LizBee

I have worked for a plastic surgeon for almost 30 years and much of this issue could relate to the body site itself, possibly combined with the actual technique used to create the particular design (shading and color, with more vigorous application). Reds are notorious, though there is no agreement on which reds, and what people are sensitive to what pigments, etc. The lower anterior (aka pretibial) leg is the worst spot for healing due to the poor blood flow and the fact that the lower leg is under pressure as we walk and support our weight. 
So, if you're contemplating another tattoo I'd wager if it is not located in this area the odds are good that you won't have a similar experience. Considering your good result overall it would not stop me either.

I have worked for a plastic surgeon for almost 30 years and much of this issue could relate to the body site itself, possibly combined with the actual technique used to create the particular design (shading and color, with more vigorous application). Reds are notorious, though there is no agreement on which reds, and what people are sensitive to what pigments, etc. The lower anterior (aka pretibial) leg is the worst spot for healing due to the poor blood flow and the fact that the lower leg is under pressure as we walk and support our weight. 
So, if you're contemplating another tattoo I'd wager if it is not located in this area the odds are good that you won't have a similar experience. Considering your good result overall it would not stop me either.

I have worked for a plastic surgeon for almost 30 years and much of this issue could relate to the body site itself, possibly combined with the actual technique used to create the particular design (shading and color, with more vigorous application). Reds are notorious, though there is no agreement on which reds, and what people are sensitive to what pigments, etc. The lower anterior (aka pretibial) leg is the worst spot for healing due to the poor blood flow and the fact that the lower leg is under pressure as we walk and support our weight. 
So, if you're contemplating another tattoo I'd wager if it is not located in this area the odds are good that you won't have a similar experience. Considering your good result overall it would not stop me either.

This is a reply to a completely different thread, no clue how it wound up in the middle of this one. My apologies! It should be removed

Brand new shoulderblade piece, 4 days old. Inspired by the cedar waxwing, my favorite bird, and my grandma's pansies (she would have been 120 years old on Friday!) Tattoo by Darcy Nutt at the Richmond convention, blending in beautifully with her previous work the past two years on my SA cichlid/floral half-sleeve. I'm definitely one of Darcy's "nuts"
P.S. All of Darcy's tattoos are free hand

Brand new shoulderblade piece, 4 days old. Inspired by the cedar waxwing, my favorite bird, and my grandma's pansies (she would have been 120 years old on Friday!) Tattoo by Darcy Nutt at the Richmond convention, blending in beautifully with her previous work the past two years on my SA cichlid/floral half-sleeve. I'm definitely one of Darcy's "nuts"
P.S. All of Darcy's tattoos are free hand

Brand new shoulderblade piece, 4 days old. Inspired by the cedar waxwing, my favorite bird, and my grandma's pansies (she would have been 120 years old on Friday!) Tattoo by Darcy Nutt at the Richmond convention, blending in beautifully with her previous work the past two years on my SA cichlid/floral half-sleeve. I'm definitely one of Darcy's "nuts"
P.S. All of Darcy's tattoos are free hand

(Pardon my overly enthusiastic post but I've just recently started getting tattooed, and I've never been tattooed at a convention - this is all pretty new to me so I'm gushing a bit!)
Not great pics, and no good clear ones of the tat yet, but am SO STOKED (and still a bit wonky) from my epic day yesterday with Darcy Nutt at the Richmond VA Tattoo Arts Convention. We emailed about ideas beforehand, but she decided not to draw anything up, wanting to meet me first and collaborate on something after we spoke in person. She had no other appointments, so my simple Japanese koi idea turned into my own freshwater angel fish from pics off my phone, and my beloved peonies.
She freehanded it onto my arm, and including that part of it and one potty break, it was 6 hours in the chair. That is why I look a bit cross-eyed strung out by the last pic! I ate an omelet at 9 am and hubby tried to get me to eat along the way, but I could not do it - endorphins from pain suppress the appetite, I guess. I tried to stay hydrated, though, and found my happy place. It is all about breathing. I knew I'd be leaving with something wonderful that I'd enjoy forever, and it would be worth it.
She won Tattoo of the Day (I guess I won too, but I didn't do anything but sit there), and that was pretty sweet! She finished at 9:25, the contest was at 9:30, and the pic was taken at about 10, at which point I didn't know my own name, lol. That is definitely a long session, I don't care who you are, but I had an opportunity that was not to be passed up, and Darcy is a genius.
When I went up to the judges, they looked at each other, shaking their heads and grinning as they all exclaimed, "Fuckin' Darcy..." cuz they KNEW this tattoo was going to win, lol. Anybody who has the chance to get some work done by this sweet, wonderful, brilliant lady you should definitely do it. She made this design up on the fly, without ever having done this type of fish before. I'll post pics when I get the ones done by the photographer at the show, or the ones she'll post on her IG, showing the fish better towards the back of my arm.



From Darcy's IG:
https://www.instagram.com/p/-ZQEJVMdTl/

Brand new shoulderblade piece, 4 days old. Inspired by the cedar waxwing, my favorite bird, and my grandma's pansies (she would have been 120 years old on Friday!) Tattoo by Darcy Nutt at the Richmond convention, blending in beautifully with her previous work the past two years on my SA cichlid/floral half-sleeve. I'm definitely one of Darcy's "nuts"
P.S. All of Darcy's tattoos are free hand

I have trouble getting to my "happy place" if I have anyone with me, and, in general, I think it is a distraction for most everyone. If the person is cool, the artist is okay with it, and they know how to behave and blend into the scenery then it can be fine. So often it is like these nightmare scenarios described above, however, and that's what ruins it for the cool kids, as usual...

Brand new shoulderblade piece, 4 days old. Inspired by the cedar waxwing, my favorite bird, and my grandma's pansies (she would have been 120 years old on Friday!) Tattoo by Darcy Nutt at the Richmond convention, blending in beautifully with her previous work the past two years on my SA cichlid/floral half-sleeve. I'm definitely one of Darcy's "nuts"
P.S. All of Darcy's tattoos are free hand

I have trouble getting to my "happy place" if I have anyone with me, and, in general, I think it is a distraction for most everyone. If the person is cool, the artist is okay with it, and they know how to behave and blend into the scenery then it can be fine. So often it is like these nightmare scenarios described above, however, and that's what ruins it for the cool kids, as usual...

Brand new shoulderblade piece, 4 days old. Inspired by the cedar waxwing, my favorite bird, and my grandma's pansies (she would have been 120 years old on Friday!) Tattoo by Darcy Nutt at the Richmond convention, blending in beautifully with her previous work the past two years on my SA cichlid/floral half-sleeve. I'm definitely one of Darcy's "nuts"
P.S. All of Darcy's tattoos are free hand

Got this today by Nathan Blankenship at Exile Tattoo,KC.
 
 

Brand new shoulderblade piece, 4 days old. Inspired by the cedar waxwing, my favorite bird, and my grandma's pansies (she would have been 120 years old on Friday!) Tattoo by Darcy Nutt at the Richmond convention, blending in beautifully with her previous work the past two years on my SA cichlid/floral half-sleeve. I'm definitely one of Darcy's "nuts"
P.S. All of Darcy's tattoos are free hand

Brand new shoulderblade piece, 4 days old. Inspired by the cedar waxwing, my favorite bird, and my grandma's pansies (she would have been 120 years old on Friday!) Tattoo by Darcy Nutt at the Richmond convention, blending in beautifully with her previous work the past two years on my SA cichlid/floral half-sleeve. I'm definitely one of Darcy's "nuts"
P.S. All of Darcy's tattoos are free hand

Brand new shoulderblade piece, 4 days old. Inspired by the cedar waxwing, my favorite bird, and my grandma's pansies (she would have been 120 years old on Friday!) Tattoo by Darcy Nutt at the Richmond convention, blending in beautifully with her previous work the past two years on my SA cichlid/floral half-sleeve. I'm definitely one of Darcy's "nuts"
P.S. All of Darcy's tattoos are free hand

I have had both ankles, both outer arms and both shoulders/shoulder blades, and all the way around one upper arm almost to the elbow. The worst is a tie between my ankle and the inner biceps. The ankle was a coverup of Kanji and had to be pretty heavily shaded. It took about 2.5 hours, not bad at all, but the table paper after I was done had a Liz-shaped damp spot, lol. I didn't make a peep but clearly suffered!
My inner bicep actually swelled up and was hot to the touch for about 3 days after, making everyone wonder about infection, but it was NOT, just a lymph response and was totally fine. Shoulder blades were no problem, like the upper arm, even collarbone was okay, just a very odd vibration that went through my entire body. 
I need my other inner bicep done (feel odd not having this design creep all the way around the arm) but am putting it off because of the other side. Worth it in the end! 

I have had both ankles, both outer arms and both shoulders/shoulder blades, and all the way around one upper arm almost to the elbow. The worst is a tie between my ankle and the inner biceps. The ankle was a coverup of Kanji and had to be pretty heavily shaded. It took about 2.5 hours, not bad at all, but the table paper after I was done had a Liz-shaped damp spot, lol. I didn't make a peep but clearly suffered!
My inner bicep actually swelled up and was hot to the touch for about 3 days after, making everyone wonder about infection, but it was NOT, just a lymph response and was totally fine. Shoulder blades were no problem, like the upper arm, even collarbone was okay, just a very odd vibration that went through my entire body. 
I need my other inner bicep done (feel odd not having this design creep all the way around the arm) but am putting it off because of the other side. Worth it in the end! 

I have had both ankles, both outer arms and both shoulders/shoulder blades, and all the way around one upper arm almost to the elbow. The worst is a tie between my ankle and the inner biceps. The ankle was a coverup of Kanji and had to be pretty heavily shaded. It took about 2.5 hours, not bad at all, but the table paper after I was done had a Liz-shaped damp spot, lol. I didn't make a peep but clearly suffered!
My inner bicep actually swelled up and was hot to the touch for about 3 days after, making everyone wonder about infection, but it was NOT, just a lymph response and was totally fine. Shoulder blades were no problem, like the upper arm, even collarbone was okay, just a very odd vibration that went through my entire body. 
I need my other inner bicep done (feel odd not having this design creep all the way around the arm) but am putting it off because of the other side. Worth it in the end! 

Brand new shoulderblade piece, 4 days old. Inspired by the cedar waxwing, my favorite bird, and my grandma's pansies (she would have been 120 years old on Friday!) Tattoo by Darcy Nutt at the Richmond convention, blending in beautifully with her previous work the past two years on my SA cichlid/floral half-sleeve. I'm definitely one of Darcy's "nuts"
P.S. All of Darcy's tattoos are free hand

@Boiled Dove that is tight! Excellent work and love the design

Brand new shoulderblade piece, 4 days old. Inspired by the cedar waxwing, my favorite bird, and my grandma's pansies (she would have been 120 years old on Friday!) Tattoo by Darcy Nutt at the Richmond convention, blending in beautifully with her previous work the past two years on my SA cichlid/floral half-sleeve. I'm definitely one of Darcy's "nuts"
P.S. All of Darcy's tattoos are free hand

Brand new shoulderblade piece, 4 days old. Inspired by the cedar waxwing, my favorite bird, and my grandma's pansies (she would have been 120 years old on Friday!) Tattoo by Darcy Nutt at the Richmond convention, blending in beautifully with her previous work the past two years on my SA cichlid/floral half-sleeve. I'm definitely one of Darcy's "nuts"
P.S. All of Darcy's tattoos are free hand

Brand new shoulderblade piece, 4 days old. Inspired by the cedar waxwing, my favorite bird, and my grandma's pansies (she would have been 120 years old on Friday!) Tattoo by Darcy Nutt at the Richmond convention, blending in beautifully with her previous work the past two years on my SA cichlid/floral half-sleeve. I'm definitely one of Darcy's "nuts"
P.S. All of Darcy's tattoos are free hand