I'm really worried about my new tattoo and it's driving me mad

[WorriedinLondon]

Hi everyone.

This is my second tattoo. My first tattoo was a hand poke tattoo and it went so well, I was completely fine when it was done which was about 10 days ago. It's in the flaking stage and I am not touching it. It's healing a treat

Saturday, 20 Nov, I got a large colour flower piece done on my right lower arm. It goes from just above the wrist to a few inches below the elbow. The experience has been so much worse. The pain was quite something when it was being done but I managed to make it through. It was hot and swollen Sunday and Monday but the swelling is subsiding around most of it. It's still quite raised though and quite bumpy especially the line work.  I think the tattooist went in too deep when they made it as they were extremely heavy-handed and it's been overworked. I do fully understand that bigger, colour tattoos are much more traumatising to the skin than the thinner, delicate hand-poked ones.

I went to the doctor because (I'm a hypercondriac thanks to my dad) of the heat, because the tattoo is extremely tight feeling - I wash it thrice daily and put aftercare cream on it everytime - and because of the scabbing. It still hurts to use the arm.

My doctor said I am allergic to the ink so as well as antibiotics, to make sure no infection has formed, I am also taking piriton twice a day.

As mentioned, the tattoo feels very tight and pulling where it's scabbed the most and the area around the gramophone is more swollen than anywhere else but not hot. The skin is shiny.

For info - the tattoo has red, yellow, blue, black and brown inks on the piece.

Photos are attached. If you look at the semi-circle area, you will see that a bit of a wound is there after I stupidly touched it and ink rose to the surface and some skin came off. 

Final note - I also have been cleaning it and moisturising it with aftercare cream as I have been directed. I even bought a tattoo aftercare kit to make sure I had covered all my bases.

I know it's been three days but this is my first colour tattoo and I just need some reassurance that it'll heal ok. I'm keeping it out of the sun, only wearing cotton, bought aveeno to use in the shower so if soap does get on it, it's not insane and I'm using fragrance-free cocoa butter.

Thank you.

[Hogrider]

Holy shit! Calm down. First, don't ever get a tattoo again, you don't have the temperament. Second, your doctor doesn't know what he's talking about. The number of documented tattoo allergies is EXTREMELY small. You got a big honking tattoo on thin, delicate skin - it's going to hurt. Three days isn't even beginning to heal; it takes 6-8 weeks to heal a tattoo. Forget all your creams and potions and after care kits and hocus pocus -  you don't need ANY of that to heal a tattoo.  I've healed well over 200 hours of tattoos using nothing but A&D ointment for three days and cocoa butter after. Just a little - too much is worse than none at all.

Have a drink, or a toke, or a xanax and relax. Check back in 8 weeks.

[WorriedinLondon]

On 11/23/2021 at 2:32 PM, Hogrider said:

Holy shit! Calm down. First, don't ever get a tattoo again, you don't have the temperament. Second, your doctor doesn't know what he's talking about. The number of documented tattoo allergies is EXTREMELY small. You got a big honking tattoo on thin, delicate skin - it's going to hurt. Three days isn't even beginning to heal; it takes 6-8 weeks to heal a tattoo. Forget all your creams and potions and after care kits and hocus pocus -  you don't need ANY of that to heal a tattoo.  I've healed well over 200 hours of tattoos using nothing but A&D ointment for three days and cocoa butter after. Just a little - too much is worse than none at all.

Have a drink, or a toke, or a xanax and relax. Check back in 8 weeks.

Thank you for being honest and upfront. I can't lie, I went into this having done a good six months of research but you never know how it's going to actually be. I've bought some cocoa butter as I saw in other threads that you've mentioned how well it works for you so decided to buy some too. 

I am trying not to let my anxiety get the best of me which it is. I'm planning to stick to thinner tattoos like the other one I have as I still want to be tattooed but am not going to get a large colour one again as, you're absolutely right, I don't have the temperament for it and the anxiety is making my IBS go mad. The skin is different places is cracking so I'm thinking - again you're right - that the tattoo product I bought for it, isn't doing enough. My skin on the right side of the tattoo is swollen and shiny which I'm monitoring and the tat itself is still quite warm but thankfully there's no oozing and no smell.

I appreciate your reply, Hogrider. Thank you.

EDIT - My doc proper freaked me out. She began talking about sepsis and it becoming bloodborne etc hence her prescribing me flucloxicillin and as mentioned as a hypocondriac that sent me over the edge. 

Edited November 23, 2021 by WorriedinLondon
clarity

[oboogie]

Your doctor sounds insane. Do not go to her about any tattoos.

And please do not get any other tattoos. Ever.