Kurgana

Very nice work there. I also have a couple of hand pokes, and planning to get some more. I quite like the relaxed and quiet vibe vs. machine tattooing, and being able to feel and appreciate every single dot that makes up the design. I also feel like they heal faster, but I haven't had a black linework only tattoo done by machine for ages, so it's probably not a fair comparison.

I have a neo traditional Freddie Mercury portrait on my left calf - still fresh in the pic pinched from the artist's instagram. And my left arm is a collection of random tattoos that no one else would associate with music, but for me each is a representation of a favourite song of mine (so far they are all Queen songs...).

Hey everyone! I was going to post about having been busy (got 3 new puppies this year!) and me having been on a bit of a tattoo hiatus since my last post but then I realized 4 tattoos since April can't really be called a "hiatus" 😁. Sure, I would have liked more, and they may be small(ish): First off a fun little Studio Ghibli handpoke (actually it kind f ended up being two separate tattoos, Totoro/No Face on the back of my ankle and the little soot sprites (small one is about 1cm wide, excuse my blonde monkey hair) on my arm) by Serena Raccuglia. This was a "couple tattoo" to borrow a Korean expression, as the hubby got a matching one, with both Totoro and the sprites on his wrist. Then the double trouble - mammoth skull on my right forearm, by Alessandro Caponetto, and the pretty (but impossible to photograph by myself) moon/peony blossom on my left shoulder by Claudio Romeo, done at Sick To Ink in Palermo, Sicily. At the same time. Such a fun way to spend a morning 😊. Last but not least, on Friday I got my first tattoo at a convention: a very cool sacred heart by Vanessa Corsale. Edit. Totoro pic pinched from tattooer so freshly done, everything else healed, except for the last one obviously (currently with pretty scabs on the yellow and peeling elsewhere)

If I am interpreting this correctly, you feel like the colors in your tattoo should be more vivid? Like the black seems more gray than deep black? From your photos, it seems like some moisturizing cream could help. My only leg tattoo is the same, the leg skin is usually very dry and when I do moisturize (not as often as I should), the colors become really vivid again.

I totally agree with this. I got my first two at 16&18, and thankfully I was chronically broke at the time so they are very small! I started over at 30+ and I'm really happy I didn't cover myself with tons of spur-of-the-moment tattoos back then. What I am doing now has been planned over many years, I can afford to get great tattoos now, and I have the self-confidence to go for stuff I know I will love long term.

Got to sing the praises for the 'derm once again! I had four + hours worth of tattooing done last Thursday, 'dermed the same evening and removed it yesterday, and the tattoo is now almost done peeling and looks great! So easy & trouble free, especially having three 2-month-old puppies in the house who are all over me pretty much all the time (would have been interesting keeping the tattoo clean and hair free any other way). I also got some serious compliments from all three artists at the studio for how my other work has healed (never needed a touch up, colors look great), and no specific aftercare instructions 'cause "I clearly know what I'm doing" :). So nice to hear, especially considering that the various 'derms have not really become a thing yet here in Italy.

I had something similar happen with a small tattoo I got in December - not my first piece with color and I've had another much larger one with a similar shade since, that is actually going through the peeling stage right now (no scabbing). My best guess is that the artist was a little more heavy handed than the others, since my aftercare routine was as usual. With the scab it is really easy to over moisture, leading to that slimy feel and appearance, so like the others have suggested, go easy on the ointment. A light, water-based cream is great, applied very sparingly, so that the scab can do what it's supposed to: harden and fall off. My tattoo healed just fine by the way, just took a little longer than usual, and I definitely over moistured too for a few days before figuring out it was better not to!

So when I was getting my latest piece on Thursday, I met a new guy who just started working at the studio. I had seen some of his stuff online earlier, but talking to him & seeing the piece he was working on really confirmed that I'd like to get a tattoo done by him. I am due back in next month for some more work by the "original" artist, and I just threw the idea out that I wouldn't mind having them both tattoo me at the same time (on both arms). Well, both were happy to do it & he had an opening on the right day, so I'm now booked for double the fun :D. Sooo, I was kind of curious to see if anyone else here has done something similar? Would love some reassurance that I'm not totally mental :), and/or any helpful tips!

Long time no see ? Got a little one yesterday after a few months' tattoo break (well not counting a smallish walk-in-day thingy from December) I'm totally hyped about! Going back to the insanely talented and super nice Mr. Romeo next month for some more work on that arm, AND getting something else done by one of the other guys at the studio on the other one at the same time. Should be quite interesting Edit: photo pinched from my tattooer's instagram

@steve the forum just showed me as logged out (so not logged in as another user) on the main page, and as usual it was resolved by clicking on a link to the forum. Always on iPad/safari.

Hey @steve and thanks for chiming in. Great forum, thanks for all your hard work! I still had this happen until yesterday, will let you know if it keeps on doing it.

My little birthday present from me ;). "Borrowed" the pic from the artist's Facebook since I 'dermed it as soon as I got home and didn't think to photograph it first. Hand poked (by a licenced tattoo artist at a professional studio). I found the technique super relaxing & interesting, and this will probably not be my last although I'm craving some colour next.

While my next tattoo was supposed to be one of the big pieces I'm planning to get on my arm, I just made a spur-of-the-moment appointment for a small hand poked one. I've followed the artist's (she works in a studio where I've been tattooed twice so far) budding work over the last year or so, and after seeing one of her tattoos live, I just couldn't resist the temptation to get in touch with her to discuss the eventual feasibility of an idea I have. Obviously one thing led to another & I now have an appointment for the 20th :D. So while I wait and obsess about the upcoming tattoo, I was curious to see what sort of hand poked tattoos do you guys have? Anyone have anything fun and/or useful to share on the subject?

@a_beukeveld That looks pretty much like my two 'dermed tattoos were on day 3. Mine dried up within the following day or two. Once it starts to dry up it does it pretty quickly, and it'll seem like the 'derm gets hard and you will probably see some fun looking cracks appearing underneath the 'derm. Mine also started to itch during this process. I personally found it better to remove the 'derm shortly after the fluid dried up - with the first one I waited until day 5 if I recall correctly (a couple of days after it had started drying in any case), and it wasn't fun taking it off, and the tattoo was extremely dry to the point that I probably should have filled the tub with lotion and kept it submerged for a day or two... The second one I removed as soon as the 'derm hardened, and continued with lotion from that point on. If you're going for a "full" derm heal you'll want to be sure to remove the 'derm only when the tattoo is done peeling - and no, I have no idea how to know when that is :).

I definitely agree with the previous two replies, do get it checked out by someone asap. It looks a lot like the beginnings of a cellulitis (a family member of mine once had it), and it's not something I'd personally want to delay getting treatment for. Hopefully it's just an allergic reaction though.