i end up getting areas of thick scabbing (not fun) in the other 10%-20% of the tattoo and that usually results needing touch up.

[Dan S]

Thanks Dan, you always give solid advice and are one of my favorite posters on here.

Thank you.

...i end up getting areas of thick scabbing (not fun) in the other 10%-20% of the tattoo and that usually results needing touch up.

I've gotten the same thing, big, plate-like scabs, usually in the black, that when they do finally come off, take color with them. These last few times, I haven't had that problem, and I'm not really sure if I could attribute it to my healing process, the tattooing process, or just plain old "shit happens"!

[tatB]

I've gotten the same thing, big, plate-like scabs, usually in the black, that when they do finally come off, take color with them. These last few times, I haven't had that problem, and I'm not really sure if I could attribute it to my healing process, the tattooing process, or just plain old "shit happens"!

good to hear that i'm not the only scabber

[slayer9019]

I've gotten the same thing, big, plate-like scabs, usually in the black, that when they do finally come off, take color with them. These last few times, I haven't had that problem, and I'm not really sure if I could attribute it to my healing process, the tattooing process, or just plain old "shit happens"!

Red does it for me. Always scab up like I have road rash. Looks brutal for a few weeks but heals perfectly fine with zero color loss. Weird as all hell but as long as it works out. Black outlines usually scab a bit then fall off and look like it was carved in (1/2mm deep or so valley). Again I've never experienced drop-out of any color.