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

[SeeSea]

Healing two different areas of my back done a week apart from one another. Ping-pong itching! It's like a whole second round of itching even though the skin has already fallen off, like bugs crawling under my skin. It's taking me about 10-12 days to complete a peel. Wish I was younger, maybe it wouldn't take as long. 2 weeks until my next session.

[gougetheeyes]

@Fala you got some goodies? Hook me up for my front! :D

[Fala]

Will do @gougetheeyes!

[Bexter]

Oh em effing gee. The itching. That is all *punches arm*

[Chemical Burn]

Had another five hours done on my leg sleeve two days ago and the swelling around my knee was just about gone this morning. At least it's all on the front of my thigh this time so I can sit down properly.

[Graeme]

Oh em effing gee. The itching. That is all *punches arm*

Welcome to getting tattoos! You go into it anticipating and dreading how it feels to get them, not once suspecting that healing them is the worst part of it.

[Bexter]

Welcome to getting tattoos! You go into it anticipating and dreading how it feels to get them, not once suspecting that healing them is the worst part of it.

Everyone in work is like "you're quiet today". It's because I'm concentrating on not chopping my arm off.

[polliwog]

My inner bicep is so swollen today that it looks like I have a bingo wing on one side only. When I took the wrap off everything just sagged...

...and it hurts when I brush my teeth with that arm. wah wah wah

[bongsau]

I'm healing some shading on my belly, touchups on my leg and a hot stuff on my upper thigh from a week and half ago. Getting a big ass panther on the inner/front in 2 days so I am going to be walking around like a tin man for the rest of the week. I don't really get super itchy anymore but I am noticing that I heal up pretty rough, especially on the thighs, the older I get.

[bongsau]

...the inner thigh was a real sonofabitch to sit through. gonna take more than a couple fresh tattoos to slow me down...in the slam! going to see Cro-Mags tonite BAM!

[Synesthesia]

Just got pretty much my whole inner leg from the knee to the ankle shaded last night. I underestimated just how sore and how much pressure I would be feeling today, so once when I stood up, I went way faster than I should have and almost fainted. :( Last night and today, I've been limping around the house like my leg's broken. People are always so worried about the pain of the needle, but honestly, I'd take a couple more hours of tattooing over what I go through afterwards...

[exume]

My forearm was so damn itchy last night, I had a dream that I scratched it raw, got scared, looked at it and no damage was done. Not so bad today, hair growing back is, as always, annoying though.

[Tesseracts]

Ugh it's the day after I got my tattoo and it hurts like hell. It started hurting more after I just washed it and put moisturizer (Cetaphil) on it. I don't know if that's a coincidence or what. Mitsu said I should use some moisturizer but if it's going to hurt I'm not happy.

[CultExciter]

@Tesseracts tattoos hurt in the healing process. all is normal.

[SeeSea]

@Tesseracts - what sucks, maybe you're getting this, is a tattoo on your torso or some part that moves/jiggles at all when you walk or climb stairs. The side of my back is screaming every time I go down the stairs. I'm working on that elevator move where you can go up and down the stairs without bouncing and it looks like you are riding up and down an elevator, LOL. Sucks. Just had to soak out of my T-shirt in the shower this morning. Itching hasn't really started yet :-(

[Tesseracts]

SeeSea, it's on my leg. It's hard for me to walk, I just kind of limp around, haha.

[Synesthesia]

Experimenting with using less lotion while healing my latest tattoo, and it's not working so well for me. My skin is painfully dry and tight feeling all the time (it's been 4 days). Still in a decent amount of pain too, I'm not walking normally yet and even in a resting position, the tattoo feels like a giant papercut and has a slight stinging/itching feeling all the time. Pretty miserable overall. :(

[Mark Bee]

I've got a new one on my lower leg and it is making wearing boots or shoes with tongues impossible. Slip on shoes for the next week or so. 10cm of snow expected in a day or so.

Yay.

[Michael Chance]

My knee and back of knee is coming up next on my leg and back piece. How is the pain on the back of the knee? And also still need my ass out outlined. 23 hours down so far. The worst pain so far had been shading on my ribs and also the calf was a killer

[MadeIndelible]

Experimenting with using less lotion while healing my latest tattoo, and it's not working so well for me. My skin is painfully dry and tight feeling all the time (it's been 4 days). Still in a decent amount of pain too, I'm not walking normally yet and even in a resting position, the tattoo feels like a giant papercut and has a slight stinging/itching feeling all the time. Pretty miserable overall. :(

I've been dry healing my currently healing tattoo for the past week, and it's getting pretty itchy. I just put some lotion on it after reading your post. It's helping, but still a bit itchy. It has healed rather well, though, visually speaking.

[Tesseracts]

EVERYONE! After trying bactine, various painkillers, and various moisturizers, I finally found something that relieves the pain: baby lotion. I don't know why, but it works.

[hogg]

EVERYONE! After trying bactine, various painkillers, and various moisturizers, I finally found something that relieves the pain: baby lotion. I don't know why, but it works.

Good for you! Just make sure it's unscented and don't put too much on.

[Synesthesia]

I've been dry healing my currently healing tattoo for the past week, and it's getting pretty itchy. I just put some lotion on it after reading your post. It's helping, but still a bit itchy. It has healed rather well, though, visually speaking.

I'm not quite dry healing, but I am using about half the amount of lotion I've used in the past. So far, it's been pretty annoying and uncomfortable. I was actually worried it was infected because I've never had a tattoo hurt for so long afterwards, but I think my skin is just so dry, that's what's causing the pain. It does feel marginally better when I put lotion on, but again, I'm trying to restrict myself as much as possible. I think I over moisturized my last one, which made it take forever to start and finish peeling. I can't imagine healing completely dry!

[SeeSea]

Experimenting with using less lotion while healing my latest tattoo, and it's not working so well for me. My skin is painfully dry and tight feeling all the time (it's been 4 days). Still in a decent amount of pain too, I'm not walking normally yet and even in a resting position, the tattoo feels like a giant papercut and has a slight stinging/itching feeling all the time. Pretty miserable overall. :(

I am too. I used what I *thought* was a very thin layer of product but I realize now I can thin it out even more waiting for it to warm up before applying and then patting it on rather than rubbing initially. Then when I rub, there is barely anything there. i wasn't slathering before, but I realize I can go thinner. We'll see what happens. I've never tried dry healing like @MadeIndelible or others here. I'm on day 4, too.Good luck with the itchies!

[Tesseracts]

Good for you! Just make sure it's unscented and don't put too much on.

I think the lotion I'm using is mildly scented, but does that matter if it's not irritating my skin?

I'm not using much either, but I'm curious, what is the risk of over moisturizing? Does it slow healing?