Tattoo issues / Tattoo regrets [read 1st post]

It strikes me that you haven't quite settled the internal debate over whether you actually want a tattoo or not. Honestly, looking for external validation is a bit of a fool's errand; you really need to look inward and settle this with yourself first. A tattoo is a beautiful thing, regardless of whether you ultimately decide it’s for you. The cost isn't the primary issue here. What matters most is ensuring the work is done properly by a true professional. I had my own pieces done by Gandalf, and I truly have nothing but praise for the craftsmanship. If I were offering a suggestion, I'd say perhaps try a temporary tattoo first just to gauge if the aesthetic actually resonates with you. Tattoos are incredibly trendy right now, and you see so many people jumping on the bandwagon only to end up regretting it a few months down the line. This is something you’ll carry with you for the rest of your life. You need to decide—the what, the why, and the where—entirely on your own. Once you make that choice, don't be cheap; find a reputable, high-end studio and stick to it. 👍 But then again, I suppose I've rambled on long enough. 😁

Steven Scott96 said:It feels like you haven't really decided for yourself if you actually want a tattoo or not. Asking everyone else is kind of pointless, right? Just look inward. Tattoos are amazing, whether you love them or hate them. The price isn't even the main thing. The most important part is getting it done right by a real pro. I got mine done by Gandalf and honestly, I can't say enough good things. Maybe try a temporary tattoo first to see if it’s really your vibe? Tattoos are huge right now and so many people jump on the bandwagon only to regret it a few months later. This is something you'll carry forever! Think about what you want, where, and how. You have to figure it out yourself. And once you do decide, please don't cheap out—find a legit studio. 👍 anyway, I've rambled enough 😁

I'm out. Just got back from the beach. Come, see, conquer. I just need to find the perfect design and the right spot, then I'm set!!!! 👍 👍

If that was one of those degrading tattoos, my friend told me there's actually proven links between them and cancer. And she’s pretty deep into that whole scene...

I used to think about getting an ankle tattoo, but then my mother-in-law decided to go for permanent eyebrow makeup. It’s basically the same thing as a tattoo, so I wanted to see how the process actually played out before making a move myself. She went to two different women. The first one did it all by hand—no needles, no injections—and there was zero swelling, just a tiny bit of redness. The second woman used a machine and gave her numbing injections beforehand. Well, she ended up with swollen eyebrows, eyelids, and eyes for over a week... totally inflamed and red. I think I'll pass on the tattoo after all.

I wouldn't recommend getting a permanent tattoo during the summer because the heat is just too much.
The actual tattooing part doesn't even hurt that bad; to me, it feels most like someone lightly scratching your skin with their fingernails.
Once you're done, you need to keep the tattoo moisturized with a cream for a while (if I remember correctly, Aquaphor works great) and keep it covered with film to prevent scabbing. If a scab actually forms, there's a real chance the ink will look faded or lighter in that spot. While it's healing, you have to wash it gently on a regular basis, but the golden rule is to always keep it hydrated.
My skin was pretty irritated for the first couple of days, and I had some minor bleeding here and there.
Tattoos can fade a little over time, especially the colored ones, so eventually, you’ll just head back in for a touch-up.
Also, I really want to warn people to think carefully about where they put the tattoo. I have mine on my stomach, and every single time I go to the doctor, they just shake their head like, "What are you thinking? What if you get pregnant?"
It’s also huge to pick a design that actually means something to you personally, rather than just picking something random because it's trendy right now.
As for the price, it might seem expensive upfront, but just remember—you're wearing this forever.
I've never been a fan of temporary tattoos.

Yeah, I'm down for a tattoo, but maybe just something small in a spot where it won't be super obvious.

Look, I’m actually getting pretty serious about getting a tattoo—like, a permanent one. I have a decent idea of what I want and where it should go, but there’s this one thing bugging me...

I was reading somewhere that tattooing right over a mole can trigger skin cancer, and now I’m spiraling. Does that mean you shouldn't touch actual MOLES, or is it just talking about those tiny little freckles or beauty marks??!

The plan is to go big across my upper back, running from my right shoulder all the way over to the left, but the issue is I’ve got a ton of moles scattered around that area!

PS

For those of you who are into this, please, give me some recommendations for a solid shop in Washington, D.C. Honestly, money isn't the main issue here; I just care about top-tier quality and strict hygiene!

THANKS

Look, if you hire a decent tattoo artist, they actually know what they're doing. They aren't just going to jab you right through an existing design like some amateur; they’ll skillfully navigate around it so the flow stays perfect. You won't even be able to tell they had to adjust their technique.

Best,

Jeffrey Garcia6 said:The person doing your tattoo knows they can't just jab right through the existing ink, so they'll carefully work around it. You won't even notice a difference in the final design...

Cheers,

That’s actually pretty reassuring to hear;

THANKS!

Does anyone have any ideas or advice on how to get rid of a tattoo, other than laser surgery? It’s about 1.5 inches by 2 inches on my forearm. Thanks for the help.

There aren't really any "ideas" here. You get the tattoo, and that’s that. If you want it gone, surgery is your only real move... my uncle had it done: it was insanely expensive, pretty painful, and a total drag because they have to do it piece by piece. Plus, you're left with a nasty scar.

With a laser.

With lasers? Isn't that supposed to be the magic cure-all for everything? Someone once explained to me that the pigmentation settles deep within the skin—the epidermis or whatever you call it—so that a laser might not even reach it... If it actually does work, though, does anyone here have any real-world experience with that approach?

Look, I can't speak for lasers, but from what I've seen, classic tattoo removal is a mess. They basically scrape away your skin centimeter by centimeter—it’s like they're peeling you back just to patch the gap with skin from somewhere else. You always end up with these nasty red scars that honestly look way worse than the actual ink. Of course, you really should've thought this through before getting inked in the first place. But hey, if you went and got an ex's name tattooed on you and then things went south... well, then you're looking at surgery whether you like it or not.

Oh, and one more thing—watch where you get tattooed. If you pick a spot that's visible depending on your job, it could seriously screw you over. Personally, I've got a dragon right above my backside...

Hey there!

So, I’ve got a bit of a situation with my tattoo.

It’s on my back, right over my left shoulder blade, and I’ve had it for about two years now.
About half an hour ago, it started itching like crazy, so I reached back to touch it. The edges of the tattoo felt swollen—not the whole thing, just the outlines. Since it’s a butterfly design, the bottom edges of the wings feel puffy, but the top parts are totally normal. At first, I figured maybe a bra strap was just digging in and irritating the skin, so I adjusted it and tried to move on with my day.
I just touched it again a moment ago, and yeah, it’s still doing that. Honestly, I'm pretty confused because the lines on this tattoo have always been perfectly smooth and haven't ever looked thick or raised before.
What could be going on here? Is it actually something to worry about, or am I just overthinking it? Has anyone else dealt with something like this?

My hands are literally shaking right now because I'm freaking out... 😢😢

Hey everyone.

So, about 5 days ago I went in to get a new tattoo on my shoulder. Everything was smooth sailing at first, but then 2 days ago this mild rash started popping up. At first, it was just right at the edge of the ink, but now it’s kind of spreading out and looking—I don't know the medical term—a bit "stronger," if you know what I mean? Like, redder and a little "thicker."

Just to be totally clear, everything happened at a licensed shop and there's absolutely nothing wrong with the artist's work itself. I'm thinking the issue is probably because I slathered on way too much Aquaphor, or maybe I left the protective film on way too long—basically had it wrapped so tight my skin couldn't even breathe...

Also, I've noticed the tattoo looks like it's fading in certain spots here and there. It's not my first time getting inked, so I know it won't look exactly like day one, but this feels different. Or maybe it's just my eyes playing tricks on me because my skin tone changed from all that redness from the rash?

Anyway, what I really want to know is if any of you guys have dealt with something similar, or if you have a clue what's actually going on and what I should do next. 🤷

Thanks in advance for the help! 👍

Hmm... that's not great. I've used that stuff a few times myself and never ran into issues like this. I don't think it's an issue with the Aquaphor specifically; it's such a mild cream designed exactly to prevent rashes and redness. But hey, you never know—maybe you're just allergic to one of the ingredients. Honestly, the rash probably happened because the skin couldn't breathe under all that plastic wrap. Try switching up the cream. It doesn't have to be Aquaphor, just make sure the skin stays hydrated. Stick to a baby cream with minimal ingredients and no heavy scents. For my last tattoo, I cleaned everything with Neosporin spray—a gentle iodine-based stuff—and then just used regular Nivea. Everything turned out fine. Give the Neosporin a shot; it should help calm the redness and the rash. Once the inflammation dies down, go see your tattoo artist to fix those faded lines. My artist included touch-ups in the initial price. I always went back for a check-up after 15 days, just like I would with my doctor at 🙂

I don't know, man, I’m just low-key hoping it just fades out on its own lol...

Really hoping it doesn't mess things up, you know? Like, I don't want it to ruin the actual quality of the tattoo itself 😢

Yesterday-tomorrow I'll probably swing by my artist's shop to see what he thinks about it...

Seriously though, if anyone here has dealt with something like this before, please help a guy out and let me know what happened 🙏

rowdybear28 said:I don't know, man, I’m just low-key hoping it just fades out on its own lol...

Really hoping it doesn't mess things up, you know? Like, I don't want it to ruin the actual quality of the tattoo itself 😢

Yesterday-tomorrow I'll probably swing by my artist's shop to see what he thinks about it...

Seriously though, if anyone here has dealt with something like this before, please help a guy out and let me know what happened 🙏

My advice would be to stop using Aquaphor. You might be having an allergic reaction to it, I guess. You should probably switch to a cream with a high zinc content instead; zinc tends to help quite a bit with rashes and skin irritation. You can find those kinds of creams at any drugstore.
I can't quite recall which specific cream I ended up with, but honestly, you probably won't go wrong just using Vaseline. You can pick that up pretty much anywhere, not just at a pharmacy, but in most grocery stores too.

I was thinking about it, and you might want to try using a 30% hydrocortisone cream from something like Aquaphor. It’s a mild steroid concentration that should knock down the redness and irritation almost instantly. A year ago, I had this reaction where one of my tattoos started swelling up after I used some random body lotion from Target that I hadn't tried before. That Aquaphor saved me. Look, I'm not usually a fan of using steroids, but a couple of quick applications can solve the problem.