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

[Delicious]

My red on my ankle is still blech. I mean, It's healed successfully, but there is still a scab back from November on it, and if I dont lotion it everyday, looks like a white film over it. It looks fine once I put lotion on it, so I guess Im lotioning my ankles everyday from now on.

[Lori Todd]

I was a huge Aquaphor fan but decided to try and dry heal this piece I got from Greg Christian Tuesday night. So we're on day 3 and my forearm is still a bit swollen and tender. The skin has that funny fuzzy texture just before it flakes off. I feel like I'm getting a lot of scabbing compared to when I used Aquaphor, though. But I didn't have ANY weeping (when I use Aquaphor, I get SO MUCH of that crap).

[Pugilist]

That when you're healing your back and every time you go to the bathroom you stand up and discover you've shed multi-coloured parts of your body everywhere.

[ailsa]

I have been looking for this thread for ages! Wanted to share my pain and also amazing discovery of HiBi Scrub! It's what surgeons use to wash their hands.

I was concerned about a little area which is no bigger than my finger tip but it had a bit of puss under a scab so I went off and bought me some of that stuff. I can't recommend it enough! Gave it all a wash with the HiBi Scrub and it's worked wonders on it! most of the peeling has gone and the trouble area has improved in just two washes.

So happy to of found it! One of the precautions says to avoid contact with brain and spinal cord, that's some serious shit!

[else]

Oh man! The knee tattooing piece wasn't nearly as bad as I feared, except for a couple spots around the edges of the knee cap it was ok. But the heat and swelling today is TERRIBLE. Just awful :(

[Jessica08]

Mine is still peeling, but one chunk finally came off, and it is lighter than the other areas. I wonder if my sleeves may have rubbed my wrist making it come off too quickly. I will have to get a touch up. How soon after the initial tattoo can I get it touched up? Mine is over scar tissue as well so this may complicate things.

[Brock Varty]

Mine is still peeling, but one chunk finally came off, and it is lighter than the other areas. I wonder if my sleeves may have rubbed my wrist making it come off too quickly. I will have to get a touch up. How soon after the initial tattoo can I get it touched up? Mine is over scar tissue as well so this may complicate things.

I think two weeks is a general time frame for being able to safely work tattooed skin. I would wait well past that point before you consider a touch up though. Give it a couple months to fully settle and heal and then evaluate the tattoo again.

[Jessica08]

Thanks for the help, Brock. I figured I would wait a little while, but my artist offers touch ups for free but I don't know if there is a time frame for that.

[Brock Varty]

Thanks for the help, Brock. I figured I would wait a little while, but my artist offers touch ups for free but I don't know if there is a time frame for that.

Contact your tattooer and explain the situation, he may want you to come right in, or he may have you wait. Best course of action on any question about your tattoo is to always ask the person who tattooed you first.

[Jessica08]

Will do. Thanks!

[ailsa]

Oh man! The knee tattooing piece wasn't nearly as bad as I feared, except for a couple spots around the edges of the knee cap it was ok. But the heat and swelling today is TERRIBLE. Just awful :(

I found antihistamines really helped me out with that. Fair play getting your knees done! How is it with moving around?

[else]

I found antihistamines really helped me out with that. Fair play getting your knees done! How is it with moving around?

I'm moving around pretty good once I get going - there's always that first few moments when I first stand up that I have a total "oh hell" thing going on but it abates quickly.

[ailsa]

Haha yeah I've learnt that from my calf. Also nothing wrong with using a bag of peas to take the heat off it.

[else]

Also nothing wrong with using a bag of peas to take the heat off it.

or a cabbage leaf!

[ailsa]

A cabbage leaf?! Haha!

Okay so just asked Google, can't believe that works! That's amazing, learn something new everyday. And also sounds more beneficial than my bag of peas!

[fourtotheflush]

My chest is all puffy and a wee bit sore.

Not concerned, let's see how it reacts in the AM.

[Johannes]

cover it in cabbage leaves?

i'll have to try that just to be able to say i've done it!

[Graeme]

The elbow. Getting it tattooed was fine, healing it sucks.

[else]

Oh man! The knee tattooing piece wasn't nearly as bad as I feared, except for a couple spots around the edges of the knee cap it was ok. But the heat and swelling today is TERRIBLE. Just awful :(

It's *much* better today. Still a little swollen but it's possible to make out the edges of a knee cap in there.

A dementia-lady accidentally kicked me in the knee today though and it was AWFUL - totally saw stars there for a minute. She didn't mean to, it was just a thing...

The ankle isn't nearly as swollen with this one as it has been with the calf tattoos so that's good.

[MGblues]

The elbow. Getting it tattooed was fine, healing it sucks.

Ice is you friend on the elbow, so are NSAID OTC pain relievers

[fourtotheflush]

Ok,

So Im just a little bit sore, a little bit itchy, but it is healing up nicely.

Still a little red in the heavier shaded spots and some of the line work where there are lines overlapping or close together.

I get to start aquafor tonight, so I'm pretty happy to be able to moisturize.

I worked out a little bit last night and after starting really dialled it back as it was irritating it a little bit.

[Graeme]

Ice is you friend on the elbow, so are NSAID OTC pain relievers

The swelling and pain was okay, it's just that it heals way slower than the rest of the tattoo. Looks pretty good so far in terms of holding the black though, knock on wood.

[semele]

I had a huge chunk of my lower leg tattooed on Tuesday, and HOLY SHIT healing the knee ditch sucks. Everything else is fine, though sleeping has been tricky the last two nights, but FUCK YOU, Mrs. Back-of-the-Knee. The tattooing itself was really pretty easy for the most part, but unbending my leg is the worst healing pain I've had to deal with so far. Kinda like someone is taking razor blades to that crease. I just hope that it heals well enough that I don't have to do this again. Okay, whining session = over.

[gougetheeyes]

Put saran wrap down on the toilet seat for the first time yesterday :D

[semele]

Put saran wrap down on the toilet seat for the first time yesterday :D

I love how these things become milestones.