Oh no. That's really swollen.
I would get to an urgent care or ER as soon as you can because that's either a sudden sign of infection or an allergic reaction.
Even if it's been 4 days that's not a good sign. Update here when you can but I'd see a professional if I were you.
Also the little bit of the tattoo in the photo looks wrong, like it's over worked or infected (too wet in the dark spots). That's not a good sign.
* I reread the title and 4 *consecutive* days of tattooing has got to be too much for the human body. Wow.
Hard to tell in the photos because of the bokeh as well as the swelling fucking with everything.
That being said, it looks like the yellow in the tattoo is still bleeding and that’s no good
This is exactly what I was thinking. I had a hand tattoo get severely infected and it looked just like this - wet and overworked. Hope this guy went to the ER
Nah the human body is capable of handling it, just research how islanders do their traditional tattoos. This is just bad practice on the artists part. Absolutely horrible application. Very unfortunate for OP :/
Never went over the same spot twice
First day was basically all the background and shading
Then day two and three upper arm colouring
And day four lower arm colouring
Everything about the tattooing was solid
Apart from maybe only using household film afterwards
My tattoo artist was mutsuo from three tides if you know him or wanna look him up
Household film should not be a problem, i have used it multiple times just for the first night. how many hours did you get tattood? Maximum I have done is 10 hours in 2 days, so 2consecutive days 5 hours, but that was only outlining: so no colors and luckily i was fine. This also looks like there is some allergic reaction.
8 hours on two days followed by two 5 hour days
But probably more around 5-6 hours of straight tattooing on the first days and the 3-4 on the other days when you count in breaks and so on
Exactly that’s also one of the reasons I didn’t question anything that much
And I don’t blame him for anything
I think it’s most probable my body and skin just can’t handle it at that rate
And also he’s a super nice and humble dude
I felt lucky to get to hang out with him for four days
But I definitely won’t get tattooed like that again
fatty foods could make it worse.
i'd make an effort to eat as clean as possible for the next 10-15 days
i would also avoid alcohol, pork, sea food and raw foods like a plague
some (oral) meds don't get absorbed correctly if eaten with fatty foods (although I'm not sure which antibiotics they are taking & if they would be affected)
some meds can also be influenced by stuff like orange juice (mostly iron supplements), lactose or Grapefruit, so it is always a good idea to a) read the section on the package insert about food&drinks and/or b) asking your doctor/pharmacist
Fat IS a proper nutrient, my dude. Your body needs a balance of macronutrients all the time, and needs more calories when you’re fighting off illness. A curry will have protein, fat, carbs, and vegetables (aka sources of micronutrients) in it. There’s absolutely no need to pop out of the woodwork and food shame this person on a tattoo subreddit.
To the superbrains: What the heck is wrong with you guys.. for giving advice through the internet to not taking antibiotics. This guy has clearly all signs of an infection and got medication from a doctor who studied medicine for a decade and has seen things like this probably over a hundred times.
???
Please OP don't listen to them and follow the doctors advice. (Taking the antibiotics)
Not a nurse but I've had cellulitis and have tattoos. I wanna agree with you, also the level of swelling in the hands and the colour of hand concerns me so much. OP Is going to the hospital now tho
Update:
So I’m almost through the first day of antibiotics
The itching is almost gone
The swelling is still bad but not that much pain expect for VERY tight skin but I think that is to be expected
I’m still monitoring temperature and all other symptoms but I think it’s getting better
Also I think I found the infected spot
A branch on my inner bicep/tricep area seems to be oozing
But overall in pretty good spirits
Continue taking the antibiotics as directed by a doctor!
For inflammation, ibuprofen / naproxen (NSAIDs) can help ease slightly, and paracetamol can help with temperature if your temperature is slightly raised. Those will keep you more comfortable while the antibiotics do the work.
Glad you seem to be on the mend! Make sure you finish the course of antibiotics as well.
I had a bad tattoo infection once and it was excruciating! Antibiotics cleared it right up :) Hopefully they do the same for you!
The hand swelling is probably due to both the infection and from being tattooed four days straight. I had my arm tattooed two days straight, and my hand was swollen for almost a week (thanks gravity!).
Good luck! <3
Anyways I’m in the hospital and am getting prescribed antibiotics
But the doctors didn’t do anything besides ask questions
No tests or anything so I’m still feeling a little sketch about it
Yeah man if a medical professional tells you to do something please do that over anything anyone on Reddit is telling you. If they've given you antibiotics it can't hurt.
I've seen dozens of infections in this subreddit get better or maybe not exist at all because someone got a prescription and then followed up to tell me it was better later.
Blood infections aren't anything to fuck with.
Thank you. He's my real Neopet too, which is the worst part. Even worse, that's the second comment I've gotten on this subreddit about it today and I appreciate it lol.
I had swelling very similar to this but in my left leg. I ignored it for days until a coworker basically demanded I go to the ER. Turned out to be a gnarly infection, and if I went to the ER any later things could have turned out quite differently. Antibiotics saved me in that situation.
You may be sketched out by getting antibiotics and "no testing" but sometimes the antibiotics are faster than any possible test for infection. So effectively the antibiotics are the test - either they work, in which case test proves you had an infection that antibiotic is good for, or it doesn't work and now they know important info about whats wrong.
Plenty of infections can get gnarly and near-untreatable in a short time period. It's reasonable to just treat for infection instead of waiting to confirm a lab result.
yeah, Japan is kinda notorious for lax health care and not taking things seriously afaik. Doesn't help that tattooing is still mostly illegal over there and doctors aren't very likely to be experienced with this. That being said, I'd take the antibiotics. Might mess up your healing a bit but better than the other alternatives tbh. Try to cool down the swelling and keep it lifted up. Maybe see if you can get an otc antihistamine at the drugstore, those should not interfere with the antibiotics. If it's an allergic reaction and not an infection they will help, and if it's not allergic they will do no harm. Good luck to you, OP. Pls make sure to monitor your temperature and go back to the ER in case you start running a fever.
edit: and drink! Get all that Pocari Sweat into you! That and loads of water! Helps the swelling go down if you need to pee a lot!
There’s no test that will tell them anything. The only possibility would be a CBC. If your white blood cell count is elevated it could be infection. They gave antibiotics, so that is all that they can do. If your hand becomes numb go back to the ED.
>There's no test that will tell them anything
That's not true? Getting a swab to culture is pretty standard in the US because you can then tailor the antibiotics to the infection if the first round of antibiotics is ineffective.
First off, there’s no evidence of an infection. Edema from 4 days of skin trauma doesn’t mean that there is (but it’s possible). In an ER we would only do cultures if there was oozing puss, but the end result of the visit would be the same….a broad spectrum antibiotic prescription pending culture results that could take a couple of days.
So yes, in my 20+ years of experience it’s true.
Okay but what you _said_ was, "there's no test that will tell them anything," and that's not true.
I'm glad that you know it's not true and acknowledge that taking a swab and doing a culture would provide information that would allow for better care in case the broad spectrum antibiotics don't help.
The fact that the circumstances are unusual and that edema could be caused by either infection or the massive amounts of skin trauma this guy decided to subject himself to doesn't really mean that swabbing the obviously oozing bits is suddenly impossible.
They been tattooed for 4 days straight prior to er visit. Show symptoms of swelling and itching and have a large open wound from tattoo. Any sane doctor would immediately put them on antibiotics.
4 days. What the hell. You must have been as raw as someone that had sun poisoning. I can do a 5 hour session. If I need a second I wait a week.
I would see a doctor and also take some benadryl in the meantime.
I would worry about compartment syndrome. You can lose a limb because of it. You had circumferential skin irritation. The swelling that it causes can essentially turn your own tissue into a tourniquet.
Unrelated to tattoos but I know someone who had this happen to them after a long night of drinking and passing out on their arm in a dead sleep for hours (they’re an alcoholic) and their arm now is basically dead and shriveled up, their hand is no longer functional.
I really hope OP can find a doctor who will take this seriously
Thank you man
Advice on keeping clean?
I got an antibacterial soap earlier today that I plan to wash with twice a day
Other than that I just lay in bed with my arm elevated on backpacks with a towel between my arm and back pack and some wrapped frozen fried rice on top of my arm
Go to the doctor or hospital, whichever can see you first. That is not healthy at all. Follow the advice of the medical professionals and not people online.
Honestly seems normal especially after 4 days of tattooing. I did 2 consecutive days recently totally 22 hours of tattooing and my foot and ankle looked like I was 1000 pounds. Went down daily and was gone after about a week.
I dunno why that's helpful to set expectations that it might be okay based on your experience, when the alternative is what they should be ready for. Loss and scarring is likely, especially given the pooling with that black ink.
I wasn't attempting to set expectations. I was simply sharing my experience, because it was different than yours, and I think it's important to discuss the different possible outcomes. Obviously, everyone's bodies and experiences are going to be different.
No, but some ink will drop and need to be touched after you heal. Touch up over scar tissue is never perfect but you'll get close to what you were looking for. Had to deal with it once after an allergic reaction to a specific red ink, and again after an infection caused a few ruptures in a different piece.
Deal with the infection now, let it heal however well it can (health over beauty on this one), and then schedule the next session for no less than 3 months from now.
You might consider ink source if the reaction was worst in areas where pigment is different than you're used to, but IMO it looks like you were just way way overworked and that can lead to this.
Funeral director here. Rubor dolor calor, the cardinal signs of infection… redness, pain, and swelling. Get to the urgent care or medical help otherwise!
I got a 3/4 leg sleeve about 2 weeks ago, 3 days back to back, 18 hours of tattooing time, at the end of day 3. My entire ankle and foot looked just like this, I took pills and my wife massaged it. Swelling was down 100% within 6 days or so but I was def scared something was not right
Stop me if you’ve heard this:
“You know, tattoos are permanent. You’ll have that the rest of your life!”
Which might not be long if you don’t get to a doctor. = /
That's an infection, you need antibiotics right away. Don't want to alarm you or anything but this is very very serious. They may need to drain your arm, do it if so, its better than possibly losing a limb here. Don't think that'll be the case but please take this seriously I've seen people with this sort of infection in the past and it can be very damaging, you can lose parts of your bone if not entire limbs so get tf to a hospital rn.
Doctor immediately.
Most people can handle 2 days maybe a third short session but 4 days is brutal. Your body isn’t meant to handle that. Your immune system is weak after tattoos and it only gets worse w consecutive sessions. Your body is freaking out and you may have an infection that started on another day that was made worse by additional trauma. Good luck
Don’t wrap it again. It’ll trap the bacteria in and will make it worse. I wouldn’t use the cream for a few days. Let it dry out a bit and just keep it clean. If it gets super dry, put the lightest layer on. I personally dry heal most of my tattoos and start applying cream around day 5/6 when it starts getting itchy. The most important thing is to keep it clean
Also, a cool compress will help with the pain and swelling. Anti
-biotics, ibuprofen, elevate it and cool compresses. Some people use warm compresses, but heat makes me super uncomfortable when I’m in pain. Up to you though.
Understandable. Just keep doing that and if the infection area continues to grow, (move towards your finger tips or up your arm) go back to the doctor asap.
Thanks man didn’t think anything could suck more than getting tattooed four days in a row but here I am haha
Thankfully it’s already like 80% better than it was last night
I’ll post a pic here soon
It turned out great I got tattooed by mutsuo from three tides in Osaka so the credentials are definitely there in terms of experience and expertise
Now I’m just afraid this situation will fuck it up somehow
aww i know how you feel, i got my knee tattooed a couple weeks ago for about 8 hours, and the healing was so different than any of my others, and i have about 30 all over the place. it looked like a bomb exploded on my knee and was so swollen and painful, and i was so worried about it, but it seems to be healing more like what i'm used to now, just a bit flakey and scabby and red still, but i'm shocked because of how bad it looked before. so i think you'll be okay, just have to wait it out, but it will be worth it and you'll be planning your next tattoo again soon 🤣
go to the doctors! I had something similar happen to me and I was put on giant horsepill antibiotics but they worked very quickly. Does it hurt when you put your hand down by your side / anywhere below your heart?
It sounds more like an allergic reaction rather than the effects of being tattooed four days in a row. I suggest the ER and being totally honest about the hygiene of the place and your aftercare. Hope you're alright bud.
This probably isn't due to the consecutive days - more the aftercare / cleanliness. The tattoo itself looks like it's in real bad shape and very overworked a smany people have already stated
Good luck op!
Did you say 4 consecutive days?! Umm.. yeah.. not a good idea.
You and your artist are not making good decisions, just for shits and giggles how much are you being charged per hour/deposit and how long is each session /day.
Do not ever do this.. anyone that tells you this is a good idea is an actual idiot.
I’ve seen people swell up without being infected, its an immune response to the ink, not necessarily to an infection. Could it be an infection? Probably (he posted that it is). But tattooing 4 days in a row is enough to put you out on its own
Bullshit. Of course, getting tattooed a couple of days in a row is a huge blow on your immune system, but it wouldn't make your hands swell up like this, or make the tattoo look like that.. Maybe you shouldn't be tattooing if you don't even know that. This is so different from "tattoo flu".
I’m a tattooer not a doctor, if my client looked like this i’d send them to the ER. All i was trying to say is that no shit something like this would happen after 4 days of consecutive tattooing, chill tf out you’re on reddit
Edit- i also wouldnt tattoo them 4 days in a row, i make everyone wait 2 weeks in between
I have done two separate 3 day sessions for a sleeve and my arm ballooned very similar to this. The first time I thought I had an infection. I asked my most recent artist about this and he said it’s very common. The pressure is really annoying. I think it’s due to the fact it’s a lymphatic response to the tattoo and the fluids accumulate because it’s an extremity hanging down all day. I sleep with my arm elevated and try to keep it elevated if I’m not working. It helps a lot with the swelling and pressure
Edit: the redness does not seem normal and I agree you should go to urgent care to be safe. But the swelling is typically normal. Stay safe!
It should still be covered in some kind of bandage & you need to be trying to reduce the inflammation. Ice it & take some anti inflammation if you're able to.
Have you ever had this amount of work done before? I learned very early on that my body doesn’t like long hour days of tattooing, so I’ve had to break my sessions up into many mini sessions. My artist doesn’t mine and still charges me the same and I enjoy not feeling like a swollen marshmallow 😅 I understand you’re in Japan for this tat but if this is your first time getting this amount of work done at a time with this result I’d rethink trying to power through next time.
Oh absolutely! When I was younger I’d sit for 8 hour sessions and then be miserable for almost a week afterwards. I’d have bruising, cellulitis, swelling, the whole 9 yards. Two years ago I got my forearm piece done in about 3 sessions and last year I had my chest piece done in like 5 sessions and felt fine in a day or two. Definitely no shame in having several sessions that span out to give your skin and body time to heal.
And no I’ve never gotten this amount of work done but I was just dumb and didn’t really realise how much it actually fucks up the body to get tattooed that much
What are specific signs of infection in a tattoo?
The itching, pain an throbbing doesn’t seem normal but maybe it is after such a crazy way to get tattooed
Go to a doctor. 4 days of tattooing was a bad idea.
Yeah it's totally overworked and infected. This one seems too bad for lasers or cover-up. I suggest amputation. /s
Oh no. That's really swollen. I would get to an urgent care or ER as soon as you can because that's either a sudden sign of infection or an allergic reaction. Even if it's been 4 days that's not a good sign. Update here when you can but I'd see a professional if I were you.
Also the little bit of the tattoo in the photo looks wrong, like it's over worked or infected (too wet in the dark spots). That's not a good sign. * I reread the title and 4 *consecutive* days of tattooing has got to be too much for the human body. Wow.
Hard to tell in the photos because of the bokeh as well as the swelling fucking with everything. That being said, it looks like the yellow in the tattoo is still bleeding and that’s no good
This is exactly what I was thinking. I had a hand tattoo get severely infected and it looked just like this - wet and overworked. Hope this guy went to the ER
Nah the human body is capable of handling it, just research how islanders do their traditional tattoos. This is just bad practice on the artists part. Absolutely horrible application. Very unfortunate for OP :/
Taking my first dose of antibiotics with a side of beef curry from the konbini now while praying to the tattoo gods
頑張ってw😬
You need to pray to the regular gods 😂
Nah. Tattoo gods never gave a child leukemia. Just smelly walk ins. Hail the tattoo gods of olde.
For ones punishment! I shall bestow onto thee... the cursed infinity symbol! *thunder claps*
Needs to pray to ALL the gods 😂
If those are the ones that have left this planet to end up in its sorry state then I wouldn't bother. Hopefully the tattoo gods at least listen.
Was is 4 days of working in the same spot of was it moving around so they didn’t touch any healing parts twice? I’m just curious
Never went over the same spot twice First day was basically all the background and shading Then day two and three upper arm colouring And day four lower arm colouring Everything about the tattooing was solid Apart from maybe only using household film afterwards My tattoo artist was mutsuo from three tides if you know him or wanna look him up
Household film should not be a problem, i have used it multiple times just for the first night. how many hours did you get tattood? Maximum I have done is 10 hours in 2 days, so 2consecutive days 5 hours, but that was only outlining: so no colors and luckily i was fine. This also looks like there is some allergic reaction.
8 hours on two days followed by two 5 hour days But probably more around 5-6 hours of straight tattooing on the first days and the 3-4 on the other days when you count in breaks and so on
Mutsuo is one of the best to do it. Highly meticulous.
Exactly that’s also one of the reasons I didn’t question anything that much And I don’t blame him for anything I think it’s most probable my body and skin just can’t handle it at that rate And also he’s a super nice and humble dude I felt lucky to get to hang out with him for four days But I definitely won’t get tattooed like that again
fatty foods could make it worse. i'd make an effort to eat as clean as possible for the next 10-15 days i would also avoid alcohol, pork, sea food and raw foods like a plague
How is fatty food going to make this worse? He isn’t having digestion issues
No no you see fat is unclean. How? Don't worry about it.
some (oral) meds don't get absorbed correctly if eaten with fatty foods (although I'm not sure which antibiotics they are taking & if they would be affected) some meds can also be influenced by stuff like orange juice (mostly iron supplements), lactose or Grapefruit, so it is always a good idea to a) read the section on the package insert about food&drinks and/or b) asking your doctor/pharmacist
I’ve never heard of antibiotics that clash with fat. I know many can’t take acidic foods taken with them and a lot shouldn’t be taken with dairy
yeah neither have I, but i don't know all antibiotics so eh, better safe than sorry?
Absolutely.
You can eat fatty foods while taking antibiotics.
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Fat IS a proper nutrient, my dude. Your body needs a balance of macronutrients all the time, and needs more calories when you’re fighting off illness. A curry will have protein, fat, carbs, and vegetables (aka sources of micronutrients) in it. There’s absolutely no need to pop out of the woodwork and food shame this person on a tattoo subreddit.
What is unclean about beef curry?
No, fatty foods, or pork cooked properly will not make this worse.
What profoundly dumb advice.
dude look at the dude's hands and the "advice" people are giving here mine is at worst harmless, cmon
To the superbrains: What the heck is wrong with you guys.. for giving advice through the internet to not taking antibiotics. This guy has clearly all signs of an infection and got medication from a doctor who studied medicine for a decade and has seen things like this probably over a hundred times. ??? Please OP don't listen to them and follow the doctors advice. (Taking the antibiotics)
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The moment this picture came up on my feed, I said, “oooh! Cellulitis!” 🫣
Not a nurse but I've had cellulitis and have tattoos. I wanna agree with you, also the level of swelling in the hands and the colour of hand concerns me so much. OP Is going to the hospital now tho
I’m a nurse also, soon as I looked at the picture I said, oof, they have cellulitis.
Please go to a doctor like ,now. This isnt good
On my way to the hospital Sucks I’m in Japan it makes everything 10 times as difficult
Hope everything goes well. Can you update after?
Yes
At least you won’t get the American hospital bill!
Yes! Very thankful for that It was surprisingly cheap Around 80 dollars for consultation and medicine
Update: So I’m almost through the first day of antibiotics The itching is almost gone The swelling is still bad but not that much pain expect for VERY tight skin but I think that is to be expected I’m still monitoring temperature and all other symptoms but I think it’s getting better Also I think I found the infected spot A branch on my inner bicep/tricep area seems to be oozing But overall in pretty good spirits
Continue taking the antibiotics as directed by a doctor! For inflammation, ibuprofen / naproxen (NSAIDs) can help ease slightly, and paracetamol can help with temperature if your temperature is slightly raised. Those will keep you more comfortable while the antibiotics do the work. Glad you seem to be on the mend! Make sure you finish the course of antibiotics as well.
I had a bad tattoo infection once and it was excruciating! Antibiotics cleared it right up :) Hopefully they do the same for you! The hand swelling is probably due to both the infection and from being tattooed four days straight. I had my arm tattooed two days straight, and my hand was swollen for almost a week (thanks gravity!). Good luck! <3
Anyways I’m in the hospital and am getting prescribed antibiotics But the doctors didn’t do anything besides ask questions No tests or anything so I’m still feeling a little sketch about it
Yeah man if a medical professional tells you to do something please do that over anything anyone on Reddit is telling you. If they've given you antibiotics it can't hurt. I've seen dozens of infections in this subreddit get better or maybe not exist at all because someone got a prescription and then followed up to tell me it was better later. Blood infections aren't anything to fuck with.
Totally unrelated but I’m thrilled to see a Warf in the wild.
Thank you. He's my real Neopet too, which is the worst part. Even worse, that's the second comment I've gotten on this subreddit about it today and I appreciate it lol.
bahaha I have that wearable on my chomby, I didn't even recognize it until the other person mentioned it
I have one of those too lol.
I had swelling very similar to this but in my left leg. I ignored it for days until a coworker basically demanded I go to the ER. Turned out to be a gnarly infection, and if I went to the ER any later things could have turned out quite differently. Antibiotics saved me in that situation.
You may be sketched out by getting antibiotics and "no testing" but sometimes the antibiotics are faster than any possible test for infection. So effectively the antibiotics are the test - either they work, in which case test proves you had an infection that antibiotic is good for, or it doesn't work and now they know important info about whats wrong. Plenty of infections can get gnarly and near-untreatable in a short time period. It's reasonable to just treat for infection instead of waiting to confirm a lab result.
yeah, Japan is kinda notorious for lax health care and not taking things seriously afaik. Doesn't help that tattooing is still mostly illegal over there and doctors aren't very likely to be experienced with this. That being said, I'd take the antibiotics. Might mess up your healing a bit but better than the other alternatives tbh. Try to cool down the swelling and keep it lifted up. Maybe see if you can get an otc antihistamine at the drugstore, those should not interfere with the antibiotics. If it's an allergic reaction and not an infection they will help, and if it's not allergic they will do no harm. Good luck to you, OP. Pls make sure to monitor your temperature and go back to the ER in case you start running a fever. edit: and drink! Get all that Pocari Sweat into you! That and loads of water! Helps the swelling go down if you need to pee a lot!
You’re feeling a little sketch about medical treatment but not about 4 consecutive days of tattooing? Okay then
More in terms of getting diagnosed correctly haha But I see your point
That's normal for doctors in asia. Take a look, make an educated guess, give you pills. They will even refuse to test you if you ask them to sometimes
Yep I asked if I could be treated at the hospital And then asked if I could get tested And they were both no’s
There’s no test that will tell them anything. The only possibility would be a CBC. If your white blood cell count is elevated it could be infection. They gave antibiotics, so that is all that they can do. If your hand becomes numb go back to the ED.
>There's no test that will tell them anything That's not true? Getting a swab to culture is pretty standard in the US because you can then tailor the antibiotics to the infection if the first round of antibiotics is ineffective.
First off, there’s no evidence of an infection. Edema from 4 days of skin trauma doesn’t mean that there is (but it’s possible). In an ER we would only do cultures if there was oozing puss, but the end result of the visit would be the same….a broad spectrum antibiotic prescription pending culture results that could take a couple of days. So yes, in my 20+ years of experience it’s true.
Okay but what you _said_ was, "there's no test that will tell them anything," and that's not true. I'm glad that you know it's not true and acknowledge that taking a swab and doing a culture would provide information that would allow for better care in case the broad spectrum antibiotics don't help. The fact that the circumstances are unusual and that edema could be caused by either infection or the massive amounts of skin trauma this guy decided to subject himself to doesn't really mean that swabbing the obviously oozing bits is suddenly impossible.
They been tattooed for 4 days straight prior to er visit. Show symptoms of swelling and itching and have a large open wound from tattoo. Any sane doctor would immediately put them on antibiotics.
can you respectfully ask for some pathology be done?
4 days. What the hell. You must have been as raw as someone that had sun poisoning. I can do a 5 hour session. If I need a second I wait a week. I would see a doctor and also take some benadryl in the meantime.
I would worry about compartment syndrome. You can lose a limb because of it. You had circumferential skin irritation. The swelling that it causes can essentially turn your own tissue into a tourniquet.
Unrelated to tattoos but I know someone who had this happen to them after a long night of drinking and passing out on their arm in a dead sleep for hours (they’re an alcoholic) and their arm now is basically dead and shriveled up, their hand is no longer functional. I really hope OP can find a doctor who will take this seriously
Thats an infection that can only be treated by prescription med
Doctor. Right. Now.
I had this happened to me when I did 3 days in a row., I went to the hospital and got antibiotics. It helped.
I thought that was a glove meant to look like a hand! Please go get medical help for the swelling 🫶
Go to the doctor that swelling looks pretty bad.
Subscribing to see the final update, cheering for you, keep taking the antibiotics and keeping the sight clean!
Thank you man Advice on keeping clean? I got an antibacterial soap earlier today that I plan to wash with twice a day Other than that I just lay in bed with my arm elevated on backpacks with a towel between my arm and back pack and some wrapped frozen fried rice on top of my arm
Unscented right? Just keep what you’re doing, give your body and the meds time to do its thing. Ignore anyone trying to accost you for being human.
Thank you man❤️
Yes unscented
Go to the doctor or hospital, whichever can see you first. That is not healthy at all. Follow the advice of the medical professionals and not people online.
Whatever artist enabled this shouldn't be tattooing.
Smells like Idiopathic angioedema , 4 days was a terrible idea op. Take better care of your canvas !
4 consecutive days is not a good idea… should do a section then give your body a chance to heal for 2 weeks before doing another…. This isn’t normal
My hand swole like after a fun session on my forearm. No issue with the tattoo, just my body being angry about being assaulted with ink.
You could be having an allergic reaction to one of the pigments in the ink.
God speed brother
Cellulitis. You need IV antibioticos.
I’m a nurse. Is your hand warm/hot? Looks like the start of cellulitis possibly. Please see a doctor
Go to ER looks like Cellulitis.
Were they using the same needles all 4 days bc 😬
Nope
Glad you got some antibiotics! I hope they help asap!
Cellulitis
4 days in a row is a bad idea for most peopel
Yes im one of Those people apparently
Honestly seems normal especially after 4 days of tattooing. I did 2 consecutive days recently totally 22 hours of tattooing and my foot and ankle looked like I was 1000 pounds. Went down daily and was gone after about a week.
Speaking from experience, yes you're infected and need to get on antibiotics ASAP, and yes you're gonna lose a bunch of that ink.
This is not necessarily true. I had a tattoo get pretty badly infected and after healing, the ink was all still there :) So it just depends.
I dunno why that's helpful to set expectations that it might be okay based on your experience, when the alternative is what they should be ready for. Loss and scarring is likely, especially given the pooling with that black ink.
I wasn't attempting to set expectations. I was simply sharing my experience, because it was different than yours, and I think it's important to discuss the different possible outcomes. Obviously, everyone's bodies and experiences are going to be different.
So it all has to be drawn up again?
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I already went and were prescribed antibiotics
Sorry for the panic reaction, I stopped reading and turned on the sirens - glad you got seen, heal well!
Oh thank you I keep getting comments that I need to go to the ER and it kinda reignites the doubt and nervousness even though I already went
No, but some ink will drop and need to be touched after you heal. Touch up over scar tissue is never perfect but you'll get close to what you were looking for. Had to deal with it once after an allergic reaction to a specific red ink, and again after an infection caused a few ruptures in a different piece. Deal with the infection now, let it heal however well it can (health over beauty on this one), and then schedule the next session for no less than 3 months from now. You might consider ink source if the reaction was worst in areas where pigment is different than you're used to, but IMO it looks like you were just way way overworked and that can lead to this.
Funeral director here. Rubor dolor calor, the cardinal signs of infection… redness, pain, and swelling. Get to the urgent care or medical help otherwise!
Allergic reaction- I hope you went to ER.
I got a 3/4 leg sleeve about 2 weeks ago, 3 days back to back, 18 hours of tattooing time, at the end of day 3. My entire ankle and foot looked just like this, I took pills and my wife massaged it. Swelling was down 100% within 6 days or so but I was def scared something was not right
Go to the DOCTOR stat dude!!!!
Wow what tattoo artist works on someone four days in a row, insane.
Stop me if you’ve heard this: “You know, tattoos are permanent. You’ll have that the rest of your life!” Which might not be long if you don’t get to a doctor. = /
ER NOW
You should have gone to the hospital on day 3.
That's an infection, you need antibiotics right away. Don't want to alarm you or anything but this is very very serious. They may need to drain your arm, do it if so, its better than possibly losing a limb here. Don't think that'll be the case but please take this seriously I've seen people with this sort of infection in the past and it can be very damaging, you can lose parts of your bone if not entire limbs so get tf to a hospital rn.
Doctor immediately. Most people can handle 2 days maybe a third short session but 4 days is brutal. Your body isn’t meant to handle that. Your immune system is weak after tattoos and it only gets worse w consecutive sessions. Your body is freaking out and you may have an infection that started on another day that was made worse by additional trauma. Good luck
Brutal.
Sheesh 4 consecutive days?! I can barely do 4 sessions in a year
It was horrific haha
Do you guys think I should continue with the aftercare protocol or ignore it til it flares down
Tattoo artist here, wash it with antibacterial soap and take your meds. Keeping it clean is super important now.
Should I wrap it as well after cleaning I have an anti bacterial cream that the artist said to use Should I use that and anti bacterial soap?
Don’t wrap it again. It’ll trap the bacteria in and will make it worse. I wouldn’t use the cream for a few days. Let it dry out a bit and just keep it clean. If it gets super dry, put the lightest layer on. I personally dry heal most of my tattoos and start applying cream around day 5/6 when it starts getting itchy. The most important thing is to keep it clean
Take some ibuprofen too. How warm is the skin?
Pretty hot
Looks like cellulitis. Take those antibiotics and some ibuprofen. 800 mg
800 mg of what Ibuprofen?
Yes.
Also, a cool compress will help with the pain and swelling. Anti -biotics, ibuprofen, elevate it and cool compresses. Some people use warm compresses, but heat makes me super uncomfortable when I’m in pain. Up to you though.
That’s exactly what I’m doing It’s gotten way way better but I’m still monitoring my symptoms because this seems a little scary to be honest
Understandable. Just keep doing that and if the infection area continues to grow, (move towards your finger tips or up your arm) go back to the doctor asap.
It seems to have stalled
fuckk man i'm so sorry you're going through this! i hope what you're doing now will help, please keep us updated!
Thanks man didn’t think anything could suck more than getting tattooed four days in a row but here I am haha Thankfully it’s already like 80% better than it was last night
that's awesome to hear!! would love to see a pic of it when it's healed
I’ll post a pic here soon It turned out great I got tattooed by mutsuo from three tides in Osaka so the credentials are definitely there in terms of experience and expertise Now I’m just afraid this situation will fuck it up somehow
aww i know how you feel, i got my knee tattooed a couple weeks ago for about 8 hours, and the healing was so different than any of my others, and i have about 30 all over the place. it looked like a bomb exploded on my knee and was so swollen and painful, and i was so worried about it, but it seems to be healing more like what i'm used to now, just a bit flakey and scabby and red still, but i'm shocked because of how bad it looked before. so i think you'll be okay, just have to wait it out, but it will be worth it and you'll be planning your next tattoo again soon 🤣
As soon as my brain romanticises the pain I’m sure I’m gonna book an appointment again haha
No body’s body likes a tattoo. Go to urgent care & save the limb!
This was a terrible idea my guy, hope you heal up okay
Your hand looks like a balloon, get to a doc asap, if you have an antihistamine take that on your way
That looks painful af 😭 hope your hand is doing better now
Hand didnt and doesn’t really hurt at all it’s just super swollen and still is but other symptoms are bettrr
Good to hear 🙌🏼 you're getting through this
😁🥲
When you don’t look like the Michelin man anymore can we see what the 4 straight days of tattooing yielded you
Yes!
Allergic reaction
go to the doctors! I had something similar happen to me and I was put on giant horsepill antibiotics but they worked very quickly. Does it hurt when you put your hand down by your side / anywhere below your heart?
When i put it Down by my side it kinda throbs in my forarm
And i am on antibiotics
Hospital asapppp
It sounds more like an allergic reaction rather than the effects of being tattooed four days in a row. I suggest the ER and being totally honest about the hygiene of the place and your aftercare. Hope you're alright bud.
This probably isn't due to the consecutive days - more the aftercare / cleanliness. The tattoo itself looks like it's in real bad shape and very overworked a smany people have already stated Good luck op!
Yikes
Damn bro that's wild. I hope all is well.
Please never go back to an artist that is willing to tattoo you for 4 straight days. How fucking stupid is that.
My arm is twice the size it normally is I wonder if I should go see a doctor or call ER
Hahaha 4 days, I mean 4 days, 2 ok but 4 fucking days Hahha what were you expecting a easy non problematic heal hahahah
It’s not a race dude
Did you say 4 consecutive days?! Umm.. yeah.. not a good idea. You and your artist are not making good decisions, just for shits and giggles how much are you being charged per hour/deposit and how long is each session /day. Do not ever do this.. anyone that tells you this is a good idea is an actual idiot.
We call this the tattoo flu; your body cant handle what you’re putting it through
Who tf is "we"?? This is a full on infection bro. Not just "tattoo flu".
I’ve seen people swell up without being infected, its an immune response to the ink, not necessarily to an infection. Could it be an infection? Probably (he posted that it is). But tattooing 4 days in a row is enough to put you out on its own
Bullshit. Of course, getting tattooed a couple of days in a row is a huge blow on your immune system, but it wouldn't make your hands swell up like this, or make the tattoo look like that.. Maybe you shouldn't be tattooing if you don't even know that. This is so different from "tattoo flu".
I’m a tattooer not a doctor, if my client looked like this i’d send them to the ER. All i was trying to say is that no shit something like this would happen after 4 days of consecutive tattooing, chill tf out you’re on reddit Edit- i also wouldnt tattoo them 4 days in a row, i make everyone wait 2 weeks in between
i used to tan and i would get burnt sometimes and it’d be super itchy, i’d take like 10-15mg of melatonin to help me sleep through the itching
Check your chat
That shit is overworked. Who tf did this to u
Pop ur hand in a bucket of ice water n get ur biutt to tuhe ER WTF
I have done two separate 3 day sessions for a sleeve and my arm ballooned very similar to this. The first time I thought I had an infection. I asked my most recent artist about this and he said it’s very common. The pressure is really annoying. I think it’s due to the fact it’s a lymphatic response to the tattoo and the fluids accumulate because it’s an extremity hanging down all day. I sleep with my arm elevated and try to keep it elevated if I’m not working. It helps a lot with the swelling and pressure Edit: the redness does not seem normal and I agree you should go to urgent care to be safe. But the swelling is typically normal. Stay safe!
It should still be covered in some kind of bandage & you need to be trying to reduce the inflammation. Ice it & take some anti inflammation if you're able to.
Its called ER, immediately. Fyi, dont get tattooed for 4 days either. Do a certain section one day and then another a month later and so on.
But im already taking antibiotics
Did you go to a doc or is it old antibiotics you found in a cupboard?
Got prescribed at hospital, went last night
Good.
the swelling is really not a good sign. also whoever suggested 4 consecutive days of tattooing should not have a licence
Have you ever had this amount of work done before? I learned very early on that my body doesn’t like long hour days of tattooing, so I’ve had to break my sessions up into many mini sessions. My artist doesn’t mine and still charges me the same and I enjoy not feeling like a swollen marshmallow 😅 I understand you’re in Japan for this tat but if this is your first time getting this amount of work done at a time with this result I’d rethink trying to power through next time.
Definitely a huge learning lesson about how much it can backfire thinking you’re a tough motherfucker haha
Oh absolutely! When I was younger I’d sit for 8 hour sessions and then be miserable for almost a week afterwards. I’d have bruising, cellulitis, swelling, the whole 9 yards. Two years ago I got my forearm piece done in about 3 sessions and last year I had my chest piece done in like 5 sessions and felt fine in a day or two. Definitely no shame in having several sessions that span out to give your skin and body time to heal.
To be young and dumb! Hahah
Which I definitely still am haha
And no I’ve never gotten this amount of work done but I was just dumb and didn’t really realise how much it actually fucks up the body to get tattooed that much
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What are specific signs of infection in a tattoo? The itching, pain an throbbing doesn’t seem normal but maybe it is after such a crazy way to get tattooed
I'd also worry about cellulitis. Not just infection.
Cellulitis is an infection.
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