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

[Oiocha]

You might not feel like it right now but, it looks like you made out like a bandit if the least accessible area of your body is healing that well.  I hope when I come to this forum to commiserate I look similar.

[sophistre]

 

2 hours ago, Oiocha said:

You might not feel like it right now but, it looks like you made out like a bandit if the least accessible area of your body is healing that well.  I hope when I come to this forum to commiserate I look similar.

 

I hope so too!

[Devious6]

@sophistre  I am really looking forward to seeing it after you heal!!

[Darren24mma]

anybody seen peeling like this before ?

[Gingerninja]

Got a small tattoo yesterday that I think qualifies as a "groin" tattoo. It's located on my hip bone towards my pube area. This healing should be interesting. The tegaderm has already ripped once, so I slapped another piece over it. Good times.

[pidjones]

Got a small tattoo yesterday that I think qualifies as a "groin" tattoo. It's located on my hip bone towards my pube area. This healing should be interesting. The tegaderm has already ripped once, so I slapped another piece over it. Good times.

Ouch! Who's the "complete badass" now?

[Gingerninja]

I rate pain on a scale of 0-5. This little one, which took a while since this super guy was taking his time, barely registered as a 2. On my hip bone and towards the pube it reached a 3 which on my scale is "okay, I feel that". I feel like I didn't earn any sugar! What is wrong with me? Great therapy nonetheless. 

The tegaderm is holding but gushy underneath. I "managed" the area this  morning at the gym...hoping that the heal goes well with this area.

Looking forward to the reveal tomorrow afternoon!

@pidjones

[AverageJer]

Today I almost put children's toothpaste on my new tattoo instead of Aquaphor. Almost. The tubes were next to each other on the counter. 

[pidjones]

Today I almost put children's toothpaste on my new tattoo instead of Aquaphor. Almost. The tubes were next to each other on the counter. 

Lay off that decaf nonsense. You need caffeine!

[Oiocha]

3 hours ago, AverageJer said:

Today I almost put children's toothpaste on my new tattoo instead of Aquaphor. Almost. The tubes were next to each other on the counter. 

So you moved those tubes, right?

 

[Gingerninja]

I'm not itchy yet and the peel is done. It's like waiting for the other shoe to drop.

[Colored Guy]

I had this done last night on my foot. Surprised the pain was quite tolerable. I was medicated but not that much. We breezed right through it in 2 hours flat. I went to bed that night and then it was painful and took something for pain. Today only surface swelling and it feels pretty good. I'm staying in for the next few days to give it time to heal.

 

[leggon]

so I had this done yesterday. This time the pain was quite strong. My first tattoo was on the opposite side of this tattoo, but then the pain wasn't strong. Could it be because of lack of sleep? Because there were moments, when I tought that I will not handle this:D

[littlefox1970]

Excellent!  I love how the artist put such living expression in the eyes ... seems to be saying something like "I dare you dude ... go ahead ... make my day!" :)

I personally am finding the underbelly of the forearm more sensitive than the top of the forearm, but we are all different ... and some tattooists are more heavy handed than others ...

[PrivateAle]

Lower leg tattoo blues right now. Inside of my ankle, swelling is bad, and I dread moving from a sitting to standing position. Don't want to get out of bed in the morning 

 

Delighted with the result though, I've been sitting on this idea for 7 years. Every time I looked at my Basket Case t-shirt, I was reminded to get it done. Better late than never. 

[Alicia]

I had a shoulder piece done 4 days ago... the itching is not actually too bad (hope I haven't cursed it by saying that now!) and it's just starting to peel, so is looking a little grim. It's not finished, still got the majority of the colouring to do but I couldn't take the pain any more  It's still very tender and I can't even stand to have a loose, light t-shirt over it. I know it will be worth it in the end though!

 

[Boiled Dove]

So, for years here I've heard y'all talk about Aquaphor and didn't think much of it. I didn't think it could be much different from anything else. Well I was walking through the drug store the other day, just as my ribs were getting crusty, and saw that it was on sale so I grabbed a little tube.

Holy crap, that make healing a whole different experience. Why had I not listened to you guys sooner?

 

[Synesthesia]

On 4/24/2017 at 8:33 PM, Boiled Dove said:

So, for years here I've heard y'all talk about Aquaphor and didn't think much of it. I didn't think it could be much different from anything else. Well I was walking through the drug store the other day, just as my ribs were getting crusty, and saw that it was on sale so I grabbed a little tube.

Holy crap, that make healing a whole different experience. Why had I not listened to you guys sooner?

 

I think Aquaphor isn't even that highly recommended anymore because it's petroleum based and can suffocate the tattoo. But I don't care, I find it really soothing for those first couple days. 

My latest is in uncharted territory for me, I finally broke down and went to the forearm. Healing has been a whole different beast. I never realized how much your forearm twists throughout the day. Between the swelling and scabbing (also hadn't considered gravity making it ooze nonstop unless I propped my arm up!), I couldn't fully and comfortable rotate my arm until a few days after having it done. I also usually dry heal (or mostly dry heal) but this one was so scabby and constantly uncomfortable that I had to break down and use Lubriderm once or twice a day. I'm on my second peel now and the itchiness is in full swing. 

[Gingerninja]

I use Aquaphor very lightly that first week. Works like a charm for me... @Boiled Dove

Lord, @Synesthesia, you sound like you are having a good time healing! Hang in there!

[Synesthesia]

6 minutes ago, Gingerninja said:

I use Aquaphor very lightly that first week. Works like a charm for me... @Boiled Dove

Lord, @Synesthesia, you sound like you are having a good time healing! Hang in there!

I think I made things worse for myself. I got it on day 4 of my vacation and on days 2 and 3, I drank an ungodly amount of beer and we walked all over the city the days before doing tourist-y things. So I was pretty sore and probably slightly hungover. Not ideal conditions for tattooing...but a fun vacation!

[Gingerninja]

Sounds like a GREAT vacation to me. Good stories, too. You earned this one, right? @Synesthesia

[tertia]

My latest tattoo is a little over a week old, and my husband and I took a long weekend to Savannah for our anniversary. I'm in full peel/brutal itchiness phase, did my best to sweep the dead skin flakes out of our Airbnb bed before we left. 

 

Anyway we went to have massages today and despite me explicitly asking the massage therapist to avoid my right leg all together, she still passed over my peeling tattoo twice with eucalyptus oil. She almost certainly took some loose skin with her, but hopefully no damage was done. Does anyone know if eucalyptus oil will be problematic on a week old tattoo?

[Oiocha]

nah, just hope your massage therapist loves dead skin

[thyes]

On 16.2.2017 at 8:26 PM, leggon said:

so I had this done yesterday. This time the pain was quite strong. My first tattoo was on the opposite side of this tattoo, but then the pain wasn't strong. Could it be because of lack of sleep? Because there were moments, when I tought that I will not handle this:D

That's such a beauty! I'm getting a wolf on my forearm too in a couple of months, can't wait! And this piece was inspiring as I'm still not 100% sure how I want the wolf. 

[Oiocha]

So I'm here to revive this thread and talk about my first experience with back tattoos.  I have never in my life felt so much sharp pain for such a long period of time.  The back will be the hardest tattoo I ever finish and not just for the pain levels.  The way muscles contract, certain spots have this anxious bad "tickle" to them, how adrenaline will betray you and run out not before your butt is done butt right in the middle of getting it done.  If I ever see the other side of this tattoo experience while this forum is up I will complain on this forum all the up to and including the day I finish healing from my final session

Things that happened: going into mild bodily shock, shivering and teeth chattering for no reason, having stretch marks put in me from tattoo artist fighting muscle tightening, adrenaline running out while my butt is being tattooed, adrenaline running out after 2 hours during a 5 hour session, flying home on hot thighs overnight from the other coast.
Things that didn't happen: quitting, having a good time, smiling about any of it, any variety of talking with my artist