Hogrider

Hard to tell from the pics and 2 days in is usually too early to tell. Give it a month to settle in. Even the best artists have blow outs and some parts of the body are more prone to them than others.

Happens all the time when people join a forum and don't bother to find out what the forum is all about before posting. It's like joining a forum dedicated to fender guitars and then talking about your cheap Chinese knockoff you bought on eBay for $50. I'm done with this thread, it's pretty obvious he's just trolling now.

You sooooo overestimate your importance if you think you bother me. ;-)

It's not just those two choices. That's a false dichotomy. ;-) If you knew you would be hated on for being a scratcher I guess I'm not seeing what you are trying to accomplish here. This isn't a "learn to tattoo" forum; "how to" questions are discouraged and not answered. It's your body, if you want to ruin it, it's your choice.

Nobody wants to see my ass :-(

I can't relate to the doctor issue. My dermatologist always asks if I got any new tattoos; she has some too. Last time I went to my regular doctor we got talking about tattoos and he asked if I would be comfortable taking my shirt off so he could see my back piece. When I was at John's Hopkins in Baltimore this year, three nurses stopped me in the hall so they could look at my work. All of the medical professionals I have been too have been very non-judgmental.

Yea, really. and is sensitive if pushed on That's NOT normal after a month. I don't know what a doctor will do, I'm not a doctor. If your doctor tells you not to get tattoos, you need a new doctor. Hey, YOU asked for opinions, that's MY opinion. ;-)

Just my 2 cents, but take a deep breath. First of all, to repeat, INK ALLERGIES ARE VERY RARE. If you don't believe me do the research - in the medical literature where cases would be documented and confirmed, not in online forums where everyone who ever had an itchy tattoo said they were allergic to the ink. Second, it sounds like ONE doctor, not doctorS, didn't know what it was. If it's a simple infection, it should be easy to clear up. Good luck.

Scabbed and sensitive after a month? I'd see a doctor. That looks rough.

Yes. Most people complain about fading. That is a great tattoo. I wouldn't change a thing. I agree with @Gingerninja, give it a year and see how you feel. Just my two cents, but I've seen more people F*** up good tattoos by screwing with them than I've seen people improve them. Sorry, but can't relate to tattoo regret. I always loved my back piece as well as the rest. In my opinion, there is just something about a big, bold piece that you can't get from a bunch of smaller images. You should be whipping your shirt off every chance you get saying, "Hell yea, I'm the man!"

Allergy to ink is extremely rare. Every time someone scratches they think they are having an allergic reaction. Now that I'm off my soapbox, I'd go to the doctor ASAP. That is NOT normal.

I know I am. Maybe there is a forum out there for scratchers where you can discuss designs that look cool but don't work on skin, infections, blow-outs, scar-tissue, vomit-enducing work, and a host of other issues endemic to kitchen magicians. My advice is just don't. If you are really an engineer, you should be able to afford quality tattoos from qualified artists. That's what this forum is about, not "how to tattoo yourself with your eBay kit."

Tattoos never look like the day you got them. Blowouts are caused by the ink spreading, and you can't fix that. I've looked and I don't see what you think needs fixing. As @Gingerninja said, tattoo's are imperfect; it that is going to bother you, you shouldn't get one.

Just an old man grousing, but I get tired of people saying they are allergic to ink every time it itches. I did a lot of research on ink allergies before I had my first tattoo. The number of actual verified cases of an allergic reaction to tattoo ink is very, very small.

I think the term 'allergic reaction' is waaaaaaaaay over used. I don't see anything that would qualify as an allergic reaction here. I agree with @SStu, see the tattoo artist that did this.

Long sleeve shirts, even rolled up to the elbow will cover it. Not a big deal. Full sleeve is more of a big deal because even though a long sleeve shirt will cover it most of the time, every time you reach for something, the shirt rides up and your wrists are visible.

I was having breakfast the other morning and this lady kept giving me the stink eye. I got tired of it so finally I just confronted her. I said, "OK mom, that's enough; I know you don't like my tattoos." :-)

Blow-outs happen and there is nothing you can do to fix them. Tattoos take 4 - 6 weeks to fully heal; you'll know what it's going to look like then. No tattoo is perfect. Enjoy the big picture, don't sweat the details.

It's not a touch up, it's new work and it's not literally five minutes of work. They have to set up, clean up, tear down, and sterilize whether they tattoo for five minutes or five hours. It's a well done, nicely designed tattoo. Live with it for a few months before you make any decisions.

You don't know what it looks like for 4-6 weeks. That looks pretty fresh. Did you get that done in a shop??

When did you get it? You won't know what it is going to look like for 4-6 weeks.

Actually it will. ;-) When you've had 50-100 hours in 'the chair' getting tattooed, you know what to expect. Refusing to tattoo face, neck or hands on someone with no tattoos is not punishment, it's protecting them from themselves. It's a big step and not a good idea for a first tattoo. I don't think a lot of people understand the permanence of tattoos. Yea, you can laser them off, but there will still be something there. Most of the time your skin doesn't look perfectly normal, at least I've never seen it. And when you are young, it's hard to imagine that you could someday want to get into an industry that isn't accepting of face, hand or neck tattoos. If you continue to get tattoos, some day you'll understand.

That doesn't look infected to me, but if you are worried, better safe than sorry. You might want to swing by the tattooer first.

Script is really unforgiving. It's hard to make it uniform and lined up perfectly. You'll see every tiny mistake. Make sure you have someone really good do it.

I would suggest doing a lot of research on how tattooing works and the healing process and blow outs. First, I haven't seen a lot of tattoos that didn't heal 'right.' It might take longer if you screw up the aftercare, but it's really tough to screw one up permanently. Second, after care does not effect a blow-out. Third, there is no such thing as peeling 'prematurely' there is no set schedule. Also, I don't see how you can 'edit' the size of a text tattoo. Do your homework so that you have realistic expectations regarding what can and can't be done. Tattoo shows have done a huge disservice in setting unrealistic expectations about the tattoo process. You're putting ink under your skin. Even with the best tattooers, shit happens. With bad tattooers bad shit happens.