Help! Is my tattoo healing or infected?

Adi6194 · 26 Dec 2021

Hi!

I've just got my first tattoo and have some concerns. It's been 5 days since i got the first phase of my tattoo done. I have another session to complete it.
Most of the tattoo has been healing quite well but one section has cracked and looks quite terrible. I'm not sure if its healing or if it's infected. It's a little red around the region and sore to touch.
I'd really appreciate any input you can give on this.

Thanks
Tattoo Images - Imgur

MalligaMallan · 26 Dec 2021

Hello Adi, it does look infected in that part. Yellow stuff is not a good sign. Make sure to clean it with clean hands under running water, let it air dry or use clean paper. I would do it morning and evening.

Do NOT use any ointment as long it's infected!!! It needs to dry out and breathe as much as possible.

Don't cover it with anything while infected (ointment, clothes or bandages).

If you see no signs of improvement in a couple days, go see a doctor.

marked 4 life · 26 Dec 2021

It looks very overworked and blown out, it will heal but it could take a month due to the thickness of the scabs which will split and ooze puss, it will become very sore and the skin surrounding it will probably be red but you will still have blown out lines to repair.
Was it applied in a clean shop environment using sterile or disposal equipment?

whippet · 26 Dec 2021

marked 4 life said:
It looks very overworked and blown out, it will heal but it could take a month due to the thickness of the scabs which will split and ooze puss, it will become very sore and the skin surrounding it will probably be red but you will still have blown out lines to repair.
Was it applied in a clean shop environment using sterile or disposal equipment?

Agree with marked4life and I’d avoid that place in future…looks painful and it’s blown all over the place

Adi6194 · 26 Dec 2021

MalligaMallan said:
Hello Adi, it does look infected in that part. Yellow stuff is not a good sign. Make sure to clean it with clean hands under running water, let it air dry or use clean paper. I would do it morning and evening.

Do NOT use any ointment as long it's infected!!! It needs to dry out and breathe as much as possible.

Don't cover it with anything while infected (ointment, clothes or bandages).

If you see no signs of improvement in a couple days, go see a doctor.

Thank you so much! I was honestly thinking that using the ointment was better than leaving it be.

Adi6194 · 26 Dec 2021

marked 4 life said:
It looks very overworked and blown out, it will heal but it could take a month due to the thickness of the scabs which will split and ooze puss, it will become very sore and the skin surrounding it will probably be red but you will still have blown out lines to repair.
Was it applied in a clean shop environment using sterile or disposal equipment?

Yeah I thought it looked a little blown out as well. But it's a lot better in person than it looks like in the picture and there's some ahading work left over where a lot of the blown out portion is so that should fix that i guess.
Also yes, it was a clean shop and equipment. I was particularly careful about that.

Patch72 · 27 Dec 2021

Wow butchered you,from a studio?
That is overworked,lines look like they going to drop out same as the black,you must of bleed loads on this?

marked 4 life · 27 Dec 2021

Adi6194 said:
Yeah I thought it looked a little blown out as well. But it's a lot better in person than it looks like in the picture and there's some ahading work left over where a lot of the blown out portion is so that should fix that i guess.
Also yes, it was a clean shop and equipment. I was particularly careful about that.

I wouldn’t go back to that shop personally, the only reason a tattoo would turn out that bad would be if it was applied by an inexperienced apprentice or a tattooist of low skill level.

MalligaMallan · 27 Dec 2021

Adi6194 said:
Thank you so much! I was honestly thinking that using the ointment was better than leaving it be.

I know, most people make that mistake

Adi6194 · 27 Dec 2021

Patch72 said:
Wow butchered you,from a studio?
That is overworked,lines look like they going to drop out same as the black,you must of bleed loads on this?

Yeah i think he overworked as well. Not sure what you mean by lines dropping out though..
I bled a little on the filled in region but not much. Just spots.

Help! Is my tattoo healing or infected?

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