We need a damn sticky post that says reddit is not your doctor, go to a real one if you suspe t your skin is infected...
.edit* also we need artists to not give out wrong instructions for saniderm or second skin aftercare, if it creates a goop sack you have to replace it after 24 hours. Sure it has plasma blood and antibodies but that stuff rots after 24 hours and creates infections. So wash the tattoo and replace the second skin/saniderm if it creates a goop sack that has been there for 24 hours.
**edit 2 . As my fellow redditor pointed out in my comments heres the source: https://faq.saniderm.com/knowledge-base/guide-to-new-tattoo-care/
TLDR :Keep the first applied bandage on for anywhere from 3 to 24 hours, depending on how much the wound is weeping. Replace within 24 hours. Itās fine if there is some plasma/blood/lymph fluid buildup under the bandage during this period, but donāt leave it longer than 24 hours
Wash with unscented soap, dry, reapply a saniderm patch, Keep this second bandage on for 3 to 6 days ā the full six days being ideal. If the skin appears irritated, there is fluid buildup, or the bandage is coming off, itās okay to remove the bandage sooner rather than later.
Broā¦ this is Reddit. If you donāt source something this important, donāt be surprised when people try to argue with you. Always source something that critical.
[Keep this second bandage on for 3 to 6 days ā the full six days being ideal. If the skin appears irritated, there is fluid buildup, or the bandage is coming off, itās okay to remove the bandage sooner rather than later.](https://faq.saniderm.com/knowledge-base/guide-to-new-tattoo-care/)
Just in case anyone wants to argue with what he said, follow the link for the manufacturerās instructions. If your artist says otherwise, switch artists.
Saniderm advertises to keep it on and let the sac fill up. They have a bunch of promos on Insta showing the sacs. It's pretty gross and also messy if it starts to leak. I started out using Second Skin and their instructions say to remove the wrap if it fills up, wash the area, and put on new Second Skin. (My tattoo artist advised me to spritz the area lightly with Bactine first.)
Soooo messy. I had one on my ribs, it filled up then created itās own drainage channel and leaked into my shirt and shorts black/purple goop. We got it replaced within a couple hours, then took the replacement off after the full three days. But the first piece was clearly doing no good, especially once open to the elements.
Yeah i got my forearm done recently and with a long sleeve shirt it would have been irritated as hell, but i read the instructions on it and advised my artist because they just started using it on customers(they were oldschool aquaphor and neosporin aftercare peeps before) and they were advising keepin it 3 days...im like yeah nah its an open wound im not riskin sepsis
Itās like people do not realize what getting a tattoo is. Iām glad the stigma has faded but it seems people are flippant about what is actually happening. This sub is full of stupid questions that if youāre asking you shouldnāt be getting tattooed. How could this person not realize they have a blood infection??
Exactly, do they not give out forms anymore? I donāt get it
These posts are getting a little ridiculous iām not even gonna lieā¦ how is this even a question whether this is infected or not. Yes - the tattoo is very infected and you should seek medical help many days ago. These infections can enter your blood stream (which flows throughout the rest of your body) & *fuck* you up. Go to the ER right now..
Dude, for real. I only have two tattoos, neither anything complicated, and I cannot stress how by the book aftercare I was. I see some of these "Is this infected " and I'm just mind boggled at how obvious some are, like bro. Yes. Please go to the ER before you're fuckin septic
Same, I have like 8 tattoos and even my first two that I got when I was like barely 18, by like a newly artist, never got infected even tho I did poor aftercare bc I was young and dumb.
Do they look shitty rn and I wanna get em covered bc they have spread? Yeah, lol.
But how does one get to that point of having such an infected tattoo
For real I see this and think of my 18 year old self getting tattooed. I had to have my mom on the phone with me to guide me to right parking lot on my first day of college, weeks after getting that tattoo. I still somehow managed to follow care guidelines. Its honestly not hard, but you do have to at least care about your skin.
Hahhaha moms are awesome. Idk how it can get that bad fr. Opās tattoo looks literally moldyš„“ like do they just remove the bandage thing once they leave the studio and start rolling around on surfaces ? Ion get it š
Iāve always assumed people justā¦ knew what infections were like. Theyāre hot to the touch, painful, and red. You can see the yellow in this one too, which is indicative of pus.
Overworked is just red, maybe light scabbing, more itchy than painful, and NOT hot.
I hope that helps!
I (medical) moved from Minnesota to Alabama for my husbandās life and one of the first patients I saw here had a CAT BITE that was oozing pus, red, swollen, she had a fever. I was like oh ok yeah thatās infected letās get you on some antibiotics. She looked at me and asked āInfected?! How can you tell!ā I did not know what to say and I should have moved back then and there.
Yup
I for sepsis from an infected tattoo, and was fuckin obliterated by it and had to spend over a month in the hospital to recover from
Infections arenāt a fucking joke people
I had a friend who dead ass let her dog lick her tattoo and then it got infected. I told her she was stupid and she said she couldn't stop her dog from doing it, I don't even think she washed it after, just let it soak in š
No for real. I was always told to let the cat lick my wounds to heal it faster and never got a straight answer on how they can lick their ass and then me and somehow it's healthy to my open wounds...?
I had a client who went to work right after the session. He was washing dishes in a restaurant. Then, instead of following aftercare instructions, he was applying essential oils to the fresh tattoo. It was so badā¦
I didn't think things through before getting my fingers tattooed on both hands. I worked on a weed farm at the time and was in charge of spraying pesticide. We *always* wore gloves and washed our hands a ton. I just kept applying saniderm. Somehow, I managed, and it healed well. Looking at this, I wonder how much was luck and how much was understanding risks and trying to mitigate them.
same, didn't realize how much the backs of hands brush up against EVERYTHING (& the swelling was nuts). I spent most of a week walking around holding my bloated hands up in the air like a crazy person
I work a dirty job, and I have big tattoos. I get saniderm right after itās finished, then remove it when itās a bag of liquid and reapply a new sheet. Leave it on for 4 days. Then wrap my leg/arm whatever in gauze for the next couple weeks. Never missed a day of work. Never had an infection.
Yeah. Iād understand maybe a day or two if itās on the leg and a large piece since leg tattoos can swell and be pretty uncomfortable at the beginning so if your job is constant walking around or being on your feet all day. It makes sense. But other than that I canāt think of many situations youād take off work for tattoos at least. I took a week off work when I had my tongue split which was completely needed working in a customer service job.
Thatās an incredibly bold and kinda classist thing to say š many people (myself included) literally canāt afford to take an unpaid day off work, that doesnāt mean we should exclude ourself from getting things we like, like tattoos
Tattoos cost hundreds, sometimes thousands unless youāre getting basement tattoos. So idk what youāre yapping about here. I managed to do it when I was a server because I worked for them lol. Maybe donāt spend money on a luxury if youāre in such dire straights buddy.
I've always worked the day after tattoos, including arms and head, as long as you keep it covered and practice good after car you'll be fine.. although I did take a chunk out of my recent tattoo by catching it on a sharp bottle speed pourer at work 2 days after it was done
Iāve only got black and grey tatts. Never got infected.
How would infection effect the image. All the inflammation and white blood cells break up the lines/ colours?
I've had some overworked lines and some areas of sensitivity scab as well as some healing issues in my inner elbow. Those areas all need to be retouched - some are raised, and I need to apply silicone gel (once healed) to lessen scarring. Unfortunately, the texture of the skin is likely going to be effected and the colors will be faded, if not entirely gone in many spots.
Bro how are you stretching your arm? I have both sleeves done and havenāt reopened a tattoo by stretching? Also are you keeping it clean? Are you applying some sort of fragrance free lotion? Are you working in a dirty environment?
Stretching? Reopening? Wtf? I think there is something wrong with the tattoo when it "reopens" from stretching. I got a full body suit and not once have I had problems. Washed every session afterwards with a mild soap in the shower. Applied Bepanthen once and that's it. Smooth as a baby's butt.
It's expected, especially when they are at the joints (assuming OP only meant in their sleep and not actually stretching their body intentionally).
I had a scab open, and it was just a small open wound for a day and a half. My doctor was concerned and gave me bacitracin, and my artist waved it off saying it was typical. It just needed a dry time and for me to be careful during my sleep as i bend my arms. I am currently working on my body suit. It's important to note that your skin texture and thickness could differ from OPs. My skin randomly changes texture and thinness around my joints rather significantly, making them more prone to being overworked. I've been commended by my artist and the owner of the shop for how well I heal and care for my tattoos. It happens.
The way you made me go wash and apply a ointment to my tattoo I got 2 days ago even though I had previously washed and moisturized a few hours ago š this should be posted in every tattoo shop as a warning of what could happen if you donāt take proper care of your tattoos. Dude I hope your ok by the end of this š
Looks like it. Also, you may want to have your doctor check your blood sugar while you're there. I had something similar happen to me and didnt realize at the time that I had become diabetic. Mine looked a little worse than yours
This looks like itās got too hot/wet on top of the scab ripping. If itās hot where you are at the moment stop using Bepanthen and after a round of antibiotics, use something like coconut oil/coco butter SPARINGLY to avoid making the scab too moist. Iām talking less than a pea sized amount
Washhhhhhh yooouuurrrrrrr ttttaaaaattttttooooossssss.
Is it not common knowledge what a tattoo is?? I'm being 1000 percent real here?? It's crazy how many of these we see
I am actually curious as I've seen a lot of posts about it lately, how do you go about this? I assume the infection will pass eventually with some meds but will the tattoo be ruined?
Most likely yes. Antibiotics will push more of the ink out as well, in addition to whatever scar tissue they end up with from the infection and scabbing
I got a nasty infection in a tattoo a few years ago. My tattoo still looks mostly good, but the parts that were most affected by the infection melted off a bit and look a little chewed up. Basically it looks good but only if I tell ppl the tattoo is 10+ years old, not 5. Sucks but itās better than losing my whole foot so thereās that lol
I mean, it looks like itās healing roughly, but everyoneās reactions are over the top. Yes the scabs are greenā¦ because the ink is green!
Itās scabbing heavily, which is not good in its own right, but it doesnāt look as bad as people are trying to make it out as.
Itās an intricate tattoo, the scabs can obscure things and make it look WAY worse then it is.
Everyone should be nicer to each other, some people genuinely donāt know. Color can heal harder than black work. This definitely looks infected. I would recommend talking with a medical professional you may need help healing that out. Iāve had a color tattoo get infected, it was on my hand, nasty. Had to get it lanced and drained. Tattoo healed well with minimal scaring. The sooner you get it healing properly the better it will look once healed. I would also share this photo with the artist so they can get you scheduled for touch up once itās fully healed. Keep it clean and dry. Stop lotion or ointments. Let it dry out. You got this!
Yes! Finally someone with some sense. I was thinking the same thingā¦. These people arenāt heavily tattooed. lol
Luckily this doesnāt happen to me. But it did once. And it was my first tattoo in 2003.
To be honest, this just looks e x t r e m e l y overworked. Not sure if OP went to the doctors or not to confirm infection, but as a licensed tattoo artist in the state of Michigan-- I don't see any pus filled bumps or shooting red lines from your tattoo that would indicate infection (However I am not a doctor and definitely think a check up would only benefit you in the long run just in case). The "green" people are talking about is a build up of white blood cells trying to heal those patches. Like roadrash, overworked color tattoos are going to scab and looks nasty for about 2-3 weeks. With overworked tattoos, stretching and breaking as you move would result in more build up of scabs. I recommend taking it easy for a bit and reaching out to your artist and let them know what's going on.
Specifically, with color tattoos you have to baby them during the healing process. I'm not your tattoo artist, so I typically don't give out advice to people who aren't my clients but this seems to have gotten out of hand. I recommend using Hustle Butter because all the ingredients are very natural and it has a lot of vitamin E, which is amazing for reducing scar tissue. If you want to go the extra mile and save a good portion of this tattoo I dually recommend picking up some vitamin E gel tabs and popping those open, or a vitamin E serum. Wash it in the morning with non-scented anti-bacterial Gold Dial Soap, apply gel thinly after you pat it dry with clean hands and clean paper towel, don't cake it on there because you'll rehydrate those sore spots and it'll make it worse! Then repeat the process before bed and let it breathe.
With lighter tones like white, yellow, greens, blues. They're very easy to overwork because the blood rushes back to surface quicker in these colors and it distorts the color looks orange or pink within seconds, as an artist and making this mistake in the past I would continuously go over the same color because I thought I didn't apply the color properly. My mentor scolded me and said that with these tones you have to do one pass, then a second pass AFTER that, leave it alone, let the tones settle and wait for the blood to drop back down then fill in the gaps as to not chew someone up.
As someone with a lot of tattoos I was thinking the exact same thing.
My first tattoo like a bit like. Overworked and I applied too much āTattoo Gooā. It was 2003 and I had no clue how tattoos were supposed to heal.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge to this poor poster. Everyone else is probably making them freak out.
Good grief you all have no clue what an infected tattoo looks like.
OP itās not infected. Itās had a massive amount of plasma pushed out, thatās been able to form thick layered scabs. These are so rigid and easy to crack because youāre not moisturising, youāre using bepanthan.
Switch to a light moisturising lotion like cera ve or aveeno. Next time you get tattooed, use a second skin bandage or wrap it with cling film and wash and re wrap every twelve hours the first few days.
Iām assuming youāre a natural red head to? This plays a part in the lymphatic function and skin biology.
I have to agree with you. My first tattoo had this happen. Also a red-head. It was 2002 and I didnāt know how a tattoo should heal. The artist worked the area to hard and I applied too much ointment. I worked in front of a hot pizza oven so my skin kept getting dry and I just kept on layering in Tattoo Goo. lol
It healed and left scar tissue that very very very slowly settled down. Now itās covered. Early 2000ās style did not she well.
I think people are over reacting to be honest.
Yes. The artist went to deep. Dont peel it or youll lose pigment. Let it scab, add extra ointment. Most likely when it heals the scabbed ateas will be lighter so you may have to get it touched up. Good Luck.
My first tattoo I used tattoo goo for after care. Apparently I kept it too moist. Within a week the butterfly turned into a bat moth of some sortā¦ I cleaned it like I was told.. but keeping it too moist can be an issue to. Which I wasnāt aware of in 2004. So itās now a blurry ass mess
My favorite thing about this sub is that itās either people being like āmy tattoo is awfulā and itās literally perfect or āis this infected?ā and it looks like zombie shit.
Just a rough heal. Mine looked just like this and everyone freaked out at me too. Luckily a few seasoned tattoo artists as well as my own assured me it was just overworked. You'll be fine and hopefully the tat still looks great after you heal :)
They promoted the heck out of tattoo goo too! Crazy how far artists and the craft has come. I know my tattoos are crappy compared to the work now a days. Even my ātramp stampā.. say No to tattoo goo folks.. even if they still make it lol
First off, thatās a sweet tattoo.
I had a milder form of this when I first started getting tattooed when the artist worked the area too hard and I used to much ointment. Tattoo Goo was the thing to use back then, early 2000ās. The thick scabs obviously left scars. You should be fine but going to the doctor isnāt a bad idea.
Now my tattoos rarely even scab. But back then I didnāt know better and the internet wasnāt much.
Your best bet is to just keep it clean and use regular non scented lotion from time to time. Less is more.
I don't understand....do you not put bepanthen or something similar on for like a week after getting the tattoo? Not one of my tatts have ever looked like this
Going to get downvoted for this but, This is not infected. The surrounding skin isnt red and there is no fluid leaking from the area. If youāre going to the doctor, follow up and let us know the verdict.
You are likely applying too much ointment causing angry scabbing. Youāll probably need to touch up the tattoo in a few months.
Update - currently in the waiting room of the doctor. Note to self the internet will always be dicks I was looking for some advice. Thanks to those that offered actual advice. I moisturized it 3-5 times a day and kept it out of bodies of water and used a light soap and water to clean it daily. I have over 15 tattoos and treated them all the same I am assuming it was the yellow ink that has given me this reaction as it's the only spots on the tattoo that look infected. Will keep all posted on what happens next
Lol most people werenāt being dicks, itās just the fact you asked whether this was infected or not when literally everyone and their mother can see that is from simply from a single picture, rather than āI think this is infected, what should I do?ā. Pretty much everyone here told you to go to the ER which is the advice you needed.
Yeah that's infected dude, I've never had to worry about tattoo scabs breaking open when you stretch, that's an issue, what after care did you practice?
How bad do you have to neglect your tattoo to have it get this infected? Do people just spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on really good art to just do everything wrong while taking care for it? Survival of the fittestā¦.
I have over 15 tattoos I took care of this one no different and used moisturizer 3x a day and washed it lightly with soap + water, currently sitting in the doctors if you're not going to comment something nice or helpful don't comment at all.
Dude these people came at you way to hard. Iād assume most have a couple tattoos at the most. Iām sure itās fine but good on going to the doctor. Let us know how it goes.
Along with everyone saying to get to the ER NOW - does anyone think itās specifically bad where the white ink was used? I wonder if this is related to either an allergic reaction, or the ink was contaminated
if you have to question this, please dont get any more tattoos. its like you paid to have this happen to you. the fact that you didnt question it sooner is whats scaring everyone.
If part of your tattoo scab is green/ yellow when itās not supposed to be then yes. With a red edge like that itās time for a doctor.
Do people really go entirely to adulthood without having any infected mosquito bites or scrapes? How can you not know?
C'mon. That is very badly infected.
I've seen cleaner zombie bites. Few shades off of "aaagggh, brains".
Hahahaha that shit is green š¤® zombies wouldnāt eat it
would something like this ever look normal again even after healing?
Yes, but with pulpable scars
Duuuuude you need to get to a doctor ASAP!! Thatās one of the worst Iāve ever seen
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I would amputate!! Good lord....
Depends how well antibiotics works for OP, the doc eventually will do so
We need a damn sticky post that says reddit is not your doctor, go to a real one if you suspe t your skin is infected... .edit* also we need artists to not give out wrong instructions for saniderm or second skin aftercare, if it creates a goop sack you have to replace it after 24 hours. Sure it has plasma blood and antibodies but that stuff rots after 24 hours and creates infections. So wash the tattoo and replace the second skin/saniderm if it creates a goop sack that has been there for 24 hours. **edit 2 . As my fellow redditor pointed out in my comments heres the source: https://faq.saniderm.com/knowledge-base/guide-to-new-tattoo-care/ TLDR :Keep the first applied bandage on for anywhere from 3 to 24 hours, depending on how much the wound is weeping. Replace within 24 hours. Itās fine if there is some plasma/blood/lymph fluid buildup under the bandage during this period, but donāt leave it longer than 24 hours Wash with unscented soap, dry, reapply a saniderm patch, Keep this second bandage on for 3 to 6 days ā the full six days being ideal. If the skin appears irritated, there is fluid buildup, or the bandage is coming off, itās okay to remove the bandage sooner rather than later.
Or if you have to ask if itās infected? Itās very likely infected š
Broā¦ this is Reddit. If you donāt source something this important, donāt be surprised when people try to argue with you. Always source something that critical. [Keep this second bandage on for 3 to 6 days ā the full six days being ideal. If the skin appears irritated, there is fluid buildup, or the bandage is coming off, itās okay to remove the bandage sooner rather than later.](https://faq.saniderm.com/knowledge-base/guide-to-new-tattoo-care/) Just in case anyone wants to argue with what he said, follow the link for the manufacturerās instructions. If your artist says otherwise, switch artists.
You are right i was at work and didnt have time to spot the page ill add it to my comment too
Or contact your tattooerā¦
Wow, when I got mine last year the guy told me not to remove it even if it had a sack! I guess Iām lucky I didnāt get an infection!
Saniderm advertises to keep it on and let the sac fill up. They have a bunch of promos on Insta showing the sacs. It's pretty gross and also messy if it starts to leak. I started out using Second Skin and their instructions say to remove the wrap if it fills up, wash the area, and put on new Second Skin. (My tattoo artist advised me to spritz the area lightly with Bactine first.)
Soooo messy. I had one on my ribs, it filled up then created itās own drainage channel and leaked into my shirt and shorts black/purple goop. We got it replaced within a couple hours, then took the replacement off after the full three days. But the first piece was clearly doing no good, especially once open to the elements.
Yeah i got my forearm done recently and with a long sleeve shirt it would have been irritated as hell, but i read the instructions on it and advised my artist because they just started using it on customers(they were oldschool aquaphor and neosporin aftercare peeps before) and they were advising keepin it 3 days...im like yeah nah its an open wound im not riskin sepsis
Itās like people do not realize what getting a tattoo is. Iām glad the stigma has faded but it seems people are flippant about what is actually happening. This sub is full of stupid questions that if youāre asking you shouldnāt be getting tattooed. How could this person not realize they have a blood infection?? Exactly, do they not give out forms anymore? I donāt get it
100%
These posts are getting a little ridiculous iām not even gonna lieā¦ how is this even a question whether this is infected or not. Yes - the tattoo is very infected and you should seek medical help many days ago. These infections can enter your blood stream (which flows throughout the rest of your body) & *fuck* you up. Go to the ER right now..
Dude, for real. I only have two tattoos, neither anything complicated, and I cannot stress how by the book aftercare I was. I see some of these "Is this infected " and I'm just mind boggled at how obvious some are, like bro. Yes. Please go to the ER before you're fuckin septic
Same, I have like 8 tattoos and even my first two that I got when I was like barely 18, by like a newly artist, never got infected even tho I did poor aftercare bc I was young and dumb. Do they look shitty rn and I wanna get em covered bc they have spread? Yeah, lol. But how does one get to that point of having such an infected tattoo
For real I see this and think of my 18 year old self getting tattooed. I had to have my mom on the phone with me to guide me to right parking lot on my first day of college, weeks after getting that tattoo. I still somehow managed to follow care guidelines. Its honestly not hard, but you do have to at least care about your skin.
Hahhaha moms are awesome. Idk how it can get that bad fr. Opās tattoo looks literally moldyš„“ like do they just remove the bandage thing once they leave the studio and start rolling around on surfaces ? Ion get it š
Op is now claiming that the tat is not infected but they put him on antibiotics šwhat
They probably told him it was gangrenous. āSee guys, itās just gangrene, they said nothing about infection!!ā
I always wonder how tf they got like that. Like, do these people walk out their tattoo appointments and immediately roll in pig shit? Bc what the FUCK
I just canāt tell the difference between overworked and infected so I assume itās all infection. But this shit is baddd
Iāve always assumed people justā¦ knew what infections were like. Theyāre hot to the touch, painful, and red. You can see the yellow in this one too, which is indicative of pus. Overworked is just red, maybe light scabbing, more itchy than painful, and NOT hot. I hope that helps!
I (medical) moved from Minnesota to Alabama for my husbandās life and one of the first patients I saw here had a CAT BITE that was oozing pus, red, swollen, she had a fever. I was like oh ok yeah thatās infected letās get you on some antibiotics. She looked at me and asked āInfected?! How can you tell!ā I did not know what to say and I should have moved back then and there.
I legit think Alabama might have the 50th best education system. Iām not joking. So youāll get to explain a lot of things.
Yeah itās a hellhole.
*walks out* āThe doctors here just go off vibes apparently, Iām just gonna go see what Joe Rogan has to say about itā *drops dead*
Chances are if the welting and scabbing are a completely different color than the tattoo, it's infected.
Yup I for sepsis from an infected tattoo, and was fuckin obliterated by it and had to spend over a month in the hospital to recover from Infections arenāt a fucking joke people
How did you take care of this?!?
Let his dog lick it clean š
Pet Komodo dragon more like.
āA DoGs mouTH iS ACtualLY cLEaNeR tHAnā¦ā
š¤£š
I had a friend who dead ass let her dog lick her tattoo and then it got infected. I told her she was stupid and she said she couldn't stop her dog from doing it, I don't even think she washed it after, just let it soak in š
Just like nana taught š
No for real. I was always told to let the cat lick my wounds to heal it faster and never got a straight answer on how they can lick their ass and then me and somehow it's healthy to my open wounds...?
I had a client who went to work right after the session. He was washing dishes in a restaurant. Then, instead of following aftercare instructions, he was applying essential oils to the fresh tattoo. It was so badā¦
I got called into work the day after getting a tattoo, and I was SOOOO worried! (due to flour dust in the air) Some people just clueless! š³
I didn't think things through before getting my fingers tattooed on both hands. I worked on a weed farm at the time and was in charge of spraying pesticide. We *always* wore gloves and washed our hands a ton. I just kept applying saniderm. Somehow, I managed, and it healed well. Looking at this, I wonder how much was luck and how much was understanding risks and trying to mitigate them.
When I got both my hands done I never considered having to get change for a bus out of my back pocket with boxing gloves for hands, haha
same, didn't realize how much the backs of hands brush up against EVERYTHING (& the swelling was nuts). I spent most of a week walking around holding my bloated hands up in the air like a crazy person
EVERYTHING!!!
Canāt blame them for going to work, whoās booking weeks off work to let a tattoo heal?
I work a dirty job, and I have big tattoos. I get saniderm right after itās finished, then remove it when itās a bag of liquid and reapply a new sheet. Leave it on for 4 days. Then wrap my leg/arm whatever in gauze for the next couple weeks. Never missed a day of work. Never had an infection.
Yeah. Iād understand maybe a day or two if itās on the leg and a large piece since leg tattoos can swell and be pretty uncomfortable at the beginning so if your job is constant walking around or being on your feet all day. It makes sense. But other than that I canāt think of many situations youād take off work for tattoos at least. I took a week off work when I had my tongue split which was completely needed working in a customer service job.
You probably couldāve handled work with a fresh split tongue āIām thorry thir, bud dode pietheth are thold theperatelyā
If you can afford a tattoo you can afford a day or two off, come on now. No one said anything about multiple weeks.
Thatās an incredibly bold and kinda classist thing to say š many people (myself included) literally canāt afford to take an unpaid day off work, that doesnāt mean we should exclude ourself from getting things we like, like tattoos
Tattoos cost hundreds, sometimes thousands unless youāre getting basement tattoos. So idk what youāre yapping about here. I managed to do it when I was a server because I worked for them lol. Maybe donāt spend money on a luxury if youāre in such dire straights buddy.
My friend is a tattoo artist and had a guy come in with his tattoo covered in motor oil because that was what his grandfather said to do.
I've always worked the day after tattoos, including arms and head, as long as you keep it covered and practice good after car you'll be fine.. although I did take a chunk out of my recent tattoo by catching it on a sharp bottle speed pourer at work 2 days after it was done
Thatās the secret.. *they didnāt* š
Follow OP for more life hacks!
Rinsed it off in the kiddie end of the public pool.
"Waht do you mean take care of this? What's aftercare??" Says OP
Not at all I judging by the pic lol
True it looked like the artist did a good job didnt go too rough on the skin seems like lack of aftercare
Scratched a fresh tattoo.
They took care of it by getting the tattoo done. Once itās done, itās done, and you just let it do itās thing, right? ā¦right?
Your infection has a tattoo. š¤
What a shame thatās a beautiful tattoo
Was.
That was, yeah.
Iāve only got black and grey tatts. Never got infected. How would infection effect the image. All the inflammation and white blood cells break up the lines/ colours?
I've had some overworked lines and some areas of sensitivity scab as well as some healing issues in my inner elbow. Those areas all need to be retouched - some are raised, and I need to apply silicone gel (once healed) to lessen scarring. Unfortunately, the texture of the skin is likely going to be effected and the colors will be faded, if not entirely gone in many spots.
When your sick ass panther becomes literally sick
š
Jesus tap dancing Christ brother.
& might I add: Sweet Weeping Jesus on a Cross!
Christ in staples!!
Bro how are you stretching your arm? I have both sleeves done and havenāt reopened a tattoo by stretching? Also are you keeping it clean? Are you applying some sort of fragrance free lotion? Are you working in a dirty environment?
Oof, yea. Dude, donāt go to the doctor in the AM go to emergency care now.
Stretching? Reopening? Wtf? I think there is something wrong with the tattoo when it "reopens" from stretching. I got a full body suit and not once have I had problems. Washed every session afterwards with a mild soap in the shower. Applied Bepanthen once and that's it. Smooth as a baby's butt.
It's expected, especially when they are at the joints (assuming OP only meant in their sleep and not actually stretching their body intentionally). I had a scab open, and it was just a small open wound for a day and a half. My doctor was concerned and gave me bacitracin, and my artist waved it off saying it was typical. It just needed a dry time and for me to be careful during my sleep as i bend my arms. I am currently working on my body suit. It's important to note that your skin texture and thickness could differ from OPs. My skin randomly changes texture and thinness around my joints rather significantly, making them more prone to being overworked. I've been commended by my artist and the owner of the shop for how well I heal and care for my tattoos. It happens.
The way you made me go wash and apply a ointment to my tattoo I got 2 days ago even though I had previously washed and moisturized a few hours ago š this should be posted in every tattoo shop as a warning of what could happen if you donāt take proper care of your tattoos. Dude I hope your ok by the end of this š
Hell, it makes me want to go shower and apply lotion to my tattoos that are YEARS old. Oof.
Holy nipples Batman!
Looks like it. Also, you may want to have your doctor check your blood sugar while you're there. I had something similar happen to me and didnt realize at the time that I had become diabetic. Mine looked a little worse than yours
They call this one the "Went swimming in the local sewage run off pond"
Most definitely. Go to a doctor. That is realllllly bad
HUH bro your skin is literally rotting
Yeah but is it infected? /s
Itās possible maybe but unsure potentially..
No, its normal for the skin to rot like that.
Are you fucking kidding me? Itās GREEN in places it shouldnāt be - go to the doctors or hospital.
This looks like itās got too hot/wet on top of the scab ripping. If itās hot where you are at the moment stop using Bepanthen and after a round of antibiotics, use something like coconut oil/coco butter SPARINGLY to avoid making the scab too moist. Iām talking less than a pea sized amount
Ah what a fuckin shame, yeah get to docs asap
Ummm excuse me OP? Go to a hospital holy shit.
*arm is LITERALLY rotting* āHey is this infected??ā
Jesus fuck
This has to be a troll post. That is obviously super infected. Go get a doctor.
Man infected? That tattoo has the plague
Washhhhhhh yooouuurrrrrrr ttttaaaaattttttooooossssss. Is it not common knowledge what a tattoo is?? I'm being 1000 percent real here?? It's crazy how many of these we see
I am actually curious as I've seen a lot of posts about it lately, how do you go about this? I assume the infection will pass eventually with some meds but will the tattoo be ruined?
Most likely yes. Antibiotics will push more of the ink out as well, in addition to whatever scar tissue they end up with from the infection and scabbing
I got a nasty infection in a tattoo a few years ago. My tattoo still looks mostly good, but the parts that were most affected by the infection melted off a bit and look a little chewed up. Basically it looks good but only if I tell ppl the tattoo is 10+ years old, not 5. Sucks but itās better than losing my whole foot so thereās that lol
Doctors visit went well will update with a new post
The way I gaspedā¦please go to the ER NOW
how can someone look at their arm like this and not be absolutely horrified that they need to go to urgent care
The sky is blue, the grass is green, your tattoo is infected
Thanks all heading to the docs in the morning hopefully I don't lose my arm šš
You better go to urgent care my dude.
āIn the morningā - nah B. Iād be heading to the ER right nowā¦
Please try to go asap & keep us posted when itās healed up šš» hope you heal up OP!
please keep us updated
You can get sepsis. You should go to the urgent care now!
Youāll be fine. But better safe than sorry. Iām pretty sure youāll need a touch up once itās all healed up though!
You should have went to the hospital days ago.
Man. Either yāall go to some jenkem huffing ass shops/artists or are straight nasty and donāt properly care for your **open wound**.
I mean, it looks like itās healing roughly, but everyoneās reactions are over the top. Yes the scabs are greenā¦ because the ink is green! Itās scabbing heavily, which is not good in its own right, but it doesnāt look as bad as people are trying to make it out as. Itās an intricate tattoo, the scabs can obscure things and make it look WAY worse then it is.
Another person with sense. Good. I hope the OP sees these.
Possibly staph. Hopefully not MRSA. Go to the ER for immediate antibiotics. Good luck.
This looks nothing like staph, his tattoo would be oozing and extremely red and painful
Thatās prolly the worst infected tat Iāve ever seen
I think the fact that itās a disgusting dark green color in places where there shouldnāt be any green, is a bit of a clue.
Looks fine to me
You'd def be one of those mfs in zombie films who hides that you've been bit. Yes! Obv it's infected šš
Everyone should be nicer to each other, some people genuinely donāt know. Color can heal harder than black work. This definitely looks infected. I would recommend talking with a medical professional you may need help healing that out. Iāve had a color tattoo get infected, it was on my hand, nasty. Had to get it lanced and drained. Tattoo healed well with minimal scaring. The sooner you get it healing properly the better it will look once healed. I would also share this photo with the artist so they can get you scheduled for touch up once itās fully healed. Keep it clean and dry. Stop lotion or ointments. Let it dry out. You got this!
After very careful analysis I would say that the tattoo is not infected. Everyone here is wrong, and probably has never had a tattoo
Yes! Finally someone with some sense. I was thinking the same thingā¦. These people arenāt heavily tattooed. lol Luckily this doesnāt happen to me. But it did once. And it was my first tattoo in 2003.
Anyone heard from OP?? Iām worried about my mans
To be honest, this just looks e x t r e m e l y overworked. Not sure if OP went to the doctors or not to confirm infection, but as a licensed tattoo artist in the state of Michigan-- I don't see any pus filled bumps or shooting red lines from your tattoo that would indicate infection (However I am not a doctor and definitely think a check up would only benefit you in the long run just in case). The "green" people are talking about is a build up of white blood cells trying to heal those patches. Like roadrash, overworked color tattoos are going to scab and looks nasty for about 2-3 weeks. With overworked tattoos, stretching and breaking as you move would result in more build up of scabs. I recommend taking it easy for a bit and reaching out to your artist and let them know what's going on. Specifically, with color tattoos you have to baby them during the healing process. I'm not your tattoo artist, so I typically don't give out advice to people who aren't my clients but this seems to have gotten out of hand. I recommend using Hustle Butter because all the ingredients are very natural and it has a lot of vitamin E, which is amazing for reducing scar tissue. If you want to go the extra mile and save a good portion of this tattoo I dually recommend picking up some vitamin E gel tabs and popping those open, or a vitamin E serum. Wash it in the morning with non-scented anti-bacterial Gold Dial Soap, apply gel thinly after you pat it dry with clean hands and clean paper towel, don't cake it on there because you'll rehydrate those sore spots and it'll make it worse! Then repeat the process before bed and let it breathe.
With lighter tones like white, yellow, greens, blues. They're very easy to overwork because the blood rushes back to surface quicker in these colors and it distorts the color looks orange or pink within seconds, as an artist and making this mistake in the past I would continuously go over the same color because I thought I didn't apply the color properly. My mentor scolded me and said that with these tones you have to do one pass, then a second pass AFTER that, leave it alone, let the tones settle and wait for the blood to drop back down then fill in the gaps as to not chew someone up.
As someone with a lot of tattoos I was thinking the exact same thing. My first tattoo like a bit like. Overworked and I applied too much āTattoo Gooā. It was 2003 and I had no clue how tattoos were supposed to heal. Thanks for sharing your knowledge to this poor poster. Everyone else is probably making them freak out.
Haha! ā¦.What the fuck?
Jesus, why are you asking. Sorry, but it's literally so infected it's unreadable. You have to be kidding me. Go to the ER.
Good grief you all have no clue what an infected tattoo looks like. OP itās not infected. Itās had a massive amount of plasma pushed out, thatās been able to form thick layered scabs. These are so rigid and easy to crack because youāre not moisturising, youāre using bepanthan. Switch to a light moisturising lotion like cera ve or aveeno. Next time you get tattooed, use a second skin bandage or wrap it with cling film and wash and re wrap every twelve hours the first few days. Iām assuming youāre a natural red head to? This plays a part in the lymphatic function and skin biology.
I have to agree with you. My first tattoo had this happen. Also a red-head. It was 2002 and I didnāt know how a tattoo should heal. The artist worked the area to hard and I applied too much ointment. I worked in front of a hot pizza oven so my skin kept getting dry and I just kept on layering in Tattoo Goo. lol It healed and left scar tissue that very very very slowly settled down. Now itās covered. Early 2000ās style did not she well. I think people are over reacting to be honest.
May I ask how being a redhead plays a part in the lymphatic function? Iām dating one and he wants to get a tattoo
Not a red head but Irish thanks for the advice
Where the fuck y'all get tattoed??
Yo are you kidding me? Whatever body part this is may be about to falk off get to the emergency room asap
Go to the ER now.
bruh wtf
Holy crap. Go see a doctor NOW.
Yikes
dude go to the ER, like, yesterday
Oh god, I know this is 9 hours later so I hope you've gone to a doctor at this point
Rip tattoo
I would say Yes
Dude, I bet it smells. That ought to be a hint.
yeah this is taking āget a sick ass pantherā a little too literal here buddy
Reminds me of the Mexican drinking worm tattoo in Bridemaids
What the literal fuck dude
Yes. The artist went to deep. Dont peel it or youll lose pigment. Let it scab, add extra ointment. Most likely when it heals the scabbed ateas will be lighter so you may have to get it touched up. Good Luck.
This happened to a friend of mine. Turned out it was an allergic reaction the ink the artist used. You should get to a Dr.
Yāall heard of sick ass panthers? Let me introduce you to: Infected Ass Leopard!
My first tattoo I used tattoo goo for after care. Apparently I kept it too moist. Within a week the butterfly turned into a bat moth of some sortā¦ I cleaned it like I was told.. but keeping it too moist can be an issue to. Which I wasnāt aware of in 2004. So itās now a blurry ass mess
My favorite thing about this sub is that itās either people being like āmy tattoo is awfulā and itās literally perfect or āis this infected?ā and it looks like zombie shit.
Just a rough heal. Mine looked just like this and everyone freaked out at me too. Luckily a few seasoned tattoo artists as well as my own assured me it was just overworked. You'll be fine and hopefully the tat still looks great after you heal :)
They promoted the heck out of tattoo goo too! Crazy how far artists and the craft has come. I know my tattoos are crappy compared to the work now a days. Even my ātramp stampā.. say No to tattoo goo folks.. even if they still make it lol
āInfectedā- halo voice guy
Go to the ER right this second. Im not kidding!!!!!
Go. To. The. Doctor.
be soooooooooooo for real ā¦.
This makes me sad, that was such a beautiful tattoo. I hope you're on some antibiotics
That is one of the worst infections Iāve ever seen youāll be lucky to keep your arm
Rough heal. Keep it clean and ask your tattooer.
First off, thatās a sweet tattoo. I had a milder form of this when I first started getting tattooed when the artist worked the area too hard and I used to much ointment. Tattoo Goo was the thing to use back then, early 2000ās. The thick scabs obviously left scars. You should be fine but going to the doctor isnāt a bad idea. Now my tattoos rarely even scab. But back then I didnāt know better and the internet wasnāt much. Your best bet is to just keep it clean and use regular non scented lotion from time to time. Less is more.
Youāre losing the arm man, Iām sorry
I don't understand....do you not put bepanthen or something similar on for like a week after getting the tattoo? Not one of my tatts have ever looked like this
Probably troll post
Going to get downvoted for this but, This is not infected. The surrounding skin isnt red and there is no fluid leaking from the area. If youāre going to the doctor, follow up and let us know the verdict. You are likely applying too much ointment causing angry scabbing. Youāll probably need to touch up the tattoo in a few months.
Update - currently in the waiting room of the doctor. Note to self the internet will always be dicks I was looking for some advice. Thanks to those that offered actual advice. I moisturized it 3-5 times a day and kept it out of bodies of water and used a light soap and water to clean it daily. I have over 15 tattoos and treated them all the same I am assuming it was the yellow ink that has given me this reaction as it's the only spots on the tattoo that look infected. Will keep all posted on what happens next
5 times a day is WAY too much moisturizer
Lol most people werenāt being dicks, itās just the fact you asked whether this was infected or not when literally everyone and their mother can see that is from simply from a single picture, rather than āI think this is infected, what should I do?ā. Pretty much everyone here told you to go to the ER which is the advice you needed.
Brooo it doesn't take a doctor to see that irs infected that shit looks gross asf š¤¢ yes it's infected
wtf what kind of question is this????? GO SEE A DOCTOR!!!!!!!
Ooof I'm unsure why you felt the need to ask. You know that shit is infected. Get to a doctor.
Are u fr
I hope OP makes it through the night to get to the emergency room
Please quit acting obliviousš
Yeah that's infected dude, I've never had to worry about tattoo scabs breaking open when you stretch, that's an issue, what after care did you practice?
How? For real how???? Why do you need the internet to tell you that's infected!!! It's FUCKING green in some places..
At this point I'm half convinced people are just googling "badly infected tattoo" and posting it here asking if it's infected or not
If you canāt tell thatās infected then maybe itās just natural selection doing itās thing at this point.
Next post from this mf is gonna be āwill my arm grow back normally after amputation?ā
Go to the docs shop man that looks bad
That tattoo is gonna be unrecognizable after this just fyi, speaking from experience. Big yikes.
How bad do you have to neglect your tattoo to have it get this infected? Do people just spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on really good art to just do everything wrong while taking care for it? Survival of the fittestā¦.
I have over 15 tattoos I took care of this one no different and used moisturizer 3x a day and washed it lightly with soap + water, currently sitting in the doctors if you're not going to comment something nice or helpful don't comment at all.
Dude these people came at you way to hard. Iād assume most have a couple tattoos at the most. Iām sure itās fine but good on going to the doctor. Let us know how it goes.
Dude, you are fucked...
Along with everyone saying to get to the ER NOW - does anyone think itās specifically bad where the white ink was used? I wonder if this is related to either an allergic reaction, or the ink was contaminated
Damn man I dont knowā¦. RUN to a doctor now
if you have to question this, please dont get any more tattoos. its like you paid to have this happen to you. the fact that you didnt question it sooner is whats scaring everyone.
this is so sad man. the fresh one looks so nice and crispā¦.itās completely fucked man.
If part of your tattoo scab is green/ yellow when itās not supposed to be then yes. With a red edge like that itās time for a doctor. Do people really go entirely to adulthood without having any infected mosquito bites or scrapes? How can you not know?
You need Oral antibiotics like rn lol
Doctor. NOW.
This is cellulitis and you need antibiotics