a cautionary tale on fresh tattoos...
so i got part of my half sleeve worked on last week, and came into work 3 days later. i always take care of my tattoos when they are healing, but i know that theres a certain amount of germs associated in the club (germs on the pole, smoke, etc.) well i was walking by a drunk idiot and he grabs my arm and exclaims loudly "whoa what is that?"
i doublle of in pain, and am severly pissed. i told him about it beign fresh and he just stood there, like an idiot and didnt say sorry.
a couple days later, my tattoo is a swollen inflamed pussing pile of infection. it so bad that i go to the doctor and get put on antibiotics. along with half of the newly done tattoos ink falling out and the scarring, i have agiant nast scab on my arm to deal with while it heals. sure i can get it redone, but dealing with this mess just pisses me off.
so now i have to wear robes untill it heals so no one sees it.
and from now on while i have a tattoo healing ill be wearing long sleeved outfits to work while its covered with a bandage....
in short, if you have a fresh tattoo dont let assholes grab them.
Re: a cautionary tale on fresh tattoos...
dude, seriously, thank you for that. I'm getting a pretty big tat soon and i was concerned about having to take time off work for it bc i'm already taking at least three weeks for my BA . do you think i should just get it done in pieces every few weeks to make infection less likely? it'll be snaking from my knee up to my elbow and this is the only way i can think of avoiding any problems.
good luck with your tat
Re: a cautionary tale on fresh tattoos...
I know a guy who had a tattoo done all at once on his back, a big tribal looking thing all over his whole back. He is a dj and was supposed to go play somewhere. He got really ill and had to cancel his show. I think the problem was that he did too much at one time and his system couldn't handle it but maybe it got infected.
Re: a cautionary tale on fresh tattoos...
*ouch* hun I can only imagine your pain. I hope your arm turns out ok after your healing.
Re: a cautionary tale on fresh tattoos...
Sorry to hear about your tat getting fucked up. Hope it heals ok. If i had a nickel for every time an asshole grabbed my arm to see my tattos I wouldn't be doing anymore lapdances!
Gia, most large pieces are done in sessions, outline and shading done first, then getting color after. Check with your tatto artist and be sure you let him ot her know what you do for a living, they can best advise you on healing times and any precautions you need to take.
Re: a cautionary tale on fresh tattoos...
yes go in sessions, start with shorter sessions, to make sure that your body can handle all the healing. go with what your comfortable with and if you work, keep it covered and wash it with antibacterial soap every 3 hours at work.
Re: a cautionary tale on fresh tattoos...
OH you poor girl! That story makes my customer violence stories look tame. What kind of disrespectful moron grabs someone's arm....he thought he could get away with it 'cause you're a dancer....grrr....if he shows his face again I hope you can get someone to "talk" to him outside.
Re: a cautionary tale on fresh tattoos...
Sorry that happened to you. Drunken assholes don't think (sorry for the redundance/obviousness in that statement). :-* *kisses it better*
Re: a cautionary tale on fresh tattoos...
Ouch! I feel your pain, I avoid work now after the assholes at my club refused to clean the stage... and wouldn't you know that rolling around on that nasty shit could cause an infection... I had the luck of antibacterial sanitizer to save me from the antibiotics... but it scared up a bit!
To the girl geting the back piece..
You should definatly do your work in stages...and being a back piece I would recomend taking atleast 5 days to let it heal. Also, bring antibacterial soap with you and clean it out after dances and stages the first few times days that you go back. If washing it isn't an option, then bring something like germ-x and a good non-sented lotion to moisterize afterwards. It's going to slow you down but it's worth it... you can also wear a sexy lace top to add a little extra protection and keep assholes for going "what's this" and touching it.
Re: a cautionary tale on fresh tattoos...
their is this new tattoo after care stuff called h2ocean. it is antibacterial, antifungal and moisturizing stuff. its wonderful!
Re: a cautionary tale on fresh tattoos...
You poor dear.I hope you heal.I can't believe that idiot didn't even apologize,they just don't have any respect sometimes.If you see him again,you should tell him about what happened because of him.
And also thanks fore this thread,I was recently thinking about touching up mine,which is not too big and very old,so now I know how to be more careful and what ointments to use.
Re: a cautionary tale on fresh tattoos...
I don't have much dancing experience but have plenty with tattoos ;)
I would strongly suggest waiting 5 to 7 days after it's done to work with it exposed (unless we're talking about something pretty small). Otherwise work with it properly covered. I strongly recommend not to wash your tattoo at work, even with anti-bacterial soap (which can slow down the healing process in some). You risk introducing more nasty germs in your fresh tat while cleaning it in the bathroom which we all know is loaded with germs.
Properly covered before work, you shouldn't have to change the bandage during your shift. Resist the temptation to lift off the bandage to show it off ;)
As for how long a session you should go for, all depend on your individual tolerance. You'll know once you're in how long you can take it. Up to 3 hours IMO, is an easy recovery and not too hard on the system. You'll be tired, sleep well and wake up fine the next day. The tattoo shouldn't be sore unless you're touching it. Past 3 hours, your body can start reacting to the long process. You can feel very tired, light headed or just "off". The area of the tattoo will be more sensitive and swollen, maybe even a bit sore without being touched. Some still feel knocked out the next day, some are fine. The tattoed area will heal in the same amount of time but will be more sore in the first few days because of all the work done at once.
I've done both long and short sessions, it's hard to recommend which is best in this case. I say, if you can handle longer sessions it will cut down how many times you have to take a few days to cover and heal your tat. If shorter sessions are better for you, that's fine too, just make sure you care for your tat well after each session.
Good luck,
Pixie
Re: a cautionary tale on fresh tattoos...
OUCH! Happy healing, Hon!
That reminds me of the "friend" of a friend who SLAPPED his fresh thigh tattoo...we're talking hours-fresh. :O
I've already decided, no new ink 'til I'm done dancing. :-\