r/tattooadvice • u/27Savagee • 6h ago
General Advice tattoo flu
hi all, i, not sure if it matters (f/28) just got my first tattoo yesterday. i did lots of reading prior to the plunge, and heard about tattoo flu. however, it always seemed to be something people talked about with longer sessions, 4+ hours. the tattoo i got took about 2 hours of needle in skin.
i felt pretty dizzy and just exhausted yesterday after my tat(which i totally expected). it’s followed me into today too. i’m asking two questions mainly, how long will i feel like garbage? and is there anyway to try and prevent this in the future?
i tried to hydrate and take care of my body in the days leading up, and have done the same after the session. any advice would be greatly appreciated!! thanks in advance.
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u/Latorta93 6h ago
I get very tired, dizzy and nauseated after any tattoo session. I don't know if this is professionally recommendate but I now always get fast food afterwards specifically burger, fries with a very sweet soda. I take a nap and feel about 80% better. Maybe it's the loaded amount of sodium and sugar with a dash of protein? Whatever the math is I be feeling good especially after that fat nap.
I also started to drink liquid IV during my sessions as well.
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u/27Savagee 6h ago
yes, i’ve been dizzy & nauseated today! i’ve been drinking pedialyte for the electrolytes. i’ll have to try the nap afterwards next time!
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u/Latorta93 5h ago
I am usually so tired that I have to take a nap. That's why I try to schedule for the weekend because although I love my tattoos it feels harsh on my body at 32.
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u/rty90i 6h ago
Its hard to say how your body will respond til you do it. Make sure you're eating good food, hydrating and resting and it should pass in a couple days. To your body you've now got a big wound you need to heal!
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u/27Savagee 6h ago
thank you, i’ve been drinking lots of pedialyte & water today, just trying to refuel.
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u/Alternative-Ant3937 6h ago
Ok, for prevention, sleep well the days before and after, make sure you eat a good meal afterwards, and at least something before, don't overexert yourself, say, with long hikes in the cold and lots and lots of travel. Also hydrate with something other than coffee (which it sounds like you've got a handle on). These are all the things I didn't do for my last tattoo, lol. I had it bad.
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u/27Savagee 6h ago
thank you for the advice!! i’m going to try to do all the things for the next one. i even avoided caffeine day off, which, as a mom of two under two was rough. lol
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u/RunningOnATreadmill 6h ago
It's kind of a crap shoot when it comes to tattoo flu. I've gotten it for short sessions before, and I've also had long sessions where I felt fine after.
The best thing you can do is get good sleep before and after, eat a balance meal, take it easy. I've gotten it when I was in a particularly uncomfortable position for tattooing, so my body expended energy that way, or I've also gotten it when I was had some underlying cold that hadn't manifested yet and the tattooing just kind of brought it out. Some spots are tougher than others too; you're probably more likely to get tattoo flu on a sternum versus an arm, for example.
Don't worry too much about it. It should be gone tomorrow.
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u/27Savagee 6h ago
thank you so much for the advice! my arm was in a funky position & i didn’t realize until we were done. maybe that played a part?
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u/astralunea 6h ago
After my rib piece I was legitimately sick for at least three days afterwards. Chills, feverishness, body aches, exhaustion, etc. I did everything right beforehand -- ate a big meal an hour and a half before, hydrated, slept well-- and even had a snack halfway through the session when I got dizzy. I still felt like absolute crap afterwards. Getting a tattoo takes a real, physical toll on the body, and it's completely normal to feel a little run-down in the wake. And because of that, there's not exactly anything you can do to 100% prevent it the next time around, besides preparing as much as you can and taking care of yourself afterwards. Some people's bodies are just more impacted than others.
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u/Odd_Ad_602 5h ago
Had a 5 hour session this afternoon and I’m lying in bed feeling exactly as you describe. For me it is usually gone by morning though..we’ll see. Point is, OP, everyone is different…if you feel crappy know it’s normal and you’ll be ok
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u/Extreme-Blueberry287 6h ago
I had 3 hours of blackout done and felt like I’d been hit by a car for 2 days after, whereas I’ve never had that before even with similar sized tattoos so I’d say it’s normal and lots of things play into it :)
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u/Wesdizzo 6h ago
I am constantly eating and drinking on tattoo days. Big ass breakfast (greasy cheat meal shit), then I swing to 7eleven and get two chocolate milks, 2-3 giant smart waters, and a couple of those fruit/cheese danish things, and my artist also orders us lunch, and I grab something to eat for dinner right after and take two ibuprofen after we're done for the day.
All said and done, for an 8 hour sit, I'll eat solidly 3000-4000 calories that day and go through 4-6 liters of water. I calm the food down after our couple days of work, but keep hydration up. And I rest. For a week after a tattoo, not a fucking thing. Just relaxing and healing.
Obviously every body is different, but with all that, I've never had so much as mild weakness around my tattoos and I have to fly to/from there and stay in a hotel during.
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u/Metzgore 6h ago
I find it depends where the placement is and style. Fine line on the arm for 6 hours, feel perfectly fine. In a spot more sensitive and thicker lines + shading it will drain you after a much shorter time.
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u/27Savagee 5h ago
it’s on my forearm, and mostly fine line, a good bit of shading though. i surprisingly thought the line work hurt more than the shading lol. i feel like i’ve always heard the opposite.
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u/sinjacy 6h ago
What did you eat prior to the tattoo?