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

[irezumi]

The little red dots? No that's tattoo ink. Just a little spatter from what's above the frame of the picture.

[EmmaB]

aargh! itchy healing back piece! I've discovered it's really quite hard to slap yourself in the middle of your shoulder blades.

[Mark Bee]

aargh! itchy healing back piece! I've discovered it's really quite hard to slap yourself in the middle of your shoulder blades.

I wanted to staple a swatch of low-pile carpeting on our wall so i could lean into it and scratch away. My wife vetoed the idea.

[SeeSea]

aargh! itchy healing back piece! I've discovered it's really quite hard to slap yourself in the middle of your shoulder blades.

My husband really enjoyed whacking me in the back last week when I was having the same problem! I told him he only gets to beat me when we're doing work Right. In. The. Center.

[EmmaB]

In the end I developed a sort of vigorous shrugging action, which takes the edge off, but I am longingly thinking of low pile carpet now.

[Breakme]

but I am longingly thinking of low pile carpet now.

I laughed at this, it made me think of people that suffer from Pica, where they crave and eat weird stuff like chalk and cushion stuffing.

[hollyjoybee]

I had my side tattooed on Wednesday and FYI stretch marks that have been tattooed on suck in the days after in my opinion. Ouch :(

[Boiled Dove]

So we got finished on my leg at about 5 PM yesterday and my guy wrapped it in plastic and had me leave it wrapped until I went to take a shower before work in the morning, about 17 hours. It has not oozed or seeped anything all day. He said to start putting lotion on it in about 5 days or so after it had crusted over.

I think I like this routine. I think I had always over gooped in the healing process.

[Tesseracts]

I remember I freaked out and made a thread about how my tattoo was dripping a little tiny bit. Well the tattoo I got yesterday is dripping like crazy. I decided that's actually a good thing, it means the wound isn't dried out.

[exume]

My arm is swollen up like a balloon

[geeyouknit]

My arm is swollen up like a balloon

mine too. inner bicep is so sore right now.

by the way, does anybody know cetaphil moisturizing lotion is good for keeping the area hydrated?

i put some on after a shower and it stung pretty bad. after 15-20mins i dabbed some of it off with a tissue paper because i felt i applied too much, and i saw some black spots on the paper. could the lotion be causing the ink to come out???

[Mick Weder]

Cetaphil is good shit but not on a fresh tattoo. I only use this during the scab/ itch phase & only in real dry & difficult areas.

[geeyouknit]

Thanks Mick! Just wondering, why is it not good for a fresh tattoo? Does it affect colour retention?

[Mick Weder]

It stinging is a good indicator straight up mate. Cetaphil is designed for dry skin, not an open wound. Have a look at the ingredients, it's alcohol based.

This shit here is fkn good shit for fresh tattoos. It cleanses and has a mild local anaesthetic.

In saying that though, personally I pretty much dry heal.

Post tattoo, old mate hot water towel pats the tattoo down. Not boiling water, but pretty warm. An hour later I'm home, pumping hot shower while drinking ice cold cider. (The cider being the most important part).

I'll use a soft body wash to hand wash the tattoo down, one with an Alo Vera or similar base.

The only time I'll use the paw paw is if an area is red/ inflamed & only just a light film. No need to over gunk.

Cetaphil is a great moisturiser to help nourish when dry, but again, I'll hardly ever use it and it doesn't necessarily have to be Cetaphil. I've only been using it recently on my hand & knuckles as it was healing hard, and the Mrs had it handy. Don't stress about the ink either. Sounds like ya just copped a belting and it's weeping a little.

I ain't no expert on healing, and we all have different ways. This way just works for me.

Hope this helps.

[SeeSea]

@geeyouknit

http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/tattoo-after-care/32-best-post-tattoo-care.html

http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/tattoo-after-care/1576-tattoo-healing-products-potions-myths.html

[Tesseracts]

Anyone else get REALLY tired after a tattoo? I just slept most of the past 12 hours and I'm still exhausted.

[Mick Weder]

The opposite. Always have a shitfull sleep.

[SeeSea]

Anyone else get REALLY tired after a tattoo? I just slept most of the past 12 hours and I'm still exhausted.

I usually can't sleep solidly but I'm good-and-tired for that long. It depends on how well I hydrated and when we finish. He only works after hours so we don't finish until the very wee hours. I get maybe 5-6 hours and then kinda tired the rest of the next day. But sleep is good - take all you can get! Maybe you were fighting off something? Do all that Vitamin-C stuff.

[Mark Bee]

Anyone else get REALLY tired after a tattoo? I just slept most of the past 12 hours and I'm still exhausted.

I don't find it affects my sleep much one way or the other. The first night might be a little less comfortable if I'm still wearing a bandage, but otherwise, I don't notice the new tattoo all that much at bedtime.

[exume]

Swelling is down, pretty comfortable day three, I see a couple spots might get little scabs but things are healing pretty smooth over here

[hollyjoybee]

The word that best describes today is 'itchy' !

[semele]

I had the final session on my back Saturday, and I'm pretty much out of room so no more big tattoos for me. So now I'm at the stage of leaving red and green dead skin flakes everywhere like some sort of gross Hansel and Gretel, and... I'm weirdly sentimental about it! As if having a square foot of your skin being annoying is something to miss. On the other hand, I will never feel nostalgic for the two nights I couldn't sleep because both cheeks and both hips were sore. It was a fun session.

[Mick Weder]

I had the final session on my back Saturday, and I'm pretty much out of room so no more big tattoos for me.

Isn't that a feeling of relief! No more room left for huge sittings. But then on the other hand, after all these years drilling the suit, I'm gonna miss the whole design stage.

When people ask, what ya gonna do when ya run out of skin? My reply is, there'll always be room to drill a little bit of black into.

[Colored Guy]

I had some work done on 5/9 and used Aquaphor on it. Definitely the best healing I've ever had. No thick scabbing at all, just light flakes and all I use now is body lotion. It itched a little for a few days but nothing uncomfortable.

Rob

[Tesseracts]

This tattoo is itching A LOT more than the last one. Last one barely itched at all. Maybe it's because it's tebori? I've been using aloe vera to soothe the itching, anyone else do this?