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It's just me in the tub. If it's recommended by Filip Leu, that's good enough for me. I know it's frowned on in the US, but apparently in Japan, it's common practice. I haven't had an issue in four years, so no, I'm not worried. Also, I always take a shower before I get in the tub. I don't see any difference between the tattoos I healed the old way and the tattoos I healed using a bath.

well, we all know water inherently has a lot of bacteria in it,(city/local water's acceptable levels) that's the only thing I think about, but if that works for you then great !

Same.

you submerge a fresh tattoo ? aren't you worried about infection from the tub water ?

I don't swell much but the more sensitive the skin, the more I swell. After a couple of years of getting tattooed, my artist switched the aftercare to include a soak in a hot tub right after the tattoo and the next day. I not only swell less, but I have much less discomfort. He got it from Filip Leu and I've been using it the last 4 years.

Jesse Smith is doing it and I’m hoping no more than 40 more but no definite answer.

??? Don't be hard on yourself, 4.5 hrs is NOTHING to be ashamed of, especially on the back. You go girl ! And to the rest of yous posting in this thread...you are all a bunch of motherfuckin' tattooed warriors !!! You're all looking great, keep up the good work and keep the momentum :)

over that nice big blue peony? if you put red over blue i would expect you'd get a purple type of tone. orange over blue, you're getting a shitty brown. neither is going to offset the contrast on the redish koi fish (i think that's what it might be?) you got and lose the subject, in my opinion. I'm not a tattooer however. i'd accept the colour scheme and finish it anyway. or re-hit with a darker blue? i've had some tattoos where the colour had a different look/tone to it because of bordering contrast when everything was finished and healed. the colours will settle and get the aged look over time.

Everyone is going to be different, but in my experience placement matters and I am willing to bet your diet does too. My ditch got super swollen, but I think that was a matter of placement. My bicep didn't at all, but I eat a lot of almonds, ok fine I eat lots of nuts there I said it. Anyway, healthy oils are going to help your body fight inflammation. Plenty of others can cause you to swell more. You could check this article out to get a better idea: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/foods-that-fight-inflammation I get how new age-y and probably asinine I sound, but lets face it, your body is going to react to situations differently depending on what you put inside it.

When I got my calf tattoos my lower legs--especially my ankles and feet--got swollen. It's just how the body works and isn't uncommon. That's what it looks like is happening with your arm. But we're not doctors. If you're worried always go to the doctor.

Aaaannnndddd one more: this tiger is an add on from Colin Baker who works at State of Grace Tattoo in San Jose, CA. The tiger wraps around the inside of my right thigh. The Lady Warrior tattoo was completed in August earlier this year. The tiger was an add on. He also completed a very intricate Rat Warrior (yup the Chinese zodiac thing is lit on my leg), but that one was done on the back of my thigh. When I can figure out how to do a 360 degree shot of my leg, I'll post pictures of the complete battle scene. The Chinese calligraphy that I posted above, compliments this battle scene. Loosely translated it means: Brave woman, escape the ordinary.

I finished my back 9 years ago and it hurt like a bitch. I prefer the traditional look anyway, but they tend to go a lot quicker too. Which is always a plus. Richard Stell did this in only two sessions. The first one was about 4 1/2 hours and the second was 10. Picture taken 10 minutes ago...

Here is a shot of my back all healed and settled. Started and finished in 2017. Done by the one and only Eric Perfect in Philadelphia, PA.

Got this in November from Mike Fite when he was at the new Kadillac Tattoo in Hatboro, PA.

Howdy everyone! I've been lurking since March. I found the LST forum when I was planning my back piece. The back piece experience thread and the ladies thread were instrumental in my prepping and planning - I especially appreciate the insights of GingerNinja! So thank you GN and everyone else on this forum! My favorite style of tattooing is blackwork and I look forward to being completely covered someday. I'm starting with places that stay covered at the office [emoji12] and will move on from there! I just finished my back piece Saturday and will probably move on to one of my legs by next winter. This was done by Hira Lupe at First Class Tattoo in NYC. I'm not putting my butt on the internet [emoji16]so here is a side view: Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk