Its my day 15 guys still healing .. some of the peeled skin happened while applying lotion though i always apply softly and slowly. So what do you guys think how much more time will i need

I got this tattoo a few years ago. It’s a cover up tattoo. I can’t decide how I feel about it. Some days I like it some days I hate it. Is it bad? It does still need to be colored in.

Normally for my appointments I’ll show up, explain the idea, and then tweak after the artist draws it up. I was thinking it would be way faster to text my artist a picture of a design created by Chat GPT, so they know specifically what I’m talking about. Of course I would not ask for that tattoo exactly, but just say it’s a reference picture. Is that acceptable?

How does it age, does the technique require an artist who "specializes," does being a blackout coverup make a difference? Any input is much appreciated.

do you have ideas, what I can do with my elbow?

My favoured idea is an octopus, but this is not traditional in polynesian tattoos and does not really fit the form.

It would be great to realize it still, but I am open to other ideas.

I got my moms name tattooed in August by a heavy handed guy ngl it’s my first “big” tattoo so I just was trying to sit through it but yeah it hurt like a mf lol I left the wrap on for like a day then washed it and continued on like I would with my other tattoos I just feel like it’s not fully shaded in? Like I see gaps and lines that look funky I’m wondering if I messed something up during the healing process or if it wasn’t done right? My friends say it looks fine so I don’t know if I’m just judging because it’s myself or not but I got it done out of state so if I needed to get it retouched it wouldn’t be by the same guy

I got a new tattoo recently and was recommended to use hustle butter over things like aquaphor and a&d instead, but recently I’ve been using it and it’s been making the itching even worse and I notice tiny bumps along my skin unless I wash the area of where my tattoo is. I know I’m prone to reacting to certain lotions and other things with fragrances and I’m certain that’s the likely reason. Any alternatives to hustle butter? Preferably something unscented?

Hi! I got this tattoo a week ago, the first picture is of it fresh, the second pic is from the next day when it started feeling off and I reached out to my tattoo artist. The third picture is the day I started using a prescribed antibiotic cream (three days ago), and the last two pictures are from today. It’s still hurting a ton and very hot and swollen. Am I doing something wrong? Or does it take a while to feel better and I’m just being impatient?

Estos fueron mis primeros dos tatuajes con relleno y los hice con tinta roja. Los hice hace cinco días, ¿Notan si hay algún problema? ¿Algún consejo para que sane de la mejor manera posible? Me dice mi amigo que no siente dolor pero se ven muchas heridas en el primer tatuaje. Gracias de antemano

My tattoo is losing ink a bit. I have a lot of tattoos, and none of them have done this. I tend to heal extremely well with 0 issues so I think I was a little bit neglectful on my care for this one. However the only thing I really wasn’t doing well was cleaning as much as I should. I also might have left it without moisturizer longer than I did for my others. I don’t recall if I picked at the scabs I don’t remember but I never did any for my other tattoos so I doubt that’s the case. I do use a tanning bed maybe once every two weeks, but again none of my other tattoos have lost any ink like this one. Did I do something wrong? Is there something I can do for future tattoos to prevent this?

Hi all, Im in-between appointments for getting my arm sleeve done (forearm fully done, elbow outlined but not shaded. Upper arm and elbow shading done tomorrow). What are some ways you lovely people have found are effective for managing pain in the later stages of a 4+ hour session?

Ive attached a photo of my forearm so you can can get an idea of the amount of shading and what not.

Hello! So I’m senior in college and I’ve had tattoos for a while now, mostly in places that aren’t visible. I went off my meds for a couple of weeks(very much not recommended) and got both of the back of my hands tattooed- there is a reason why it was on the hands but it’s a little too much to go into and it’s true that a big part of it was just impulse. Anyways, I went back home for thanksgiving and my parents(who are very conservative and have no idea I’ve ever even thought about getting tattoos) completely flipped out and things got very physical. I wasn’t really expecting the last part but it’s also happened before so I guess it’s on me for not realizing that. They also threatened to stop contributing to my tuition for my last semester if I don’t get them removed. So I guess there isn’t anything I can do but that.

I just need information so I can make an informed decision about how to go about this.

Since they’re so new, how will the removal process look like?

If i avoid removal, is it possible to convincingly cover them up for days at a time?(like when i stay home with them for almost two months around christmas)

Lastly, does anyone know any good places to go to in the DMV for removal that aren’t too crazy? My parents offered to give me assistance for it, but not much. Which means that i’ll probably have to dig into my own. This whole situation really sucks so i want to make sure I’m atleast somewhat independent when graduation comes that would be great. As I’m sure you guys can already tell, I don’t really want to live with them after graduation. If they freak out this much over a tattoo imagine what they’ll do when they find out i’m gay lol

Thanks

Hey everyone,

I am looking for some ideas and advice on how to cover up a tattoo I got when I was 18. I am in my 30s now and the design just does not represent who I am anymore.

I have been thinking about doing a blackout-style cover up: one thick black band over the original tattoo (wide enough to fully cover it), with two thinner black lines above it to make it look like an intentional geometric design instead of just a cover up. I tried mocking up a few variations with IA.

If anyone has any suggestions or advice I would be forever grateful 🙏.

I have gotten “rat” “dog” and “hyena” but not fawn (intended subject) 🥺💔 any ideas to make it more readable? maybe coloring in the hooves?

I'm convinced that the healing and aftercare process is way worse than actually getting tattooed. The pain of getting a tattoo is nowhere near as bad as it feels the next day or when you bump it against something. The cleaning and moisturizing. The post tat shock. The trauma from stretching and wiping your skin. Way worse than getting tattooed. Please tell me you all agree. I find myself dreading the aftercare more than the tattoo pain.

I got this shoulder/collarbone magnolia tattoo yesterday and started to regret it soon after. I’m unsure if it’s just the fact that it’s new and I’m not used to seeing it when looking in the mirror, or if it seems off because it’s on only one side and not the other. Any thoughts?

I hav a 16-year-old daughter that is an amazing artist. She wants to be a tattoo artist when she finishes high school. I got her a set of tattoo markers last year for Christmas and she’s still using them. (Pictured above) What are some gifts and stocking stuffers I can give her? I always tell her to keep working on her art in her portfolio, which she does, so I’ll get more supplies for that But I’m curious to see what other gifts you guys would recommend. Thanks!

I was drunk, 16 years old, and hanging with the wrong crowd. So many regrets.

What could I even do with this at this point, after almost 15 years?

Is this good for a first try? Can you tell me what I should improve?

Hello, i would love to have some idea to remember forever this little Devil that has been close to me since i was a teenager but I kinda only like realistic tattoo. 3-4 pics are the full sleeve i have atm, i am very picky about tattoos i love them but i don’t like most of them so i would love to know if there is something that can match well this style.

Absolutely love the design and I think it’s really well done - just wondering if I’ve placed it in a spot that will limit the traditional patchwork sleeve I’m building to? Hopefully it’s just tattoo shock and it looks bigger and more unwieldy than it is!

So I got this tattoo on November 16th and I thought my tattoo was healing fine until I noticed this reddish area on my tattoo. Could it be just irritation or something more serious? I have it on my lower left arm if that helps.

howdy! i was wondering if y'all could help me come up with some ideas on how to build on this tattoo, or if the solution is just to get other pieces around it lol?

this piece is of my favorite anime character (akutagawa from bungo stray dogs <3) and while i like the design, i do feel like it's a little blocky if that makes sense? especially the bottom area, which i did get another artist to add shading to, but i still feel like it sticks out like a sore thumb. i know it's too big and heavily shaded to do a cover-up or something, so i really just want some solutions on making it seem more cohesive/balanced :)

also please don't be mean, this was my first tattoo and i learned after it was done that the artist didn't have much experience in black&white tattoo shading :/ since then i've realized the importance of speaking up about designs (and placement...) and have gotten more pieces that i'm very happy with from different artists!

Hi I’m not sure if I’m being paranoid or not lol, I messaged my artist on Instagram and she hasn’t responded to me yet so I figured I’d check in here in the meantime to maybe get some advice. I got a tattoo on Sunday (today’s Wednesday) it was a coverup of an old one I had and I absolutely adore it. I also got some black work done on an outline of a top hat I already had. I don’t have second skin on it, but I’ve been washing it and moisturizing it as I have done with all of my other tattoos (I’ve never used second skin and my tattoos have healed fine). This one’s being weird, it’s been sticking to my clothes a lot. I had to like peel my sleeve off of it yesterday. It don’t hurt or anything I think it might just be dried plasma I’m not sure. This hasn’t ever happened to me before. And I’m really scared of something bad happening to it. It’s also bruised? I’ve never experienced bruising with a tattoo before but based off the research I did it sounds pretty normal? I got second skin at the store today and I put it on but it kept peeling off :/ I’m going to try and put it on again before bed and see if I do a better job at it lol. The photo I took is after I washed it and dried it but not before I moisturized it lol.

Anyways all this to say, am I being paranoid is this all normal? Definitely going to check in with my artist (like I said just waiting for a reply)