New tattoo and concerns with healing...

[Amanda]

Good morning everyone!

I recently had a tattoo placed on the top of my foot and it seems as though most of it is now going to be gone or very very blotchy/faded.  My tattoo was done a week ago Friday... Photo from that day is attached and then photos of this morning too... The body of the moth looks like it's going to be gone and the feelers will remain, and the sides of the moth appear to either be gone or very very fuzzy.  Is this stage "normal"?!  I've read they can go through a cloudy phase and I'm hoping that's all this is? I have 2 other tattoos (shoulder and back) who never went through this phase so I'm very unsure. Thanks for any help! (PS - Yes I've been following the after care requirements to a T, and purchased the recommended lotion from the shop too).  

[Synesthesia]

What exactly has your aftercare been and where was this done?

It didn't look like it was in super solid to begin with (the color doesn't look well saturated in spots and those feelers already look gray and blurry in the bottom picture, which I'm guessing was the day it was done) but a combination of poor aftercare and the foot being a tough spot to heal could have contributed to even more color falling out.

There isn't much you can do at this point. Just don't pick the scabs (in fact, I would recommend no lotion of any kind except maybe a drop when the itching gets so bad you can't stand it anymore) and re-evaluate when it's fully peeled and settled in, at least another 3 weeks.

[Amanda]

Hi Synesthesia.  Thanks for the response.

The tattoo was covered for 24 hours then I showered and gently rinsed it off.  No lotion until day 3.  I've been showering with my foot on the ledge to avoid getting it wet and putting lotion on 3 times per day.  I've been in flip flops 90% of the time (my feet are FREEZING from avoiding socks in the house LOL) and when I need to wear sneakers (to teach) I wear cotton socks and keep my shoe loose so it wouldn't rub which it hasn't. I've worn sneakers for a total of 3 times for a total of an hour here and there only.  

It isn't super itchy at all, and I'm definitely not picking the scabs... I'm super embarrassed how it looks at this point and very worried on the outcome. :(

[Devious6]

First step is to let it heal completely allowing it to peel fully and for the scabs to fall off. That will take at least two weeks. Once that occurs, I'd consult with your artist to assess your options. Some people's bodies just don't take certain colors well - my last tattoo had to be touched up for both blue and red. It seems that yours had light saturation and muted colors to begin with so that might combine with absorption to be part of the issue. In any case, don't sweat it now - let it get to the point where your artists can make a good assessment. 

[Synesthesia]

@Amanda Don't feel bad! Most people will need a touch up on their feet, it's hard skin to deal with and having to wear shoes or socks makes it more complicated. I have a foot tattoo I've had for like 8 years now and it needs a touch up but I haven't gotten around to it. Worst case scenario, parts of it will have to be redone, no big deal.

That doesn't sound like the worst aftercare, maybe a little antiquated. I think the most "progressive" recommended aftercare methods are to either wrap it in Tegaderm/Saniderm/etc (it's like breathable saran wrap) or to heal completely dry or mostly dry (little to no ointments or lotion, only a tiny little bit when it gets unbearably itchy just to keep yourself comfortable). In the future, your aftercare doesn't have to be so extensive, your body can take care of itself and sometimes doing too much can cause a whole new set of problems. It's been so liberating since I started doing more dry healing!

[oboogie]

At this point, just wait and see. The saturation does look a bit questionable — you might need to get another artist to rework it. But it's too early to tell at this point.

[otisc]

Ugh, you gotta wash your tattoos. Looks just like filthy scabbing to me. You're lucky you didn't get an infection. My first inclination is that either the tattoo artist has poor technique, but if you never washed it and developed thick scabbing, it's likely a lot of ink was drawn out.

[Amanda]

It's been lightly washed, but absolutely not saturated in water.  

[Synesthesia]

46 minutes ago, otisc said:

Ugh, you gotta wash your tattoos. Looks just like filthy scabbing to me. You're lucky you didn't get an infection. My first inclination is that either the tattoo artist has poor technique, but if you never washed it and developed thick scabbing, it's likely a lot of ink was drawn out.

I disagree with this statement. My foot and lower leg are both tattooed and they both oozed a ridiculous amount and scabbed badly in spots as a result, a lot of which was just due to gravity and blood pressure. After walking around for a bit, my leg and foot would be literally dripping with various bodily fluids (sorry for the gross mental image). Unless I washed them 10+ times a day and laid on the couch all day, there was no way to avoid some heavy scabbing. I guess Saniderm would have been an option, but I didn't have any of that...so yeah, scabbing was unavoidable in those places. Scabbing isn't necessarily going to ruin a tattoo unless you pull them off too soon.

[Amanda]

I am definitely not taking the scabs off on my own.  

[Amanda]

I think the coloring is actually looking better today... soooooooooooo crusty though LOL

[marley mission]

hardest thing is to pretend its not there for a month - but thats what my advice is - give a month - 6 weeks - see what you got then

the original tattoo has a bit of a muted look to it imo - not my style but whatever

good luck