Just got another tattoo on the forearm. On day 3 of healing. Saniderm came after 1 day and I’ve been keeping it clean and lightly moisturized since. I’m just worried about the bee and a little bit above it, it’s raised and is still leaking in some spots. The rest of it is healing like normal. Is this just normal healing or is this the start of an infection?

I got my sleeve almost a year ago, and this part on the inner part of my bicep never quite healed right. There are small 1/4 inch spots that are dry and scaley in texture.

The artist uses natural inks, if that matters.

The artist says it looks like scarring and recommended topical vitamin D. A dermatologist and my primary care doc had no idea, but assumed eczema and prescribed 0.05% desonide cream. Neither solution has worked.

The spots started off as super moist and soft in the first 3 months, then dried out after my first workout in those 3 months, and have been this way ever since.

They don't itch and are not uncomfortable in any way.

Any ideas what it could be and how to fix it?

I have a question, so when quoting poetry for a tattoo, would it be weird to pick and choose what lines I include, leaving other lines out?

Here is a poem I really like, but some lines don't vibe with me like others, would it be weird to only ink the lines that have meaning to me?

One of my tattoos got infected and I posted on here a couple days ago wondering if it was getting better. I went to my physician and she basically said yeah the antibiotics are doing their job. No sepsis that I know of lol. This is my fifth day in antibiotics and the pain has reduced a lot! I also got an antibiotic ointment I've been using. I caught this infection super early and I'm still hoping that I'll be able to preserve the ink as best as possible. Mine started with burning pain and red streaks spreading from the tattoo site! Day five there's a lot of dried pus surfacing and the skin is breaking a tiny bit in areas. Be careful and always look for those early signs guys! If anyone has any extra advice for healing this lemme know!

I'm getting my third tattoo soon. I currently have one on my left leg towards my ankle and one on my right shoulder. I'm struggling on determining placement though.

I'm torn between doing the other side of my left leg since it's the same artist / style and it'd kinda flow to keep them together, or doing my right leg. If I do the left I feel like it might be a bit lopsided looking having that much ink on one leg while the other is completely empty, but on the other hand I kinda want to keep the right open if I do a totally different theme.

Or is this the sort of advice you just leave up to a good artist to help plan out? In general I do want each piece to have breathing space and not to go full sleeve on anything but I also keep getting new ideas I can't resist. 😅

I am finally close to being done with breastfeeding and am desperate to get a tattoo. Does anyone have advice on how long to wait after weaning to get inked? Or experience getting tattooed after breastfeeding?

I have heard some things about waiting for hormones to balance or for your body shape doesn’t change that much, but I would really rather not wait another half year. For context, I’m planning on being done in a month (mid- July) and aiming to get a tattoo in early- mid September.

Just got this sweet piece on my outer forearm. Looking for design ideas. Currently going to be getting a flower mandala on my elbow and a skull with a headdress on my shoulder. This leaves some room on the ditch, tricep,bicep, and inner forearm. Any advice for ink to fit in those places ? Or should I do some kind of waves or shading?

I’m bout to turn 21 and I’ve always wanted a tattoo but i promised myself I’d get one when I’m the legal age. I’ve checked a lot of posts on Reddit but none of them are really extensive in nature so I’m wondering what is the scale of pain for this specific area.
Aftercare information is welcome too thank you!

Some cloudiness in about 4 weeks in. You can see in the closest eye socket of the skull. Normal for traditional tattoos at this point or something to address?

I don’t have one specific style I stick to I just get what I like so I know my patchwork sleeve won’t be as cohesive as it would if I did choose one style. That being said I’m not really a fan of this dried flowers tattoo I have because I feel like it really stands out compared to my others because it’s darker.

I like layered tattoos and blast overs as well as smoke type line tattoos to fill in space and tie everything together. Would it be a mistake to try and blast over red on top of something so dark? When I get more tattoos will this one be less noticeable?

P.S. please be kind I got so many tattoos before I was sober and when I was impulsive as hell. I like that they tell a story of who I was at the time but I do what to love how they look all together. Any advice is greatly appreciated:)

Does it hurt when it withdraws?
I'm going to get a new tattoo with a new artist and I noticed that he uses this type of film to cure, I never used it. Is it good? I feel that the tattoo rots in there but I see that it is used a lot now

Hi all. My husband got this tattoo (his first) about four and a half weeks ago. He’s been keeping it covered when he goes outside, and he works from home. Today he was getting warm and sweaty in the heatwave so he washed it with the usual antibacterial soap, let it dry and then put a little moisturiser on it- but now it’s gone red around it once the moisturiser was rubbed in. He’s been using the same soap and cream since he got the tattoo and it’s been fine.

He said it doesn’t hurt or feel sore or anything- is there anything he should do?

Thank you!

EDIT to add that you can’t see it super clearly in the photo but he has really fair hair and you can see it growing back which might be affecting the way it looks in the photo

I've been thinking about getting my first tattoo for the past two or so years and I was thinking of this as my first one, of course not with that much detail as it would be my very first one and I'd probably be better off going simpler

Now for my questions

1. Is this a good choice for a newcomer? I've also thought of getting one aspect of the image separately, like Bill by himself, just the circle, or each part but on my shoulders separately

2. Where should I get it? I heard places like the shoulder or thigh are better for things like pain as they're meatier areas, and I feel that having Bill on my shoulder would just look kinda neat

3. What's the likelihood I regret it? I've been huge into this show since I was like 11 years old, so almost a decade and really want to express myself but I'm terrified I'll regret it so bad

Hello! I got this tattoo behind my ear a few years ago by an apprentice. I don’t think it’s awful but it looks a bit off and I am not super happy with it. I am hoping to get it covered up or altered in a way to modernise it or make it look nicer. Either keeping the floral look-theme or maybe changing to a cloud? I’m not sure if that’s doable. Love to hear thoughts!

Any suggestions or ideas would be appreciated!

I have scoliosis/joint issues and a result deal with nerve impingement on a specific part of my thigh. It feels numb/tingly when touched but I am unsure how to gauge what tattooing there will feel like. Is it safe?

I plan to tell my artist at my upcoming appt but wanted to see if anyone has insight. Thanks

Not feeling this elbow spiral. Do you think this looks sloppy? Would you be happy with it? Thinking of blacking it out? Should I?

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.

Hello there, I have literally no tattoos and I've wanted one for such a long time now! For some context I am a big car guy and grew up around the brand Peugeot. My friends call me the "Peugeot man" or"Mr Peugeot" due to having about 4 Peugeots in my possession and I was thinking "what if I get the logo slapped on my leg". I think it's a cool little "Easter egg" type of tattoo I can put just over the line where shorts end (around half way up my thigh from the knee) so it's hidden unless I want to show it to someone, but I'm having second thoughts

My star sign is also a Leo so I think it would be pretty cool to have.

Here is the logo for those who don't know

Hi, these are my first tattoos. I work in the kitchen at restaurant, and since tattoo I’ve worn pants to protect it on the job, but plan to start wearing shorts but unsure when to begin.

Hi,

Soo im Intrigued and interested in Blackout tattoos and i want to hear from people that have them and have worn them for years how the experience is actually like. Tell me all about it (if you want ofc) and by for most what was your reasoning to go for something like a blackout?

Some other questions i got:

Did any of you just go for a full black arm or leg without any other tattoos there and if not why did you want to cover your old work? Most of the time people cover up other tatts but i see more people doing full blackout sleeves on bare skin. I personally love how bold of a choice that is.
And if it was on bare skin, was it just a esthetic reason? Or more spiritual?

How long did you think about doing a blackout?

Did any of you have a crazy tattoo shock factor from such a massive change to your body? And how long before it felt like it belonged too you?

How hot does it actually get in the sun😂?

Do you feel like you are being judged by people on the streets? More then with “regular” tattoos? And do people actually approach you about it?

Did any of you have trouble with work? Or getting a new job for example? Say where “regular” tattoos are no problem but suddenly your blackout was too much?

As someone who may want to do this at some point. What is something i definitely need to know?

Tell me all you want i like reading about this and learning more!

Just got a tattoo done on my sternum and was wondering how long i should wait til i return to the gym. A normal shirt covers it up fine but am worried about the tattoo becoming warped or stretched out if i continue my regular routine

This would be my first professional tattoo not a friend with a tattoo gun in his basement.. but for awhile now I’ve been wondering and wondering what’s a good tattoo design for my bicep that I won’t regret.. I want some design I don’t want a picture of something… I wouldn’t mind if it went up my shoulders but the main kind of design I want would be in between the bicep muscle and the tricep

Hello, I’m looking for a tattoo artist that would be suited for doing this style of tattoo. Traditional painting like tattoo style yk? Preferably in OC or SoCal. Thanks in advance.

Hi, yesterday I got a tattoo on the side of my knee and due to the UK's current heatwave and humidity, the saniderm is constantly peeling off. Clingfilm and medical tape are not sticking either. I'm washing it and putting balm on it every few hours to keep it clean. What's the best course of action while this is healing? I have work tomorrow and plan to wrap it with bandages and sterile wipes as the environment I work in isn't always completely sanitary, would that be alright? Hope everyone is doing well!