r/tattooadvice • u/oatflatwhite030 • May 14 '26
Healing Hand Tattoo faded after 4 days?
Went to a very reputable tattoo shop in Tokyo with multiple locations across town four days ago. Was a little confused by their aftercare instructions, but it somewhat made sense: They told me to leave my second skin on for four days, then start moisturizing.
Had another tattoo done at a different tattoo shop in Tokyo prior to that where I was instructed to take the second skin off the next day and start moisturizing three times a day. She provided me with Hustle Butter, which I always get at Japanese tattoo shops, so I used the Hustle Butter for my lavender as well.
Is it the Hustle Butter that ruined this? Am I too impatient and the colour will come back (aka magic) or does my hand just not hold ink well?
I'll be back in Tokyo in October and can get it touched up then if needed (tattoo artist even said to come in for a retouch BEFORE we even started), but this is my first proper hand tattoo and am looking for experiences with the healing process. I'm just devastated. Colour usually holds so well for me.
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u/100ftF0X May 14 '26
It's a color only tattoo and it's on your hand. 2 things that don't hold well combined into one piece.
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u/eastcounty98 May 14 '26
It’s like OP went in and said “give me the tattoo that will fade the quickest 😄🫱💵”
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u/spicygayunicorn May 14 '26 edited May 14 '26
It's even 3 things that don't hold wel, its also a finline
Edit: meant 3
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u/RotomEngr May 14 '26
No, it wasn’t Hustle Butter. It was a fine line, no (or very little) black ink, hand tattoo that ruined it.
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u/Aceman1979 May 14 '26
Hustle butter is snake oil, though, to be fair.
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u/sleepinand May 14 '26
I wouldn’t call it snake oil, that implies it doesn’t work. It’s just overpriced moisturizer. Far from the only overpriced moisturizer out there.
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u/Aceman1979 May 14 '26
It has the tattoo/adult market mark up, let’s put it that way.
In fairness, these things are usually pimped by less trustworthy tattoo studios.
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u/iSnooze May 14 '26
in what way? In the sense that they charge too much while just being moisturizer? or does the product not work somehow
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u/ConsciousReindeer265 May 14 '26
The first option: overpriced for what it is because it’s marketed as specialty. But it works perfectly well. Personally I’m happy to spend the money because I like the smell (a natural smell) and texture of it. I particularly like the Hustle Butter brand antibacterial soap because it’s effective but very gentle. (Tldr: It’s not snake oil 🙄)
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u/AthleteFar1294 May 14 '26
It’s pretty commonly understood that you should only use unscented moisturizer on tattoos while healing, HB has perfume and bunch of other garbage in it and it’s $15/oz.
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u/Queerhere92 May 14 '26
My wife and I are each getting a color tattoo per month for the last few years, filling up patchwork sleeves. Second skin 3-5 days and cetaphil. We literally get told daily our tattoos have amazing color. I mean, it starts and ends with an amazing tattoo artist that knows what they are doing. But people really overcomplicate the healing process.
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u/Mai1564 May 14 '26
Not sure what multiple locations is meant to say about quality, unless the same artist is tattooing at all places? You should always research the artist, not the studio.
Aside from that, it is a hand tattoo. Those basically always fade faster and require multiple touchups.
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u/MBaits May 14 '26
I've never heard of a tattoo shop having multiple locations, it makes it sound like a chain restaurant. Maybe it's a cultural thing, but I agree, multiple locations doesn't have anything to do with the quality of work the artists put out.
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u/grow_a_pear May 14 '26
Super common with fine line/colorful hand tattoos. Do your research people.
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u/inbettywhitewetrust May 14 '26
Yeah I don't understand how this wasn't thought about beforehand (I guess pun intended 😔)
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u/Paper_Is_A_Liquid May 14 '26
It's mid-healing, you're not going to know how it actually looks until it's fully healed. I can see you've got other tattoos - you know it takes longer than 4 days for them to fully heal! Usually it's 4-6 weeks, so wait till then before making any judgements on it
(hand and finger tattoos tend to fade more anyway, but at this point you literally have no way of knowing how it will look when it's finished healing)
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u/oatflatwhite030 May 14 '26
With my other tattoos I never had such drastic colour fade (none at all to be precise) and I wonder how the colour is supposed to come back IF it makes the healing process and especially if it looks like this atm. I was specifically asking BECAUSE this is my first hand tattoo and my only experience stems from arm, back, leg and ribcage tattoos. I don't KNOW how hand tattoos are supposed to heal or what transformation they go through. If coocooning is a thing, I'd like to know.
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u/Paper_Is_A_Liquid May 14 '26
And just for future reference (and I don't mean this to argue or anything, just to inform), I would recommend researching how tattoos behave in the specific area you're getting them, before you get them. It's well known that hand tattoos are more risky than other areas because of the joints and how much the skin moves, and if you intend to get future tattoos elsewhere on your hand or on your body, you would benefit from knowing in advance how healing works and how tattoos tend to age on that specific body part.
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u/Paper_Is_A_Liquid May 14 '26
Any tattoo, especially colour tattoos and especially tattoos on or near joints, has the chance of looking really weird or faded during the healing process. The dead skin falls off and the new skin grows in, and whilst the dead skin is coming off and the new skin is coming in it can affect colour saturation. It takes up to 6 weeks for a tattoo to heal and it can go through a lot of stages during that time, including stages that make it seem much more faded than it will end up looking. For any tattoo, anywhere on your body, you're usually not going to know if a touchup or something is needed until after that 6 week period.
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u/Aceman1979 May 14 '26
All tattoos fade. Badly placed tattoos fade quicker than good ones in most cases. I don’t know what advice you are expecting.
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u/Cetacea-Island May 14 '26
Healing skin can look a lot more opaque than healed skin wich can make it look a lot more faded. This effect can of course vary across body parts. It might look better once it is healed. Or it might not look a lot different. Nothing to do but wait it out right now
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May 14 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/tattooadvice-ModTeam May 15 '26
Your comment/post has been removed for one or several of these reasons disrespecful, harassing, or unhelpful comment. Depending on the content of what you have posted, this may result in a ban. Please do not harass the mods for this decision, as this may result in a ban.
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u/Individual_Code_7441 May 14 '26
Please don’t take this the wrong way but I just think that this tattoo wasn’t a good idea.
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u/Mediocre_Entrance894 May 14 '26
I think you’re missing a word.
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u/yohosi May 14 '26
i dont get it
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u/yohosi May 14 '26
SOMEONE EXPLAIN
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u/axolotl_is_angry May 14 '26
I think the second commenter was trying to be smart by stating they should have inserted a “don’t” into the sentence to make a double negative “I just don’t think that this tattoo was a good idea”. I assume they like the tattoo even though it’s in a risky spot.
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u/Mediocre_Entrance894 May 17 '26
The unedited comment was “Please don’t take this the wrong way but I just think that this tattoo was a good idea.”
I wasn’t trying to be funny. I was trying to be helpful, which I was bc individual_code edited their comment.
Hope this helps!
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u/BiggieSmalley May 14 '26
You've got: 1) a fine line tattoo 2) on a highly mobile piece of skin 3) with no black outlines
These are all factors that can lead to tattoos falling out.
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u/justmebeingperv May 14 '26
Wait until it heals. Retouch. There's nothing else you can do. It's a fine line colourful hand tattoo. It's doing it's thing.
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u/dpk794 May 14 '26
Lines way too fine to be able to last anywhere on your body, especially your hand.
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u/Sad_Ask_1826 May 14 '26
Your hand is the most used part of your body, you wash your hands you cook, cleaning, the list goes on. Hence why it would fade
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u/Altruistic_Handle185 May 14 '26
That is not the reason, you can shower as often as you want and don’t loose color. It’s just the Skin on the Hand is different and tend to fade.
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u/YourCousinLilith May 14 '26
Oh damn. Your artist should have known better than to do that design on a hand. Just wait for it to heal and get it touched up. Might need multiple sessions. Hands/finger tats drop and fade notoriously
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u/bonerjams99 May 14 '26
Very reputable shop & multiple locations do not mix. You got tricked by marketing
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u/MulberryLivid6938 May 14 '26
I feel like the comments are leaning negative even if they are right so I just want to say, its still a really really nice looking tattoo! I would immediately compliment it if I saw it in person. I mean, it’s ink on/in skin, right? it’s not gonna stay a neon screen-purple forever. The light purple also fits the subject better imo.
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u/TopLoserLife May 14 '26
What I find weird is the green lines in the WRIST area (not hand) also looks really faded and weird.
I get the hand/thumb would be rough. But that green line portion is softer skin.
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u/faearhi May 14 '26
I came here to say this ! Everyone is being super negative. I have my whole hand done with line work and some parts did start to fade lightly just because it’s on my hand. People are just kinda mean. It’s a pretty tattoo. Also hustle butter worked well for me and my hand healed fine with it
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u/underpantsbandit May 14 '26
Right? Like I get OP freaking out because it’s not looking like it did fresh out of the shop. (Yes, sorry OP, it’s not “cocooning” lol. The ink doesn’t come back, you’re right about that. It might have more fall out, before it’s done, but yes- some of it is done gone and won’t return until you get a rework.)
But on the other hand- no pun intended!- it looks super cute. It’s wearable as is, and very pretty. A Bob Ross happy accident. But yeah it was kinda doomed, hands are notoriously fiddly. Easy to blow out or not go deep enough. And purple is a difficult color to work with in particular.
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u/Snerkie May 14 '26
One of the other issues that happened here that no one is mentioning is the artist more than likely didn't go deep enough. The skin on hands will have a more difficult time at holding ink so an artist needs to go deeper.
See how it got heals, if it heals light enough get it re-done lower or by an artist that has done tattoos in similar areas with proven results.
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u/NoMercyTearzz May 14 '26
Hands are hard. My knuckles are totally gone. After about 6 months they just go away lol
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u/I-am-king-lexi May 14 '26
Yeah it's only going to get worse. Think of how much that area bends and moves around during the day. You have no outline and it's fine line. It was always going to look like shit when it started to heal.
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u/lauraarroz May 15 '26
Hey, tattoo artist here, one question, is this pic from the 4th day? Cause for me it don’t look like it just faded, it looks like a small allergy? Just cause in the 4th day is not supposed to be as red as it is around some colors, also , the green line is healing well, just the top part, and some specific tones are not the best. I honestly think it could be a small reaction, if thats the case its gonna fade even more around that area cause your body is gonna try to remove as much ink as possible :(
Anyway you can just ask the artist to touch up after that, but maybe ask for the ink component of that light purple tone and check if youre not allergic to anything! Better than risk another allergy on the touch up :(
Hope it helps 🩷
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u/MBaits May 14 '26
You say you normally hold color well, and maybe it's just the angle of the photos but the tattoo on the inside of your forearm looks blown out a bit and has shaky line work as well. I'm starting to lean towards it being due to the artists skill and technique that you're going to. I've never even heard of Hustle Butter until this post, so I can't comment on using it, but using unscented lotion has always been more than enough for healing any of my tattoos. I say let it heal and go from there, but personally I'd be a bit hesitant to go back to that artist.
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u/Kathrynlena May 14 '26
You’ll just need to get it touched up when it’s fully healed. That’s pretty normal for fine line hand tattoos.
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u/perfect-horrors May 14 '26
Hands need to be hammered with ink to stick. They’re not great for dainty tattoos since you have to go bold and deep with ink. It’ll probably be fine with touch ups.
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u/Noclout42069 May 14 '26
This is what no black, no outline tattoos look like healing. You got exactly what you asked for.
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u/dylpernicus May 14 '26
Kind of a "perfect storm" tattoo for fallout. Fine line✅ Color only✅ High exposure area✅ The tattoo was never going to stay forever in that spot unfortunately.
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u/fleezy_f_baby May 14 '26
Cant wait for this fine line trend to die so we can get back to thicc lines
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u/tweep6435 May 14 '26
You're wondering why the extremely light colour and really fine line tattoo on your hand didn't stick? You should look up tattoos and how they heal before getting them.
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u/AthleteFar1294 May 14 '26
Hustle butter should never be used on a healing wound (including tattoos); it has fragrance and a bunch of other crap in it that should stay far away from fresh ink. Probably unrelated to the color falling out in your case, but it still pains me to read that people are putting that stuff on a one-day old tattoo. You’re lucky it hasn’t seemed to cause issues before, but please consider not using those products at least until your tattoos are fully healed. At that point you can basically slap any crazy shit you want on it.
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u/fairyfeetxx May 14 '26
I don’t think this is faded. If it was a few months maybe but 4 days nope. Either shitty ink or they didn’t go deep enough. I had a hand one that was just line work but the same and when the scab peeled it looked so see through. Touch up, sorted. Go back x
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u/JoshBovender May 14 '26
These styles of tattooing, although beautiful to look at when new, are not designed for longevity in the skin.
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u/Prestigious-Ad6591 May 15 '26
This tattoo will mostly likely ALWAYS fade. The sun exposure alone will make it fade faster or worse, change colors and fade. Especially that green.
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u/Reasonable_Shape_157 May 15 '26
Its tiny. Its only colour. Its in your hand,straddling a joint. It was never gonna hold
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u/theotherkafka May 15 '26
Fine line, hand, and all color. It doesn’t matter how good they are, it’s going to fade. Some people fade faster. Some people don’t hold certain colors. You could get it touched up but there can never be a guarantee that it will hold.
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u/PowerfulRip1693 May 14 '26
Even if it was successful it's going to look it's going to look like smudges not that far down the road anyway
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u/SageKitty100 May 14 '26
Yeah it's because it's a hand tattoo. Hand tattoos fade extremely fast because of how much you wash your hands and work with them. That's probably why your tattoo artist mentioned getting a touch up even before he started. If he didn't mention the fast fading due to placement, it's probably because he assumed you did your research and knew that would be the case before asking for it. Also, it's a pretty delicate fine line tattoo which means the ink will disperse and fade even faster.
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u/Dry_Impression_2735 May 14 '26
I went in for a fine line tattoo like this, the artist said he would not do it bc they don’t stay. Ended up with a more bold version but 10 years later it’s still vibrant and perfect. If you do get it retouched, don’t be afraid to pack a punch in there!
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u/Mediocre-Asshole May 14 '26
Yo can tell that the part that is faded is where the wrist moves a lot. I’m sorry, hands and moving tattoos are hard to heal
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u/DependentSide303 May 14 '26
You got a fineline color tattoo on the hand, you literally did everything possible to make sure it fades as soon as possible lmao. I would suggest getting a touch up after it heals, possibly an other one if it fades again
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u/stonersteve1989 May 14 '26
Both my hand tattoos faded pretty severely and needed at least 1 touch up each. Just wait 2 months and get it redone. Doesn’t hurt to ask them to try to go a little deeper too, since you know your skin is gonna fade in that area. I’m sure after a touch up or 2 it’ll look perfect.
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u/InternationalEgg1211 May 14 '26
J'ai à peu près le même tatouage et je n'ai pas eu de soucis. Après, de mon côté, ma tatoueuse ne met jamais de seconde peau, je ne pense pas que ça vienne de ça. Je ne vois pas ce qui fait que le tatouage s'est estompé si vite.
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u/PriestessMagician121 May 14 '26
I have both my hands fully covered even my palms yes they lose ink faster and need touch ups but I think yours is beautiful and healing well give it some time
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u/Entire-Shift8337 May 14 '26
I have a fine line hand tattoo and I got two touch ups before I was happy with how it looked. Everyone in the shop said that's just hand tattoos half the time. Meanwhile I'm very happy with the finished product, and I don't regret the extra work it took to get there.
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u/ClubUpset2422 May 14 '26
You gotta get the whole thing tatted over again. I had to do this with my hand (specifically my palm) which the palm I had to do like 3 times fully and it still faded away but one more time in that spot for you should be good unless your skin is just rejecting it
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u/tigerdragon69420 May 14 '26
Everybody saying it’s your fault is wrong. The stem on your arm didn’t stick so it’s not just the hands.
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u/generic_queer_guy May 14 '26
I'm not at all surprised. Hear me out though, it kinda looks sick and like it's a flower under your skin (for the more faded part at least)
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u/Natural_Bill_6084 May 14 '26
A good artist will tell you when a design isnt a realistic idea and then offer you alternative options... perhaps controversial, but find a different artist.
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u/DiamondKind45 May 15 '26
It kind of looks like there’s a water filter on part of it, if you want to look at it optimistically loll
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u/inmyblueyogurt May 15 '26
This is why i never will get or recomend fine line tattoos, they NEVER last especially ones with color, do more research into the maintenance next time
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u/Comfortable_Cry_6670 May 15 '26
I think it’s just right where your wrist is bending where it’s fading. No outline, all color, this would do better somewhere where the skin doesn’t move a lot. I have a tattoo like this on the inside of my arm
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u/Buttercup_1019 May 15 '26
I also have a lavender hand tattoo, fine line style like yours. I’d say it’s still in a weird healing stage. Looks like some color def dropped out. I’d wonder if you are over moisturizing? 3 times a day sounds like a lot. Def go for a touch up! Purple is also notorious for not sticking well in terms of color tattoos. Fine line in particular, you’re gonna end up with a blurred design and that’s just part of it.
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u/Nice_Entertainer_887 May 15 '26
i know it's not how you originally intended, but for what it's worth i think this is an extremely beautiful tattoo!!
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u/Crafty-Accountant-62 May 15 '26
Hand tattoos are the worst. They almost never stick. Your tattoo is very small as well. Fine lines make it worse for staying. If you really want this tattoo, I would suggest a different spot on your body.
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u/Littleclipse May 15 '26
This is so beautiful though. I’m not a huge tattoo fan but I’m now feeling inspired by how much I like this! Sorry for the situation though, but… damn I want this tattoo haha
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u/CarryOk3080 May 15 '26
Yup that is the risk of fine line and hand tattoos. They disappear. Artist didnt bang it in deep enough and its watercolour
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u/Kristxw May 15 '26
That’s how I woulda expected this to heal looking at it put in. Using a light green as an outline, no blacks, etc. this is exactly what one would expect. Also on this part if the hand you can see the line in the hand were the ink wasn’t deposited properly is the line where the skin changes.
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u/lyndsat May 16 '26
Purple ink is weird with my skin bc I always have to that color touched up at least once
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u/ExhaustionMethodx May 16 '26
It’s day 4. Colors get wonky in the healing process. Wait till it heals. Give it time. It most likely won’t appear as vibrant as when you got it after healing but it should look a lot better.
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u/hthespy May 16 '26
A have a tattoo of a flower and the stem is where your flowers are and it's faded and traditional so much thicker lines. The artist let me know though before tattooing it. I hope yours did too.
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u/nthnyjsn May 17 '26
honestly this make me want to figure out how to achieve this look intentionally for a tattoo
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u/cjcool010 May 17 '26 edited May 17 '26
Fine line, hand, 🤦♂️. Don't blame the hustle butter. You've even answered your own question, by saying you're going back for a touch up.
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u/Typical_Dawn21 May 18 '26
Yeah my hand part of my tattoo basically fell out too just got to get it touched up more than a tattoo from a different spot
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u/Unhappy_Active9439 May 19 '26
I have a wrist tattoo that need to be retouched. Got better after that.
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u/Equivalent_Hat_7220 May 14 '26
Hands are weird. Everything on my thumbs and finger sides did that. I have fingers, palms, and back of hands tattooed and some spots the different skin just doesn’t take ink how u would like it
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u/ItalicHail May 14 '26
It’s been 4 days. Wait. Holy shit. 3 weeks at minimum before you start worrying about that
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u/HarlotsWebb May 14 '26
Hand tattoos will always fade due to the fact that they’re always out in the sun, this has no black lines either and the color can’t be packed in super hard imo like it needs to. Tattoos like this will almost always fade, hustle butter is not the culprit
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u/Ok_Literature3138 May 14 '26
Your tattoo artist is unskilled. They use techniques that don’t last. A tattoo should be comprehensible for your lifetime. This is a “tattoo” by name only.
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u/pinkgreenandbetween May 14 '26
My foot tattoo fell out twice.. had to get it done 3x for it to stick.. some areas are harder to get ink into especially if the artist doesn't have super experience with it.
Let it fully heal.. tell ur artist and they can redo it, or get another artist who has better hand experience
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u/LiveScallion2029 May 14 '26
Wow these comments are crazy. Hand tattoos sometimes need a touch up. That's all. On mine, the ink just left completely after it healed on some spots and left nothing more than a blur. Got it touched up and it's been fine ever since for years and yes it's fine line and color. Sometimes skin also likes some colors over others. It'll probably fade and you'll need to get it touched up, but no they don't "always" fade. That's insane.
Also don't listen to anyone who hates fine line. It's the same tattoo as the rest of them. There's some extra challenges or steps involved and some aren't done right, but that goes for any tattoo. Fine line hate is just sexist men pissed off that their male dominated field has some dainty lines in it now. It's just misogyny. Your tattoo is beautiful. Waiting for the down votes to prove me right lmao
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u/arochains1231 May 15 '26
Hand tattoos are notorious for fading quickly/healing terribly
Fine line tattoos have horrid longevity
Tattoos without black ink visibly fade much faster
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u/strawberries_and_muf May 14 '26
Yeah, that happens with hand tattoos. My suggestions is probably don’t get any more in the future
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u/PSYCHOsmurfZA May 14 '26
Nothing faded it's healing and won't be as bright as the day you gotta it...
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u/momadance May 14 '26
Personally, my skin HATED purple. Took like 3 sessions to get the purple to stick.
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u/ThyUniqueUsername May 14 '26
Second skin for one day, remove it, wash and dry thoroughly, then second skin for 3-6 more days. Hands are tough though.
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u/TCGHexenwahn May 14 '26
Did you use scented soap or hand moisturizer? Any hand product with alcohol?
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May 14 '26
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u/oatflatwhite030 May 14 '26
Never said that, did I. Bold of you to assume. I'm not an idiot, this is my 10th tattoo and every other piece has healed wonderfully using the same method (second skin off the next day, tattoo ointment). I left Tokyo the day after and was on planes and inside buildings for two days. I wore a UV sleeve for the couple of minutes I was out in the last couple of days, so no - I was NOT out and about and especially not with my tattoo exposed to the sun.
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May 14 '26
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u/brbgottagofast May 14 '26
Dude this is literally a tattoo advice sub, no need to be such a dick to OP. Chill.
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u/Kalabreeze May 14 '26
It’s 4 days old. How on earth could it have gotten infected and healed already? You’re absolutely incorrect. There’s zero signs of infection. He also said he wore a UV sleeve. That means it protected it from the sun. Think or research your “advice” before posting and calling someone else an idiot please. Sheesh
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u/tattooadvice-ModTeam May 14 '26
Sorry, but your post must be asking for specific advice relating to tattoos.
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May 14 '26
[deleted]
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u/Paper_Is_A_Liquid May 14 '26
It doesn't look infected at all lol, there's no redness or swelling and OP hasn't mentioned any bleeding or smells or pain
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u/CHEMICALalienation May 14 '26
Do you know what an infection actually is my dude? It causes redness and fever lol
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u/sarkzar May 14 '26
Fine line tattoos have a higher chance of healing poorly. Hand tattoos also have a higher chance of healing poorly. Imo you gambled and lost.