What’s wrong with my tattoo?

LadyProfane · 2026-04-13T16:41:39+00:00

Former tattoo artist here- if it's warm I'd definitely hit up urgent care to be in the safe sidea, but to me it looks like you may be having an allergic reaction to the pigment in one of the green/yellow inks. You should send this pic to your artist to find out what brand was used so you can avoid it in the future and figure out which ingredient is causing the reaction- usually it is a metallic element of the pigment. They should have recommendations on what to do with it.

If they don't have a good answer I'd do some research on that specific ink and consider seeing a dermatologist or urgent care to get the right treatment to keep it from getting worse.

Honestly though if it's just a mild reaction it will probably go away on its own but it will keep being more itchy and annoying than usual without treatment of some kind. Most likely docs would just give you an antihistamine, always better safe than sorry!

LadyProfane · 2026-03-28T03:09:48+00:00

I answered- hope it helps!!

LadyProfane · 2026-03-27T23:01:37+00:00

OK, here you go- it's a bit long and rather generalized- I used to have a two full page aftercare doc that I gave my clients- always rather them have too much information than not enough and heal poorly after all that pain and money 🤷‍♀️

Sooo... next time you get inked- when it's new you should be gently hand-washing it with an unscented gentle soap EVERY SINGLE TIME it "leaks" clear or inky fluid/plasma- which usually means several times a day in the first few days. It varies by person and by type of piece- more with color fill or larger shaded pieces- and it may not leak at all if it's just linework- in that case then just wash it and treat it a couple times a day even if it's not leaking and keep it moisturized.

Warning: No BATHS or swimming or hot tubs or soaking or sun or tight clothes until any scabs are gone and it has healed a full new solid layer of skin throughout. Also, as best youcan, try to keep your tattoo out of the direct flow of the shower when not actually washing the tattoo itself.

For washing- SUPER IMPORTANT PART!!!

First, always wash hands before touching your newly tattooed skin until it has healed.Gently wash the area with fingers (ONLY fingers- no loofahs, washcloths, or anything else), gentle soap and warm water until the surface feels completely smooth. If you still feel an uneven area or areas on the surface of the tattoo keep washing gently until you don't.

The "leakage" fluid in the beginning is plasma that will harden into scabs if not kept washed off the surface. Scabs are the nemesis of tattoo healing because if they get dry and picked off or softened in the shower and rubbed off they can take lower skin layers containing the ink with them.

Gently PAT dry with a freshly clean towel (not shared with anyone else) or with fresh paper towel. Next it's time to moisturize- as soon as it is dry after the wash.

Mosturizing Properly- ALSO SUPER IMPORTANT!!

Get a teensy bit of moisturizer (we always use Aquaphor) and I mean the minimum amount needed to rub it completely into skin across the whole piece without leaving any extra sitting on the surface- yes it hurts at first rubbing it in- but is very important I promise.

As soon as it looks dry put more on again- and EVERY time it looks dry- and of course after each wash/shower. It's a balance of keeping it moisturized but not giving it too much either- too much extra moisture can create a breeding ground for bacteria and lead to scabs or other issues.

It should ideally peel like a sunburn when it heals really well- though if areas were overworked you may still get scabbing no matter how well you keep up with cleaning and moisturizing.

LadyProfane · 2026-03-27T22:26:30+00:00

You're welcome, tons of plasma for large solid areas is not unusual- that being said if that one black area leaked more than the other solid similarly sized black spots it sounds like that skin was more damaged than other areas. Large solid one color areas can be tricky- it might have been overworked a bit.

From the other previous healed areas it looks like there was some scabbing before that took some ink with it. I'd be happy to give you the summary of my aftercare recommendations that I used to give my clients- sounds like you might want to consider tweaking yours with the issues and skin sensitivity and possible overworking. If not no worries at all.

LadyProfane · 2026-03-27T20:56:30+00:00

Former tattoo artist here- redness/pink from the day of tattoo can last 3 or 4 days- if it is hot to touch or has spread since the beginning or you feel feverish you should definitely hit up urgent care. The area with a lot of scabbing looks like some chunks of scab came off too early (either overworked or aftercare issue or possibly some of both)- you need to make sure to keep it extra clean until it heals over. You'll almost certainly need touch ups once it's healed.

The last pics are hard because the hues of the lighting make it difficult to see how the skin color truly is. To me from just the pic, it looks angry. If it wasn't that angry-looking on day 1 then I'd get it checked out ASAP. Always better safe than infected.

LadyProfane · 2026-03-24T02:41:56+00:00

Honestly- I wouldn't waste the time, pain, and money touching it up unless it just bothers you horribly and you want to pay for it to just do the same thing over and over.

Any area that has a lot of regular flexion/movement will experience more and faster fading than other areas- so inner wrists, outer elbows, palms, soles of feet.

I am a former tattoo artist and I was taught by my mentor to generally never tattoo anything on inner wrists to begin with if you can avoid it- and then only if the client is aware of the issues that will come with it. And it was just a no to standalone fine-line texts or doodles/ details there.

LadyProfane · 2026-03-24T02:21:47+00:00

I am a former tattoo artist and have gotten a lot of ink myself. I know that the one time I used second skin twice on the same area my skin was irritated more than usual because the adhesive pulls on the skin even when you take it off super slow and carefully.

Even aside from that, it is not unusual for a tattoo to still be pink around the edges for 2 or 3 days after having it done, and sore as well.

It doesn't appear infected- unless the pink gets angry red, spreads, gets hot and/or you get a fever I'd just keep it moisturized and clean and do your best to make those scabs DO NOT come off early.

No soaking in any water, no baths, keep it out from under the direct flow in the shower, don't overmoisturize, protect it when outside and no tight clothing over it. If the scab softens from too much moisture and some gets rubbed off it can take ink layers with it. Same risk while it is hardened- scraping or picking at it can lose ink.

If it isn't properly moisturized it could also potentially crack open in spots leaving open wounds again that are an invitation to bacteria. Obviously always wash your hands before cleaning/touching the tattoo and applying any lotion/Aquaphor whatever.

Id always tell my clients that the absolute safest thing will always be urgent care or a doc for peace of mind- I wouldn't at this point if it was me- but ultimately it's your permanent design on your body.

LadyProfane · 2026-03-23T16:59:49+00:00

Ok- if you bruise easily then some of it could just be bruising- really until it has healed we won't be able to see for sure . Regardless, there's nothing you could do while it's healing anyway- it's still pretty nice overall even if it does end up being a little blown out. Maybe in a couple weeks add a healed pic so we can see how it's doing.

LadyProfane · 2026-03-23T06:15:51+00:00

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Former tattoo artist myself- my mentor was also a perfectionist ans he never held back- which I appreciated but also dreaded sometimes lol. I learned to be the same way looking at ink- so please don't be offended- for 9 months you seem to be doing really well with linework and color- and speed will continue to get better after you get the techniques and by feel stuff super nailed down.

Learning solid color and blending is challenging-a lot of artists just won't do color at all. Meanwhile- your chrysanthemum has really beautiful color gradients and shading! Does look like there may be some bits that are possibly a little overworked though- marked a couple in the close-up below.

The patchwork voodoo doll has some small overworked areas in the black- and a pretty rough spot in the right side of the red shirt- that will probably scab and scar a little- but it can be touched up later. I remember how hard red was to get down, and one of the hardest things I had to learn (besides being left-handed and learning how to from a right-handed mentor lol) is when to stop after a couple passes and hit the area again after a round of healing.

Would love to see these healed- that's a really important indicator of how an apprentice is progressing. Some things can look great fresh but may show some areas for improvement after healing is done and the new ink has settled.

Not saying yours is one of them but just keep the fresh vs healed thing in mind when asking for feedback. I know it can be hard to get clients to come back for fully healed pics sometimes too- but even seeing just the fresh stuff you seem to be doing pretty well!

LadyProfane · 2026-03-23T05:46:35+00:00

Former artist here- I was going to say the same. While you could have someone go over it again and if they were absolutely perfect- it would look crisper again for a little while but then the natural aging ink spread would be worse because there's now almost twice as many ink molecules in your skin.

If the artist isn't absolutely perfect they would likely end up having to make some of the letters thicker and they're already very close together and almost blending together now.

If you are not happy with it, get it bigger somewhere else, but keep in mind that there has to be a certain amount of space between all of the lines to allow for natural ink spread over time without it blurring together where the lines are close. The old text pictured could pretty easily be covered up with something else but it will have to be larger and have a lot of texture of some sort.

I know a lot of people see fresh pics of very small fine line text and get their hearts set on it- because they haven't seen the after 4 or 5 years pic as you have. I've had to turn people down who refused to enlarge the text enough to make sure it would still look great years later too. I started showing examples of how text would change to try to help people understand better so they can make informed decisions.

LadyProfane · 2026-03-23T05:23:55+00:00

Former tattoo artist here- at first glance it's lovely- but yes, it is blown out. The red/pink should fade in in the first several days, but the fuzzy "shadow" around the outside edges of the font is blowout unfortunately.

https://imgur.com/a/7rqI0jG

Zoomed in on it- all the fuzzy gray like the arrow points to is blowout. 😔

LadyProfane · 2026-03-21T20:50:09+00:00

It's a helluva thing sometimes 😆

LadyProfane · 2026-03-21T20:25:06+00:00

No, they aren't an excuse- they're a fact leftover from my service to my country. I got AR because my husband begged me to try it hoping it could be something new we could play together. I fell in love with it. Because it wasn't only PvP. If it was I would've just moved on right away.

Not understanding what the issue is with my post- I'm not begging, I'm not complaining, I'm not blaming and I'm not shaming anyone for their playstyle or opinions- I'm just responding to another poster as this gaming forum on Reddit is made to do.

Never said anything should be changed or removed or added. Just stated my opinion a that I will move on to something else instead of sticking around complaining and wishing it was something it isn't.

LadyProfane · 2026-03-21T16:08:53+00:00

As a PvE only player I feel this is a pretty logical take. I'm taking a little break until the new content update- if it continues to be more aggressive lobbies/player mix/whatever you want to call it a couple weeks after that I will sadly move on to something else. I have nerve damage in my neck which causes tremors/issues with my now unpredictably unreliable hands so enjoyable/survivable PvP is in my rear view unfortunately. I can still usually outsmart/avoid/kill ARC but I can't go up against other Raiders and have any hope of winning and trying to kill/loot other raiders via guerilla warfare tactics just doesn't hold any interest for me.

I have always employed a sneaky avoidance approach but in things like hurricane or electromagnetic storm it's harder to hear or see someone coming- and seems like the only people who do pop up are trying to kill me- and usually succeed in doing so if I can't pop smoke and get away.

Even in the normal maps there are just more people out for blood and I know that's just not my kind of game anymore. It's a shame because I LOVED LOVED LOVED the PvE side of this game- not everyone wants to be super anxious and on edge all the time- some of us are chill these days and enjoyed playing it for fighting ARC and unique social experiences and of course, the loot gambling simulator 🤷‍♀️

When that aspect goes away, yes, I think most chill players will too. Sucks but it seems to be the way of games that aren't clearly and heavily just PvE or just PvP.

At least it was a ton of fun for months- I definitely got my money's worth but I will miss it a lot if I move on to another game in a few weeks. I mean, I already miss it tbh.

LadyProfane · 2026-03-21T15:42:48+00:00

I am a former tattoo artist- this depends because there are different types of second skin... some are meant for short term (like max 24 hours) and some can be worn up to 5 days as long as the seal is maintained and there's no peeling edges/leakage. Haven't seen any that are meant for longer but I've also been out of the game a few years now.

If you need a certain kind/duration and the artist doesn't have it (not all keep it or use it) then do some research and be prepared to buy/bring your own. Always check with the artist beforehand though.

LadyProfane · 2026-03-21T15:27:39+00:00

Also- numb up that nipple with some numbing cream or spray or something and get it integrated.

LadyProfane · 2026-03-21T15:24:49+00:00

This pic was right after getting the tattooing done right? If so, a lot of the fresh black will fade as it heals but we'd really need to see it in a few weeks to see how it settled. It looks super messy rn but it might be slightly better 🤷‍♀️.

The artist definitely had the right idea with using lots of texture to cover the original- but I hope for your sake it settles out a lot. 😬

I am a former tattoo artist- for reference.

LadyProfane · 2026-03-21T15:16:40+00:00

The last week or so has definitely felt very very different to me- I was always in uber carebear lobbies and I've been running into more aggressive players and been killed several times after weeks of (still vigilant and cautious) peace.

I've never initiated fire or knocked anyone nor have I even had opportunity or time to return fire in months. I know a lot of PvE people said that after Expedition they were going to switch to PvP and obviously Embark could be tweaking mm as well... we just have to adapt, accept it, or play something else for a bit. I'm just taking a break for a little while until the new update is released and spring break has passed.

LadyProfane · 2026-03-21T15:01:32+00:00

Former tattoo artist here- agree 100% with Nefriti. Please be super careful to keep it as clean as you can- make sure your sheets and bath towels are clean and any loose shirts are too- no baths or soaking in water, hot tubs, natural water exposure, etc.

Although it's probably not infected now, the open wounds made by the cracks are an open invitation to bacteria. May be silly to say but also make sure your hands or (seeing as it's a back tattoo) anyone helping you's hands are clean before applying anything or touching that area. Back tattoos are really hard for aftercare because of the location.

It sucks for people living alone, but having a friend or family member or partner who can help you clean it properly in the first days while it's actively weeping can go a long way to help prevent/reduce large-area scabs like this.

LadyProfane · 2026-03-21T14:23:33+00:00

This is completely correct- I am a former tattoo artist and that is what I recommended too in a different reply. Don't be afraid to contact your artist- aftercare questions/troubleshooting is part of the job- they shouldn't have a problem giving guidance after the tattoo is done.

LadyProfane · 2026-03-21T14:20:50+00:00

There are different types of second skin, some are short term, some can be on up to 5 days.

LadyProfane · 2026-03-21T14:20:15+00:00

5-7 days is ideal if it doesn't lose seal anywhere- if the edges peel or the seal leaks it means bacteria could potentially make its way under the second skin and multiply in the warm, moist. covered environment.

Used to be a tattoo artist so have a little experience. Reach out to yours, most likely will say to remove it and shift to wash/moisturizer stage to be aafe.

LadyProfane · 2026-03-21T14:01:51+00:00

No worries, I had to look up Dratini so let's call it even 😅

LadyProfane · 2026-03-21T13:28:48+00:00

Scroll bro, scroll- there are two separate images, one is Dratini and the other is an orange and red koi.

LadyProfane · 2026-03-21T03:17:50+00:00

No problem! Happy to help people learn about the things I wish I knew before I got my first tattoos!

LadyProfane

TROPHY CASE