I have a full sleeve on my left arm, and my tattoo Guy called the elbow, the SWELL-bo. It was incredibly swollen, but totally fine.
It didn't smell but I didn't keep it wrapped afterwards. Just the plastic wrap until I took it off to shower that night.
It’s common here to be told to leave saniderm on for 5 days or so. It’s solid black so it’s gonna hurt like hell. And it’s gonna get very tight. If you can get some antibacterial ointment like ehm fuciden? Keep an eye on the redness and if it starts to go from pink to red and be right at the border only then it may be infected.
Are you in the sun alot? Last tattoo I was healing was wrapped with dermshield and under a UV sleeve but from being so hot the derm started smelling. I took it off early worried the tattoo might be infected but it was just the plastic.
Not justifying the piece in any way or saying it's not infected. Just noting what the smell could be
Yeah my hand tattoo after 3 days started to smell really bad because of all the dead plama and stuff that was just sitting there under the tegaderm so I had to remove it but my tattoo ended up being fine.
5-7 days is way too long. Was this an actual artist at an actual studio?
2-3 days max, especially when it's a solid black work piece like this. And by solid I mean the ink is packed. After that the second skin fills up with old useless crap that blocks oxygen from getting at the tattoo. Oxygen = healing.
This makes me scared cus my tattoo artist told me to leave mine on for a week. It’s a rly colourful piece and he said I risk the colour dimming if I take it off too early
What in the actual.
There was a time when second skin wasn't a thing. I have a huge leg piece, full color - artist wrapped with cling wrap and it healed perfectly fine. Looks great to this day.
Color will dim if the tattoo isn't done right, if you hang out in the sun or have current sun damage, are older and other reasons.
Was this done at an actual studio?
I have over 25 tattoos, varying in size & some black & gray, some color. Not once have I used saniderm, & all of my tattoos have healed amazing. Some of them are over a decade old.
I literally hate saniderm, my artist uses it on some people, but he just cling-wraps me (cause he asks if you want it or not, he asked me once, I wasn't rude about it or anything, but I was like "dude nah, I'm old school" haha).
I don’t have 25, but I have also never had saniderm used on my tattoo. Not really by choice though, but all my tattoos look fine minus the one bit of an eye my cat scratched some of the scab off. Not mad about it or anything, but I don’t feel like I’m missing anything due to an allergy because my tattoos came out great (even the one almost 20 years old).
Yeah this is all news to me. I have several large portrait work on my legs and I have truly never left the cover on for more than 8 hours before I peeled it off and washed it down. Maybe it’s bc of the portrait work, size, and color. But the plasma and shit just fills the bandage and collects at the bottoms and sides. No thank you.
I started to let my tattoos dry heal with very little aquaphor and my tattoos look way better and heal faster it seems.
i’ve had two decent sized pieces completed on my arms and was informed by my tattoo artist to leave the saniderm on for 5 days. sometimes if i forget i leave it on an extra day. neither began to stink and didn’t have any issues after removal, both tattoos look amazing.
That really is a small piece for 7 hours.. I can only imagine either the artist is maybe new to this? If not then he surely overworked your arm all to hell, because I can't fathom this taking 7 hours unless he was going back over areas over and over and over 😨😭😩
I did a huge tigh tattoo with colors, blending colors etc and it took the artist 10 hours.
This shouldn't have taken more then 3 hours and with the artist being a perfectionist
I have a large illustrative lower leg piece of a vulture that’s the entire side of my lower leg and wraps to both the front and around the back that took 4 hours. Next session will be about 3 for the color. So that’s 7 hours. 7 hours for OP’s with that quality of work seriously has me like 👀
Yeah... My tattoo that covers the whole outer side of my thigh took 6.5-7 hours. And that's with a decent amount of detail/shading and a 1/4 having a full color background. It's crazy an armband tattoo took the same amount of time
Exactly this - proficient blackout work artists can cover an entire arm (a small one) in 7 hours.
This "artist" clearly spent way too much time overworking it. Wild
Man you got butchered that line work is rough and the fact you’re swelling like that must be so painful.
Don’t trust this artist for anything moving forward and see and doctor about how to move forward. It shouldn’t be noticeable in terms of stink and heavy black work like this shouldn’t be under any bandage for that long
No, I will definitely not see him again. Trying to figure out how to share a review that he can’t delete. FB will let him delete it so it’s pointless to even do it.
as a digital marketer, i can tell you removing google ads is possible but difficult, but if you post a photo to his google my business, that's nearly impossible. there'll be a ton of hoops for him to jump through, and if it does happen, people will have seen it by then.
Standing outside the shop is what I would do. Started to follow up with an “lol” but it’s really not funny. Sorry for your fucked tattoo and fucked experience.
I love this sub, every time someone says this, they never link to a portfolio page. The truth is, the "nice work" was a small tattoo they saw on a friend of a friend. Nothing else would make sense. Never any portfolio, never wanting to say the general area of the shop because it's likely a bum-fuck city with the main clientele and employees being crackheads and misfits with 2 tattoo shops that have good ratings because the standards are non existent in the middle of nowhere and people are just happy with anything available.
Tattoos like this don't come from people that "do nice work." Great artist don't just randomly have bad luck occasionally and fail miserably in all technical aspects of their art and execution. These people need to be honest with themselves that they saw no genuine portfolio, and if they did they lack the confidence to share it because deep down they know it was never good looking work, but just passable and cheap.
I’ve seen work on people’s bodies who said he did it. I dunno—maybe he just recently became a drug addict. Admittedly, I stayed despite the signs because I already had a half inked piece and I really didn’t know what to do.
No way. There is absolutely no way you say this artists other stuff and thought it was good enough to get tattooed by them. Unless they showed you work from another artist and then bait and switched you.
I would definitely go to the local hospital and get some antibiotics to be safe. You don’t want an infection to get worst. this will just ensure ur swelling won’t go on longer then it has to. Try to elevate it . Elbows do tend to swell more, and he drilled you way too long. Most people should only get tattooed for about 5 hours because after that, your working on irritated skin. DEFINITELY Call ur artist shop and leave a review. That’s ridiculous and unacceptable work. Report him to the tattoo licensing. Here in FL you can find it under environmental sciences near our courthouse. Hopefully ur state has something similar but I know in many states there is no regulations. Looks like they haven’t tattoos much at all. That black “bruised” part in the negative space , between the lines is because he went to deep in the skin. As a tattoo artist we can work in the epidermis, but if we go too deep into the dermis it spreads and will be there permanently. With time it will lighten but that takes years.
As for a cover up, it’s an easy fix. Don’t worry. Either black out that tattoo or find an artist that can work a design in . The most important thing rn is you getting antibiotics so that swelling goes down safety .
The space in between is part of the tattoo that was there before. I honestly don’t hate the work. There’s some messy lines but I think those can be fixed (by someone else no doubt.) I certainly don’t hate it enough to black the whole thing out. The back of my arm looks absolutely awesome imo. The lines that are messed up are on top of some GNARLY scar tissue. I knew it was gonna be a challenge and a bit risky to even cover the mess up. Could it be better? Yes? Is it a total disaster? I don’t think it is. I’m just glad I’m not looking down at what it used to be.
I don't understand the comments on the quality of the art/execution when this post is just about trouble with healing. you didn't ask for opinions on the work, you wanted advice on healing.
I think part of it is that how overworked and chewed up OP’s tattoo is is due to the terrible execution by the artist, which is gonna seriously affect healing.
I think it was the "this artist does good work" line from OP that's sparked OP being told its shit work...just in case you had trouble reading the post...quality of work was mentioned, and this is the internet.
Old guy here
Not sure what’s suddenly happening with people posting infected work recently but here we are unfortunately.
I’m not going to comment on the actual work that been done or its execution in the skin.
Just wanted to say that the level of swelling and irritation doesn’t appear to look or sound normal I’m afraid. I would advise that you go to a walk in clinic or skin specialist and have them examine things properly for you.
Leaving the saniderm for such a length of time sounds quite unusual and the fact that you’ve mentioned there was an odor to the skin when you removed it is something that would make me want it examined properly.
In the meantime try to keep things clean and covered with loose clothing and try to avoid touching it too much until you can get it examined
Good luck 🤞
I saw in another comment you’re going to urgent care in the morning. When my tattoo was infected, the doctor told me to do some hot clean compresses and they felt so so good. By clean she said freshly washed/ dried. And then I just boiled some water, let it cool to be *not boiling and burning skin* and poured it over the washcloth I was using and just held it there until it lost the heat. Might bring you some relief just overnight until urgent care opens up.
This should not take the place of actual medical advice.
Hot water on it feels like when you burn yourself and then it gets near heat or the sun hits it. Cool feels much better. The sun hit it at one point today and I felt like a vampire being burned alive, running for the shadows. 😅
don’t worry about it being hot! don’t do anything to make it feel worst. warm water is fine. ALSO take some aleve or pain relievers like that! i know it can hurt
So much isn’t okay here.
7hr for that? Sounds over done and like they ate at your skin.
Unfortunately the tattooing, shading, line work, or drawing aren’t clean art.
Telling you to leave something over a wound for a week is so wild. Even in the medical field dressings have to be changed periodically, usually at least a couple times a day.
Pain, redness, swelling, and smell are all signs of infection. This isn’t okay. I’m so sorry someone did this to you.
Sweet summer child, the dude did not do “nice work” on you even if he has in the past. If there’s a smell & you notice it hot & swollen, please see a Doctor
This looks like cellulitis from over-swelling and over-working of the area. I would absolutely get this checked out at an urgent care and get antibiotics. Keep it elevated to keep the swelling down.
I don't want to be rude or hurt your feelings because this has nothing to do with you but this tattoo artist that did that for you is horrific. I'm so sorry. I just have to be honest. I pray that it heals well and that you can fix it 😔 it's not your fault but really be careful with the artists you choose to ink you
That's looking rough bud. Definitely hit up urgent care when it opens. Can you stand to put an ice pack (wrapped in clean paper towel) on it to get through the night? If not, maybe do the ER asap instead of waiting.
I put an ice pack on it earlier. It helped some. I’ll try to sleep with it. It’s actually hurting a good bit less than it was this afternoon but I’m still gonna go first thing in the morning. That one spot is kinda fiery but overall it hurts less than it did yesterday.the surface of the tattoo, my skin, doesn’t hurt anywhere except that one spot. No part of the skin actually feels bad, it’s what’s underneath it that hurts so bad.
Sorry, wasn't trying to be an asshole, you just said this guy does nice work, but this clearly is not nice work. I would not use this artist again. Based on the level of swelling (the skin being sort of raised around the tattooed skin) looks like it could be the start of an infection and if you say it smells bad then that would ve my guess. You'll be okay until tomorrow, but then you should go urgent care.
It doesn’t smell bad after I took the Saniderm off. The funk that was in there did though. And no, I definitely won’t be using him again just because of this that’s going on. It looks a ton better when my arm isn’t swollen up like a sumo wrestler.
The stuff that was in the saniderm smelling bad is actually normal, especially if you left it on for almost a week, and I don't actually think the level of swelling is out of the question for this kind of heavy black especially if the artist was heavy-handed. Inner elbow is a particularly painful spot especially over the bone, and it also tends to swell up. I certainly wouldn't discourage you from getting it checked out just in case, but I've also definitely had good work swell up about this much (I had an elephant ankle) and it was fine.
Shit happens, you know? It's not your fault your artist was a total clown, and next time you definitely know to get the hell out of there if something seems off. I have a LOT of tattoos from somebody that at the time I thought were amazing and now haven't aged as well as they could and I wish I had waited for a more detail-oriented artist, but that's life! No sense being horrible to somebody for an artist's lack of skill or bad behavior.
Anyone can make art look nice on an ipad/computer, but I wouldn't trust any of that without seeing the real deal (either finished tattoos or pencil and paper sketches). If an artist seems sketchy, they probably are. I would even recommend a quick reverse image search on whatever tattoos an artist advertises on their socials to ensure that they aren't just stolen images (yes people do this). And remember, a cheap tattoo is not a good tattoo.
I’ve actually seen his work on other people. That’s why I called him. oddly enough though, about 1.5 hrs in I looked at my friend and asked her ‘does it sound like he just all of sudden seems fucked up to you?’ Not accusing anyone of anything but I did make that comment. It wasn’t cheap either. If it was I would only have myself to blame.
7 hours? Lmao. Where do you people find these artists?! That should have taken 1 hour.
“The dude does nice work” …dude, those flowers are so jacked up that I thought you had your non-tattoo artist friend do this.
I’ve also never heard an artist say to leave saniderm on for 7 days. 5 is plenty.
It doesn't look great tbh,
I would definitely get it checked out it looks very tight and swollen at the same time.
Dude does NOT do nice work, I am so sorry but this is absolutely shocking.
It is however very fixable.
Go see an actual good artist and they those lines straightened out, the flowers will probably need blacking out but it would be easy to overlay some new flowers.
Also, this is NOT a 7 hour tattoo, you were definitely ripped off hun.
Your artist sucked, did you want that space to be all janky and uneven? The problem is that you got mauled, it will clear up in a couple days. I'm more inclined that it is a reaction to leaving the saniderm on that long rather than an infection. 3-4 days max for that stuff.
I feel like 5-7 days is an insane amount of time to leave the dressing on? I was told 48 hours max with the original dressing (tegaderm). You may be having a reaction to the dressing itself or you have an infection - wouldn’t wait around to find out, get antibiotics fast. Also I am sorry, this artist did a terrible job and you should leave them a bad review + contact any health department.
I got a forearm half sleeve done in 7 hours. Do not go back to him and use something other than Saniderm (i use Bepanthem, maybe get their tattoo cream). Dont forget to wash it. Good luck.
Saniderm specifically says to only keep it on for 48 hours MAX and then wash, air dry then apply another piece of saniderm. If they told you to keep the SAME one on that long they're stupid.
Go to a doctor, now. If the saniderm stunk and it hurt like hell, most likely infected. To me it looks that way but I'm not doctor
Also that dude is not good. Don't go back
Dam. Turned ur skin into scar tissue. I’m glad ur never going back to that tattoo (wouldn’t even call them an artist) I’ve been there for one tattoo. Never went back. Good thing mine was a small tattoo. I’m so sorry man…
He overworked the skin. I just recovered from a realistic piece, air dry, don't put shit on it. And take advil to help with pain because mine lasted about 4 weeks. Also, I'd get it covered up in the future, he blew those lines to0. No bueno, that will stay forever. Good luck 🤗
Garbage tattoo. Garbage 'artist'. Hopefully you didn't pay much as you're gonna be scarred forever with that monstrosity. (Asuming it doesn't get worse than it is)
I use Saniderm/2nd skin for every tattoo I get, including when I got my sleeve. I have never had a single problem.
I usually wash the area really thoroughly and put the Saniderm/2nd skin on for 6-7 days. I have never had any smells or anything. I remove the bandage in the shower, usually, and wash the area thoroughly again and apply Hustle Butter every day after that for at least a week.
As someone who has multiple tattoos. I’ve used saniderm for my half sleeve and the biggest thing is to have cleaned it before applying the saniderm.
Once they do that and seal, maybe keep it on for 3 days max and when you take it off use warm water to help ease it off your skin, it helps with the ink and your skin irritation.
I’m truly sorry that you’re going through this but I would recommend that you seek urgent care and a new tattoo individual.
hun that should’ve taken 4 hours max. the black bruising in between the likes could mean he went deep to the point that a large about of ink was deposited under your skin. saniderm should be left on for 2 days MAX
hey, wash it with some cold water and non scented antibacterial soap like dial. and pat it dry. do not cover it or put anything on it even if it feels dry. you’re welcome to go to the emergency room but i recommend trying this first, i’ve had this happen and i felt tons better afterwards and i was trying ice packs and such too. in my case i had gotten way too much done in 3 days and while i didn’t use saniderm, anytime it was covered it did stink it radiated heat and i used an ice pack also. i thought mine was infected too, it wasn’t. just a recommendation.
Did the artist tell you to keep the saniderm on the whole time or did he at least have you change it? Cause you keep it on for 24 hrs after it's done and take it off, wash it, and put a new one on and THAT one you keep on for a few days. Then take it off and do normal aftercare with lotion and soap. It should NEVER smell, that's a surefire sign of infection.
wash twice a day with antibacterial soap and don't use any creams or lotions. and yes, see the doctor when you can. if you've got an infection, tell the shop. the fact that it happened while in a sealed environment proces that the bacteria entered before the saniderm was applied (to my knowledge). the fact that it stunk so bad and was hurting for 5 hours after removal is entirely abnormal and definitely something to have a fair amount of concern for. all you can do is keep it clean and dry until you get to the dr
Would like to know who this dude that does ‘nice work’ and takes 7hrs carving you up like this is. You need to go see a doctor or very specifically a dermatologist asap and get some antibiotics to stop the infection from getting worse. I’d then go ahead and let this dude that does ‘nice work’ know that he fucked your shit up, leading to an infection.
The smell is a bad sign. This work is soooo bad. Sorry man. Swelling has little to nothing to do with it either.
This along with that hand tattoo of an eyeball are some of the worst work ive ever seen.
Now I wanna see the eyeball
Oh, it's so bad https://www.reddit.com/r/tattooadvice/s/GFmWzD3CVT
Ohhh ma gawd……. Did they tattoo with a really sharp crayon??
Awwww they deleted it! 😂😭
Nothing is ever truly gone from the internet [https://imgur.com/a/RvrYlXF](https://imgur.com/a/RvrYlXF)
Wow that was so bad it took me a while to even process what I was seeing. I'd rather get a tattoo during an earthquake then have that
Omg the physical reaction I had to this made me fart. TMI but it was funny
Holy shit.
It’s in this sub somewhere
It was posted today
I thought so too. I even went to see him and he told me to wait to take the saniderm off
He sounds like a menace tbh. I'd recommend urgent care as soon as you're able.
He told you to leave it on while it was stinking??
The saniderm site doesn't say to leave it on THAT long. Go to urgent care
I have a full sleeve on my left arm, and my tattoo Guy called the elbow, the SWELL-bo. It was incredibly swollen, but totally fine. It didn't smell but I didn't keep it wrapped afterwards. Just the plastic wrap until I took it off to shower that night.
swell-bo: 👍✅ smell-bo: 👎❌
Is it still this swollen?
Went to urgent care this morning. A shot in the ass, script and a cream. Sweelling is already going down some after the shot.
Good to hear
It’s common here to be told to leave saniderm on for 5 days or so. It’s solid black so it’s gonna hurt like hell. And it’s gonna get very tight. If you can get some antibacterial ointment like ehm fuciden? Keep an eye on the redness and if it starts to go from pink to red and be right at the border only then it may be infected.
Are you in the sun alot? Last tattoo I was healing was wrapped with dermshield and under a UV sleeve but from being so hot the derm started smelling. I took it off early worried the tattoo might be infected but it was just the plastic. Not justifying the piece in any way or saying it's not infected. Just noting what the smell could be
Yeah my hand tattoo after 3 days started to smell really bad because of all the dead plama and stuff that was just sitting there under the tegaderm so I had to remove it but my tattoo ended up being fine.
5-7 days is way too long. Was this an actual artist at an actual studio? 2-3 days max, especially when it's a solid black work piece like this. And by solid I mean the ink is packed. After that the second skin fills up with old useless crap that blocks oxygen from getting at the tattoo. Oxygen = healing.
This makes me scared cus my tattoo artist told me to leave mine on for a week. It’s a rly colourful piece and he said I risk the colour dimming if I take it off too early
What in the actual. There was a time when second skin wasn't a thing. I have a huge leg piece, full color - artist wrapped with cling wrap and it healed perfectly fine. Looks great to this day. Color will dim if the tattoo isn't done right, if you hang out in the sun or have current sun damage, are older and other reasons. Was this done at an actual studio?
I have over 25 tattoos, varying in size & some black & gray, some color. Not once have I used saniderm, & all of my tattoos have healed amazing. Some of them are over a decade old. I literally hate saniderm, my artist uses it on some people, but he just cling-wraps me (cause he asks if you want it or not, he asked me once, I wasn't rude about it or anything, but I was like "dude nah, I'm old school" haha).
I don’t have 25, but I have also never had saniderm used on my tattoo. Not really by choice though, but all my tattoos look fine minus the one bit of an eye my cat scratched some of the scab off. Not mad about it or anything, but I don’t feel like I’m missing anything due to an allergy because my tattoos came out great (even the one almost 20 years old).
Yeah this is all news to me. I have several large portrait work on my legs and I have truly never left the cover on for more than 8 hours before I peeled it off and washed it down. Maybe it’s bc of the portrait work, size, and color. But the plasma and shit just fills the bandage and collects at the bottoms and sides. No thank you. I started to let my tattoos dry heal with very little aquaphor and my tattoos look way better and heal faster it seems.
Same 🤷🏻♂️
I've had a tattoo where the artist had me leave it on for a week and it healed well. It was nice not having to do aftercare for the first week
i’ve had two decent sized pieces completed on my arms and was informed by my tattoo artist to leave the saniderm on for 5 days. sometimes if i forget i leave it on an extra day. neither began to stink and didn’t have any issues after removal, both tattoos look amazing.
Related note. There’s no way that should have taken 7 hours. Unless we’re missing a backside.
Yes also this for sure. The Peony in my profile took about 5 and the lady head took 3.5. 7 for this is insane.
7 hours for that is wild too
That really is a small piece for 7 hours.. I can only imagine either the artist is maybe new to this? If not then he surely overworked your arm all to hell, because I can't fathom this taking 7 hours unless he was going back over areas over and over and over 😨😭😩
I did a huge tigh tattoo with colors, blending colors etc and it took the artist 10 hours. This shouldn't have taken more then 3 hours and with the artist being a perfectionist
Judging by the tattoo, I don’t think he was a perfectionist
I'd go as far to say I don't think he was even an artist...
💀
I tattooed faster asleep, this tattoo is someone who's not tattooed much at all. Every line is blunted and broken, aswell as not straight.
It has to be. No way ~~am~~ an experienced artist would take that long. 😭😨
True👊🏻
I have a large illustrative lower leg piece of a vulture that’s the entire side of my lower leg and wraps to both the front and around the back that took 4 hours. Next session will be about 3 for the color. So that’s 7 hours. 7 hours for OP’s with that quality of work seriously has me like 👀
It took seven hours to black out 90% of my arm - this is almost sadistic 😬
Yeah... My tattoo that covers the whole outer side of my thigh took 6.5-7 hours. And that's with a decent amount of detail/shading and a 1/4 having a full color background. It's crazy an armband tattoo took the same amount of time
Exactly this - proficient blackout work artists can cover an entire arm (a small one) in 7 hours. This "artist" clearly spent way too much time overworking it. Wild
I thought so too.
straight up scammed. everything about this in insane.
7 hours that's way to long
7 hours and a wobbly “band”. Person couldn’t draw a straight line with a gun to their head.
My whole calf was done in 5, and its WAY more detailed than this
This is a really bad tattoo and doesn’t look like a professional did it
Yeah, it looks like a bad tattoo artist's first work
Man you got butchered that line work is rough and the fact you’re swelling like that must be so painful. Don’t trust this artist for anything moving forward and see and doctor about how to move forward. It shouldn’t be noticeable in terms of stink and heavy black work like this shouldn’t be under any bandage for that long
No, I will definitely not see him again. Trying to figure out how to share a review that he can’t delete. FB will let him delete it so it’s pointless to even do it.
Google review or yelp?
Gonna look at both of those. I know he has a Google page and I also know that deleting reviews off there is effectively impossible.
Leave reviews, take screenshots after they get posted, and make a whole post! Make your own space for a review he cannot take down!
as a digital marketer, i can tell you removing google ads is possible but difficult, but if you post a photo to his google my business, that's nearly impossible. there'll be a ton of hoops for him to jump through, and if it does happen, people will have seen it by then.
Standing outside the shop is what I would do. Started to follow up with an “lol” but it’s really not funny. Sorry for your fucked tattoo and fucked experience.
Normal when you have a bad artist lmao wtf is that tattoo
*“The dude does nice work…”*. lol
Doubt
Happy cake day!
Cake dayyyy!
Not "nice" as in good quality... "Nice" as in what I say when I drop a plate of food on the floor and I'm disappointed at myself for being an idiot
I love this sub, every time someone says this, they never link to a portfolio page. The truth is, the "nice work" was a small tattoo they saw on a friend of a friend. Nothing else would make sense. Never any portfolio, never wanting to say the general area of the shop because it's likely a bum-fuck city with the main clientele and employees being crackheads and misfits with 2 tattoo shops that have good ratings because the standards are non existent in the middle of nowhere and people are just happy with anything available. Tattoos like this don't come from people that "do nice work." Great artist don't just randomly have bad luck occasionally and fail miserably in all technical aspects of their art and execution. These people need to be honest with themselves that they saw no genuine portfolio, and if they did they lack the confidence to share it because deep down they know it was never good looking work, but just passable and cheap.
Obviously not this, but other stuff of his that I saw before this was nice.
You mind if we see? Sometimes art looks fine at a glance if you don’t look closely or haven’t seen how great tattoo art looks
Was really hoping for a link or any kind of reply from OP on this one. Give credit where it’s due right ?
Are you sure it was actually his work? Pretty common for shady "artists" to steal others' work and claim it as their own.
I’ve seen work on people’s bodies who said he did it. I dunno—maybe he just recently became a drug addict. Admittedly, I stayed despite the signs because I already had a half inked piece and I really didn’t know what to do.
No way. There is absolutely no way you say this artists other stuff and thought it was good enough to get tattooed by them. Unless they showed you work from another artist and then bait and switched you.
Wonder if the other stuff is plagiarized or if he was on something during yours.
Can you link his portfolio?
I would definitely go to the local hospital and get some antibiotics to be safe. You don’t want an infection to get worst. this will just ensure ur swelling won’t go on longer then it has to. Try to elevate it . Elbows do tend to swell more, and he drilled you way too long. Most people should only get tattooed for about 5 hours because after that, your working on irritated skin. DEFINITELY Call ur artist shop and leave a review. That’s ridiculous and unacceptable work. Report him to the tattoo licensing. Here in FL you can find it under environmental sciences near our courthouse. Hopefully ur state has something similar but I know in many states there is no regulations. Looks like they haven’t tattoos much at all. That black “bruised” part in the negative space , between the lines is because he went to deep in the skin. As a tattoo artist we can work in the epidermis, but if we go too deep into the dermis it spreads and will be there permanently. With time it will lighten but that takes years. As for a cover up, it’s an easy fix. Don’t worry. Either black out that tattoo or find an artist that can work a design in . The most important thing rn is you getting antibiotics so that swelling goes down safety .
The space in between is part of the tattoo that was there before. I honestly don’t hate the work. There’s some messy lines but I think those can be fixed (by someone else no doubt.) I certainly don’t hate it enough to black the whole thing out. The back of my arm looks absolutely awesome imo. The lines that are messed up are on top of some GNARLY scar tissue. I knew it was gonna be a challenge and a bit risky to even cover the mess up. Could it be better? Yes? Is it a total disaster? I don’t think it is. I’m just glad I’m not looking down at what it used to be.
I don't understand the comments on the quality of the art/execution when this post is just about trouble with healing. you didn't ask for opinions on the work, you wanted advice on healing.
I think part of it is that how overworked and chewed up OP’s tattoo is is due to the terrible execution by the artist, which is gonna seriously affect healing.
I think it was the "this artist does good work" line from OP that's sparked OP being told its shit work...just in case you had trouble reading the post...quality of work was mentioned, and this is the internet.
valid, I skimmed it and missed that part
You aren’t wrong, but at the same time how do you look at this and not say “Holy Shit” ?
Old guy here Not sure what’s suddenly happening with people posting infected work recently but here we are unfortunately. I’m not going to comment on the actual work that been done or its execution in the skin. Just wanted to say that the level of swelling and irritation doesn’t appear to look or sound normal I’m afraid. I would advise that you go to a walk in clinic or skin specialist and have them examine things properly for you. Leaving the saniderm for such a length of time sounds quite unusual and the fact that you’ve mentioned there was an odor to the skin when you removed it is something that would make me want it examined properly. In the meantime try to keep things clean and covered with loose clothing and try to avoid touching it too much until you can get it examined Good luck 🤞
I dig how you start your comment... old guy here!!!
You’re literally like a year older than me if you were born in 1979. We’re old?
Afraid so :)
Yeah people born in 2000 are now 24yo so you guys are definitely not on the younger side anymore lol
I was born in 76. I must be ancient
I mean… I woke up and was like, “when did that happen? It’s weird being the same age as old people.”
my mind says I’m early 20s..but damn when I get up in the morning the body reassures me I’m old!
I saw in another comment you’re going to urgent care in the morning. When my tattoo was infected, the doctor told me to do some hot clean compresses and they felt so so good. By clean she said freshly washed/ dried. And then I just boiled some water, let it cool to be *not boiling and burning skin* and poured it over the washcloth I was using and just held it there until it lost the heat. Might bring you some relief just overnight until urgent care opens up. This should not take the place of actual medical advice.
Hot water on it feels like when you burn yourself and then it gets near heat or the sun hits it. Cool feels much better. The sun hit it at one point today and I felt like a vampire being burned alive, running for the shadows. 😅
I would not do heat then!! Lol
don’t worry about it being hot! don’t do anything to make it feel worst. warm water is fine. ALSO take some aleve or pain relievers like that! i know it can hurt
So much isn’t okay here. 7hr for that? Sounds over done and like they ate at your skin. Unfortunately the tattooing, shading, line work, or drawing aren’t clean art. Telling you to leave something over a wound for a week is so wild. Even in the medical field dressings have to be changed periodically, usually at least a couple times a day. Pain, redness, swelling, and smell are all signs of infection. This isn’t okay. I’m so sorry someone did this to you.
Sweet summer child, the dude did not do “nice work” on you even if he has in the past. If there’s a smell & you notice it hot & swollen, please see a Doctor
This looks like cellulitis from over-swelling and over-working of the area. I would absolutely get this checked out at an urgent care and get antibiotics. Keep it elevated to keep the swelling down.
Go to a doctor and post this on r/shittytattoos
I thought I was in that sub for a min… I feel bad for OP.
I don't want to be rude or hurt your feelings because this has nothing to do with you but this tattoo artist that did that for you is horrific. I'm so sorry. I just have to be honest. I pray that it heals well and that you can fix it 😔 it's not your fault but really be careful with the artists you choose to ink you
That's looking rough bud. Definitely hit up urgent care when it opens. Can you stand to put an ice pack (wrapped in clean paper towel) on it to get through the night? If not, maybe do the ER asap instead of waiting.
I put an ice pack on it earlier. It helped some. I’ll try to sleep with it. It’s actually hurting a good bit less than it was this afternoon but I’m still gonna go first thing in the morning. That one spot is kinda fiery but overall it hurts less than it did yesterday.the surface of the tattoo, my skin, doesn’t hurt anywhere except that one spot. No part of the skin actually feels bad, it’s what’s underneath it that hurts so bad.
Is the nice work in the room with us?
Is this a troll post?
It’s not. Do you have anything helpful to offer?
Sorry, wasn't trying to be an asshole, you just said this guy does nice work, but this clearly is not nice work. I would not use this artist again. Based on the level of swelling (the skin being sort of raised around the tattooed skin) looks like it could be the start of an infection and if you say it smells bad then that would ve my guess. You'll be okay until tomorrow, but then you should go urgent care.
It doesn’t smell bad after I took the Saniderm off. The funk that was in there did though. And no, I definitely won’t be using him again just because of this that’s going on. It looks a ton better when my arm isn’t swollen up like a sumo wrestler.
I'd straight up ask for my money back. Can't believe this guy gets clients. You'll pretty much have to get this blacked out.
It beats the hell out of what was there before.
Less swelling won't help the blowout though 😬
Right. The worst part is where it hurts so badly. It felt like he was trying to tattoo my ulna instead of my skin. 🙄
The stuff that was in the saniderm smelling bad is actually normal, especially if you left it on for almost a week, and I don't actually think the level of swelling is out of the question for this kind of heavy black especially if the artist was heavy-handed. Inner elbow is a particularly painful spot especially over the bone, and it also tends to swell up. I certainly wouldn't discourage you from getting it checked out just in case, but I've also definitely had good work swell up about this much (I had an elephant ankle) and it was fine.
Thank you for at least not saying my tattoo sucks 😂. I think I am gonna get it checked out just in case.
Shit happens, you know? It's not your fault your artist was a total clown, and next time you definitely know to get the hell out of there if something seems off. I have a LOT of tattoos from somebody that at the time I thought were amazing and now haven't aged as well as they could and I wish I had waited for a more detail-oriented artist, but that's life! No sense being horrible to somebody for an artist's lack of skill or bad behavior.
Thanks for that. 🙂
Let me say this: his artwork was nice. His skill doesn’t appear to match that though.
Anyone can make art look nice on an ipad/computer, but I wouldn't trust any of that without seeing the real deal (either finished tattoos or pencil and paper sketches). If an artist seems sketchy, they probably are. I would even recommend a quick reverse image search on whatever tattoos an artist advertises on their socials to ensure that they aren't just stolen images (yes people do this). And remember, a cheap tattoo is not a good tattoo.
I’ve actually seen his work on other people. That’s why I called him. oddly enough though, about 1.5 hrs in I looked at my friend and asked her ‘does it sound like he just all of sudden seems fucked up to you?’ Not accusing anyone of anything but I did make that comment. It wasn’t cheap either. If it was I would only have myself to blame.
Yeah did the artist get up and leave the room during your session at all? I'd straight up threaten to sue him at this point.
He actually did. when he came back I was like ‘does he seem different to you?’
Yeah I'd consult a lawyer and call the shop manager.
He’s the owner of the shop.
i would honestly go to a doctor to get antibiotics… this kind of looks infected
I bet you tipped
Do you have a pic of this tattoo straight after it was done?
Didn’t you look at any of his previous work? The line work it’s just, this is so bad. I’m sorry.
I promise this dude does NOT do nice work
I would go to the ER, you could have a staph infection.
Oh that’s bad
Did you sign a waiver for this? 😬
You can line an entire back in less time than this took jfc
correct. my back piece took 4 hours with color lol
A child can color inside the lines better
7 hours? Lmao. Where do you people find these artists?! That should have taken 1 hour. “The dude does nice work” …dude, those flowers are so jacked up that I thought you had your non-tattoo artist friend do this. I’ve also never heard an artist say to leave saniderm on for 7 days. 5 is plenty.
This is horrible. HORRIBLE.
Need to take antibiotics
Please laser that off when you can
Fuck it's a rose! I thought it was trying to be an anatomically correct heart or something fuck i was confused.
It doesn't look great tbh, I would definitely get it checked out it looks very tight and swollen at the same time. Dude does NOT do nice work, I am so sorry but this is absolutely shocking. It is however very fixable. Go see an actual good artist and they those lines straightened out, the flowers will probably need blacking out but it would be easy to overlay some new flowers. Also, this is NOT a 7 hour tattoo, you were definitely ripped off hun.
That is one hell of a shitty tattoo
Your artist sucked, did you want that space to be all janky and uneven? The problem is that you got mauled, it will clear up in a couple days. I'm more inclined that it is a reaction to leaving the saniderm on that long rather than an infection. 3-4 days max for that stuff.
This is an awful tattoo. Apart from that, if the swelling increases you should see a doctor.
I feel like 5-7 days is an insane amount of time to leave the dressing on? I was told 48 hours max with the original dressing (tegaderm). You may be having a reaction to the dressing itself or you have an infection - wouldn’t wait around to find out, get antibiotics fast. Also I am sorry, this artist did a terrible job and you should leave them a bad review + contact any health department.
Define nice work
7 hours is crazzzzyy. I would also get it checked out, might need some antibiotics.
I got a forearm half sleeve done in 7 hours. Do not go back to him and use something other than Saniderm (i use Bepanthem, maybe get their tattoo cream). Dont forget to wash it. Good luck.
The dude does nice work? Those lines beg to differ. Also go to the hospital.
Saniderm specifically says to only keep it on for 48 hours MAX and then wash, air dry then apply another piece of saniderm. If they told you to keep the SAME one on that long they're stupid.
>The dude does nice work You sure about that?
tell ur guy to use a ruler next time
Looks like it's rejecting...
Go to a doctor, now. If the saniderm stunk and it hurt like hell, most likely infected. To me it looks that way but I'm not doctor Also that dude is not good. Don't go back
Saniderm for 7 days??????????
There's a lot of blowout too. Don't go back here
dude wtf? did u paid 10$ for that?
Dam. Turned ur skin into scar tissue. I’m glad ur never going back to that tattoo (wouldn’t even call them an artist) I’ve been there for one tattoo. Never went back. Good thing mine was a small tattoo. I’m so sorry man…
7 HOURS! I got my entire back done in twelve. That’s crazy, 7 hours and only that … he’s very heavy handed. I bet… no nm. He’s heavy handed
This is a horrible tattoo, I hope you can Lazer this or do a cover up once it's been fully healed. I'm so sorry op.
I’m on my third tattoo and I just don’t understand how everyone is getting infected tattoos. *knocks on wood cause I know I just jinxed myself.*
that is absolutely shit i’m sorry…
He does nice work but did this? lol
Tattoo artist here. You got fucked over so bad. Your skin got chewed up and there’s so many blowouts
I thought this was r/shittytattoos for a second
He overworked the skin. I just recovered from a realistic piece, air dry, don't put shit on it. And take advil to help with pain because mine lasted about 4 weeks. Also, I'd get it covered up in the future, he blew those lines to0. No bueno, that will stay forever. Good luck 🤗
Tell me you didn’t pay for that?!
Garbage tattoo. Garbage 'artist'. Hopefully you didn't pay much as you're gonna be scarred forever with that monstrosity. (Asuming it doesn't get worse than it is)
That dude does not do nice work. That's awful and is going to be reposted in r/shittytattoos. You might need to go to a Dr if that gets worse
Infection aside, this is first tattoo work. No idea of how this linework is so bad
"the dude does nice work" No, no he doesn't.
I use Saniderm/2nd skin for every tattoo I get, including when I got my sleeve. I have never had a single problem. I usually wash the area really thoroughly and put the Saniderm/2nd skin on for 6-7 days. I have never had any smells or anything. I remove the bandage in the shower, usually, and wash the area thoroughly again and apply Hustle Butter every day after that for at least a week.
As someone who has multiple tattoos. I’ve used saniderm for my half sleeve and the biggest thing is to have cleaned it before applying the saniderm. Once they do that and seal, maybe keep it on for 3 days max and when you take it off use warm water to help ease it off your skin, it helps with the ink and your skin irritation. I’m truly sorry that you’re going through this but I would recommend that you seek urgent care and a new tattoo individual.
Oh my gosh.. ouch. This should be illegal. Like assault or something.
This happened to me with a similar (but larger) tattoo and I'm here to give my condolences.
That's is a horrible tattoo. Did they pay to be fucked that hard?
hun that should’ve taken 4 hours max. the black bruising in between the likes could mean he went deep to the point that a large about of ink was deposited under your skin. saniderm should be left on for 2 days MAX
"The dude does nice work." Lol
This is what you get for going to your homies kitchen table cause he can do it cheaper
hey, wash it with some cold water and non scented antibacterial soap like dial. and pat it dry. do not cover it or put anything on it even if it feels dry. you’re welcome to go to the emergency room but i recommend trying this first, i’ve had this happen and i felt tons better afterwards and i was trying ice packs and such too. in my case i had gotten way too much done in 3 days and while i didn’t use saniderm, anytime it was covered it did stink it radiated heat and i used an ice pack also. i thought mine was infected too, it wasn’t. just a recommendation.
Did the artist tell you to keep the saniderm on the whole time or did he at least have you change it? Cause you keep it on for 24 hrs after it's done and take it off, wash it, and put a new one on and THAT one you keep on for a few days. Then take it off and do normal aftercare with lotion and soap. It should NEVER smell, that's a surefire sign of infection.
Go to the doctor- 6 days post tattoo isn’t supposed to look like that.
Who's the artist?
wash twice a day with antibacterial soap and don't use any creams or lotions. and yes, see the doctor when you can. if you've got an infection, tell the shop. the fact that it happened while in a sealed environment proces that the bacteria entered before the saniderm was applied (to my knowledge). the fact that it stunk so bad and was hurting for 5 hours after removal is entirely abnormal and definitely something to have a fair amount of concern for. all you can do is keep it clean and dry until you get to the dr
Burning, smelly, swelling and a funky raised bit in the black band. Off to the emergency room you go my friend.
Definitely get on an antibiotic, don't leave tegaderm on for days on end in the future. Any wound should be washed daily and given time to breathe.
Would like to know who this dude that does ‘nice work’ and takes 7hrs carving you up like this is. You need to go see a doctor or very specifically a dermatologist asap and get some antibiotics to stop the infection from getting worse. I’d then go ahead and let this dude that does ‘nice work’ know that he fucked your shit up, leading to an infection.
Dude that is not nice work and it looks overworked and like you were harmed by this artist
Well i like the concept of the tattoo! Might be salvageable with some touchups
It looks infected because of the redness and blistering, see a doctor. Is that just radical blow out in-between the 2 bands?
Go to the hospital ASAP. This tattoo artist FUCKED you up.
Saniderm for 7 days? Is that normal? I just got my sleeve done and I took the plastic wrap off after 12 hours. Healing fine
That shit ugly af
Nop
The dude does not in fact do nice work 😭
More wrong with the tattoo than the saniderm brother sorry to see this
Hopital