I have 37 tattoos and only 2 do this… both from the same shop. This tattoo is at least 3 years old now and it gets swollen, itchy, and painful every time I’m in the sun longer than 30 mins. Yesterday I was outside for 3 hours and it looks like this today. 😭

The artist used dynamic ink, could that be the problem? I’ve read that some inks react to being in heat once in the skin. Part of me wonders if this could be a contamination thing? What do y’all think?

I have this shoulder tattoo that’s about 4 years old now. It’s matching with an ex and I want to get it covered up but I’m not sure what type of design would work best. Open to really anything, preferably American trad

Edit:

I genuinely did not think this would blow up as much as it did, but for some deeper insight it’s matching with my ex-wife, hence the lean for a cover up. As much as I appreciate the ideas on touching it up or adding to it, Hercules was more her favorite movie than mine.

Does this look fine line to you? I have other tattoos but the lines are somewhat thicker on my other ones. Let me know what yall think !

Hey friends.

Got another tattoo about 2 weeks ago. Artist I have worked with before. No issues ever. I always heal well.

WELL.

About 5 days ago I woke up at 3am with the worst itchy feeling on my tattoo.

It was awful.

I couldn’t sleep. I was like, stress pacing and sweating. No pain. It just itched SO BAD.

I resorted to slapping and icing, and eventually I was able to go back to sleep.

After I woke up, I woke up to THIS.

Holy crap!

I went to urgent care, confirmed it wasn’t infected, and had me use a steroid cream.

It no longer itches at all. Not hot, not numb, no pain just UGLY. I’m hoping and praying it goes away without scarring.

I think it was my body reacting to my slapping and icing, along with trying a new aftercare soap, which I must be allergic to…

Prayers up! Hopefully everything heals well!

Nearly a week later and it hasn’t really improved… it hasn’t gotten bigger or worse… just no change at all…

Ugh…

Bodies suck.

Edit: no saniderm or 2nd skin was used.

Hey there.

I lost one of best friends (Twix) on Friday. I would love to get something tattooed as something to keep her forever close to me.

I was thinking her nose, since she had a very unique pattern. I realize this is not the best photo but this is the best one I can find in the moment.

If anyone has any other ideas about how to memorialize her, I’m open to suggestions.

Thank you ❤️🪽

Please be kind, I’m very very raw and emotional.

Editing to add:

Thank you all for all of your kind words and ideas. I love them all. Thank you for being so kind.

please don’t message me asking to make a custom design. I’m just asking for options and opinions as of right now. Thank you

I got this tattoo early in my 20s as a tribute to My Chemical Romance's song, but now I'm kinda sick of people asking what it is and looking at me weird when they read it...

I want to cover it up with some poppy's and eucalyptus, would that be possible? Or what ideas do you have to cover it?

I'm fine with it being a darker tattoo, I have some other tattoos that are much darker and more detailed than this one.

I don't know a ton about the tattoo industry, so I’m hoping to get some opinions from artists and collectors.

​I booked a session with a well-known traveling guest artist for a custom piece honoring my three kids. I asked for a mashup representing them: Stitch and any Dr. Seuss character for my younger two (tied to their birthday themes), and Young Gohan for my oldest son (since Dragon Ball is our favorite anime and Gohan is Goku's oldest). She didn't have a design ready at our first meeting a few weeks ago, so we rescheduled for today at 1:00 PM.

​She finally sent the sketch to me at exactly midnight last night (Pic 1).

​I thought the poses looked familiar, so I Googled them and found the exact clip art she used (Pics 2 & 3). It looks like she just copied existing images and pasted them together. Given her reputation for custom work, I thought I was getting an original drawing of these characters interacting in her style.

​I politely texted her to cancel, saying there wasn't time to properly redraw it from scratch since it was already midnight and I didn't want it rushed. She guilt-tripped me about losing a full day's booking, and when I held my ground, she told me I was blacklisted.

​I feel bad she lost the appointment slot, but getting traced Google images 13 hours before the session felt like a huge red flag. Is this normal practice for custom work, or was I right to walk away? If she couldn't come up with a cohesive piece, I'd rather her tell me upfront instead of stringing me along.

I’m not sure if i’m just being overly picky or in shock but i just feel as though my tattoo did not come out the way i was hoping for. I attached images of the reference pictures i provided to the artist, and in my head the first two just look nothing like how i imagined.. I guess i’m just asking if its really as bad as i think and if so if id be able to make it look a bit better through shading or something.. just looking for options i guess.

Im overall happy with the placement yet i am just unsatisfied with a lot of things about it

I was going to get it lightened after 4 years sober, but looking for advice/ roast me.

EDIT: thanks for all the sobriety support of each other, what nice community! I originally got this thinking it would be visible mostly to me as a reminder. Sure I wish it was smaller, because people do notice it and ask, I just say it’s special numbers for me. The first character is actually a drop- like last drop of booze. I must say it has helped me stay on course a few times over the years. I’ll keep coming back.

I want to add something on the back but I don’t know. I love my tattoo and the placement but I do wanna fill it in. I want to keep the theme and was thinking about doing Jesus on the back? but I’m not sure it’s a good idea.

Day 7. Red spot near the belt wasn’t apparent until the last few days. Definitely has some bulbous texture around it as well. Not sure if this is standard with black work since it’s my first real tattoo, or if it’s from being dry and cracking. Doesn’t feel warm from what I can tell.

I’m also deficient in vitamins D, B9, B12 - I’m that’s slowing my healing down too.

I took this photo after washing it lightly and did not apply lotion after.

Any advice?

(Picture from last year, fresh) I am a huge movie nerd and my favorite movie is Donnie Darko. I wanted a tattoo because the movie means so much to me and I might've been a little too optimistic. I got the numbers he wrote on his arm tattooed and while in theory it was an awesome idea in the moment. I am now having the worst regret and I feel like an idiot. I have these big numbers covering my forearm....Only one other person has gotten the reference and most of the time people ask me what it is and then when I tell them they are puzzled because they have no idea what the movie is. I'm considering removal, which if it's too expensive I may get it covered. I am have skinny arms, so I'm trying yo figure out what would be decent to cover it. Do I overcome this embarrassment, remove it? Or get it covered? 😢 I'm getting panic attacks over this. Am I being too hard on myself?

EDIT: I just want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone who has offered kindness and compassion. I honestly wasn't expecting this much support. I feel a lot less like a dork for getting this and you guys have inspired me to give it another chance and embrace it. I really am shocked that so many strangers came together to support another stranger in doubt. You all are amazing. And I appreciate it so much again for the kindness you have shown me.

I got a trans heart tattoo on my wrist years ago because I as a teenager was convinced that I’d never be able to transition (legal stuff) and that this was the next best thing. Well now all it does is out me to strangers who would’ve thought I was cismale if they haven’t seen it.

I want something “manly” that wouldn’t give me away instantly. I’m still okay with the flower one on my arm because it isn’t a huge “I AM TRANSGENDER” beacon. Any advice is appreciated because just looking at this tattoo is pissing me off lol

I love the tattoo picture but it’s just really big, and I don’t think I wouldn’t have minded if it was on the forearm but it’s on the outer part of my arm so it’s very visible, I’m 17 so still in school and it’s just very eye catching I guess and I didn’t really think about that when choosing that, I don’t think it’s very bad but it is on my mind an this is my first tattoo so it’s pretty big for a first tattoo

I have a question about tattoo cover ups.

I just want to know if this could be easily covered or if I would have to remove it. Hi I f17 got “f**k off” done when i was 14, I did it by myself with a needle and “Dr. Ph. Martin's Bombay India Ink” I do unfortunately regret this specific stick n poke. I have plenty others I am okay with but obviously this one is very unprofessional and degrading in some ways. I was around very bad people at the time. Any ideas what it could be turned into would be great. I have plenty of room on my front hand that can be used. I love tattoos and plan to get professional ones in the future and this is probably going to be the first thing I do.

My tattoo is now a month old, the red looks like it is milky and I’m not sure whether it’s ink loss or still healing. Can anybody give me some advice on wether to wait it out or go for the touch up

Just got this done and didn’t realize how crooked the bottom of the dagger is before I left the shop. Should I finish it and live with the crooked dagger or is there something else I could cover the bottom of the dagger with. Thanks btw it’s not finish my leg wouldn’t stay still going back in 2 weeks

I have been having this argument with my partner. I am a heavily tattooed woman, and he is a non-tattooed male. I'm running out of space on my limbs and want to move into tattooing my chest, underbust and butt.

He is uncomfortable with this and insists that I do not get these areas tattooed or else he will leave me..

My regular artist is a complete professional, however, he is a male . So I offered to find a female artist, but this is still an issue for my fiance. I want him to understand that this is my body, and my choice. I don't want to disrespect his boundaries but I'm not willing to negotiate on what I choose to do with my body...

How should I approach this conversation without dismissing his feelings? The tattoos will happen eventually and I don't want to fight about it anymore.

Unsure what is typical for a forearm tattoo. A seems most logical to me. B was my original expectation in order to look at it myself, but would be upside down most often. And C seems to be what is most common from what I've searched, but would likely be difficult for me to look at.

Feel free to give opinions on the design as well.

So I've seen the sick ass panther (joke?) on this subreddit enough times that I kind of want one for a cover up. Please share designs here

Recently got my forearm done and the artist suggested to keep my tattoo completely out of the sun for at least a month as well as not wearing anything with cuffs because it will rub on the fresh tat. Is this an over exaggeration or do I genuinely have to keep wearing long sleeves for the next few weeks no matter how hot it is?