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You don't get an infection from washing it, you get an infection from NOT washing it. For the first week, I wash it twice a day and put a little moisturizer on it 2 or 3 times a day. Key word being LITTLE. So many people post pics on here and the tattoo looks like it's swimming.

Keep it clean, but don't keep futzing with it and putting too much stuff on it. I'd just wash it a couple times of day and maybe use a dab of lotion once a day. I dry heal—I just keep it clean with Dial Gold (maybe wash it twice a day), and let it heal. I don't put anything on it.

Just keep it clean and let it heal. And please quit staring at it. 😉

Hi — just joined the forum, though I've learned so much from reading others' experiences. I just started a full back piece by Virginia Elwood this month (two sessions of outlining so far), and I'm so excited to see it come together over the next year. My other pieces are mostly on my thighs and calves, and so far the back seems like a completely different beast. Looking forward to sharing my progress!

Thank you Hogrider. I am going to wait and see. Maybe he was heavier on the shading in this area or could just be my body. Who knows

26 hours down with one session left! Spent the last session doing background shading and the whole branch. The lovehandle area had me almost tapping and *almost* in tears. A very special kind of searing pain 🌶

As @oboogie said, if it's not hot to the touch and there's no pus, you're probably OK. Not much you can do at this point except wait for it to heal. Scabs that thick will likely take a couple of months, so pour a drink, light a bowl and relax. Your skin is shiny, and that usually means there is too much lotion. If I had scabs like that I'd probably let it dry heal.

You're putting something permanent on your body. Not the time to worry about price. Simple tattoos can be harder than complex tattoos because you'll see every minor flaw. There's no place to hide. Let's put it this way - It's still cheaper than laser removal and a cover up.

no difference in mine either way, once healed.

People get body suits. Get a tattoo any place you can stand the pain.

just checking in, hoping your second guessing and self hate has subsided a bit. Getting your first visible tattoo is a pretty big step. There are some threads here on LST that might help, if you do a little searching. FYI, this is a pretty old thread, relative to how long a lot of folks have been staying on this forum lately, so you might not get a response from the OP... especially since they only have 4 posts total.

it looks normal for a 6 day old tattoo, look at it again in a month, keep it clean and put a little aveeno on it a couple times a day

What he said. Staring at it won't make it heal faster.

I'm two sessions in on a flora and fauna back piece by Virginia Elwood. The piece is covering up a somewhat ill-advised first tattoo that I got after surviving a very tough year at age 18, and I'm pushing 40 now, so it seemed like a good moment to move onwards and upwards. I'm so in love with how it's coming out. Everyone is right about some of these spots being no joke though — 3-4 hours feels like PLENTY for one day. My next session is this week to add some more creatures in some of the spaces along the sides and hopefully start some shading. Should be "fun"!

Don't be so harsh on it. I've seen tattoos WAY worse than that - most of which came out just fine. I don't think you have a "problem" at all.

It usually takes 4-6 weeks to heal, but that's a pretty big scab. Leave it alone, let it heal and in a couple of months you'll know what it will look like. DON'T MESS WITH IT!!!

When I got a rocket tattooed on my calf, my tattoo artist strongly suggested the rocket should be pointed away from the center of my body, rather than looking like it was headed for my butt...

the ones they have done 1000 times.

I wouldn't worry about it, but I wouldn't get any more sun on it between now and then. Just keep it moisturized, but don't drown it.

Sorry - but I've never heard of anything like this before.

Laser removal isn't like an eraser on a piece of paper. Depending on the tattoo, it's more likely to fade it than remove it. Do your research and set your expectations or you're likely to be very unhappy with the results. I'd find someone good at coverups. That's probably a more realistic approach.

Looks like what happens when you use too much lotion. Too little is better than too much.

That's the situation that often produces heavier scabs.

When did you get it done?

LOL sorry, but you asked reddit ? LOL if it's a tattoo that you want and you like this tattooer, then pay the money, remember one thing.

I don’t think this work is as good. Get your tattoo from the person that is fluent in the style, not from the “I can do anything” Tattooer.

I usually bring my ideas to my artist and since he knows better about placement regarding muscular shapes and whatnot, he’ll tell me whether something will work or not in that area. As someone who likes tattoos but isn’t a tattoo artist, I always forget that the shape of the muscle and the way it moves needs to be considered. For the most part, my ideas have been able to work on where I wanted them but maybe a slight alteration in placement and/or design that still ends up working for both per my artist’s expertise

I'd just keep it clean and stop putting anything on it. Looks like you might be putting too much stuff on it.

I don't think so. It will be difficult to correct. Maybe just live with it for a while and get it covered up by someone who specializes in coverups? That seems the best bet. I'm sorry that happened.

I've seen more tattoos ruined and shitty coverups because people are just frustrated. Everyone is telling you it looks fine. I'd learn to live with it and if after a year you still hate it, take you're time, find someone really good and explore your options for "fixing" it. If you run out and just do something because you hate it, I guarantee you'll regret that one too.

Thanks folks. He was such a sweet pup and left us with great memories of him that will live on.

Oops. Sorry!

She. But I'm glad we agree. 🙂

If it’s leaking outside the bandage, which it sounds like it is, you have to just remove it and just heal it normally is what I’ve been told. Makes sense too, if stuff is coming out then it’s no longer sealed to prevent things from going in

Way to early to even think about it, but if there are any issues, the artist can touch it up. You really need to calm down, put the microscope down and just wait to see what you've got in 4-6 weeks.

Just looks rougher than normal, but should be just fine eventually. Where on your body is this? Down by your ankle or something will take extra time, too.

just going to have to wait the normal 4-6 weeks to get an accurate outcome. 😉 You know that the ink is UNDER the skin, right? Unless you scratched all the way down to the ink, you didn't hurt it. Put away the microscope, have a drink, relax, wait a month, then look at it again.

Can’t go wrong with tigers and panthers. The bigger the better.

there are things that i have anxiety about with tattoos of mine that i didnt think about before i got them. one of my tattoos is the name of a person who died. there are others who knew the person, and i sort of have anxiety about them wondering if its alright for me to have their name tattooed on me. also i have anxiety about some family members and friends of my family seeing them. i dont really have a problem with just wearing clothes that make them invisible but its something that came to mind after i got tattooed. i feel like people cant be expected to be

I'd see a doctor if you're worried.

Read the rules. This is not a forum for sharing tattooing information. There are enough scratchers out there.

I'm not sure how anything is worse than a bad artist, but with all of the tattoo shops out there, I don't now why anyone would tolerate either. If you can't find a good artist in a good shop, you're not looking very hard.

thou shalt look up "which way should wrist tattoos face?" before getting one. i wish i had done this before i got mine facing me. 🙃

First tattoo I was 15 and a friend made an anarchy symbol on my arm with a homemade machine in Lafayette IN 2nd was a guy I met camping on a beach in Ensenada Mexico in a microbus, we were in one too. Cooked him breakfast and he made a yin yang type thing on my other arm Those were the kid aged tattoos. I didn’t get tattooed again until I was in my 30s and had raised kids to the point of having disposable income. In order of their first time tattooing me: Martin Bee (Tipi man), Denver CO Jereme Galloway, Bloomington IN x3 Scott Sylvia Marina Inoue, everywhe

How exactly does it brighten and protect tattoos? Sounds like marketing bullschitt to me. No need for special lotions and potents.

Proofread* It's my job, not my hobby. TL;DR Gosh, I can't imagine how you didn't get along with your tattoo artist. 🤣 Right on!

I’m going to 100% stick to my earlier comments. I’ll also add that you had multiple opportunities based on what you are saying to back out before the needle touched your skin. If you were that anxious before the tattoo why would you go through with it? Nobody forced you to go through with it. A lost deposit is an easier pill to swallow than a tattoo you don’t like. Feel free to reach out to other shops and see if they will finish it for you. Be prepared for some no’s, a lot of artist don’t want to touch another’s work. Maybe you should have a formal sit down interview with the next artist to s