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Before i explain the issue, i’d just like to say i already have 1 complete sleeve which looks great and healed perfectly. For this arm i used bepanthem 2-3 times per day for 3-4 days. But i have now started a new sleeve with a different artist…. and now the trouble begins:
I chose my new artist as he is exceptionally talented and has a very impressive portfolio. As far as the artwork goes he is faultless for what i’m looking for. However, i have just finished my 3rd session and all 3 i seem to be having some kind of strange reaction around my elbow. FYI had zero problems with my other elbow.
First session – outlined the whole forarm and it healed fine, despite a dip in a pool which i later realised i shouldn’t have done. EXCEPT towards my elbow the black has probably 50% come out. Very strange. My artist told me to use more bepanthem but i did use it every 2-3 hours and instructed for the whole week.
Second Session – this was several layers of different colours all around my elbow (though not directly on it) the part on the inside of my elbow seems to have healed OK-ish, but the outside of my elbow healed very badly, the colour drained and the skin felt horrible and rough afterwards. My thinking is because i used even more bepanthem this time, i drowned it and it had a bad effect.
Third Session – this is where it gets very weird, for me. Up until now i have blamed the poor results on my aftercare, too much bepanthem etc. so this time, i have been using a less potent moisturiser and occasionally vaseline. This session he backgrounded 80% of my forearm and it looks generally OK except again towards my elbow it has dropped out almost completely. He even said as he was tattoing it that it was going in well.
So now i am at a loss as to what is happening. My friends have suggested i might be having an allergic reation to the ink, which is possible i suppose as it is probably different to the ink on my other arm? But why only near my elbow (when i say elbow i mean including a 3 inch area outwards too) the skin also looks rather irritated as you can see in the first picture under the yellow.
These colours were custom made from mixing colours, and is intended to look a bit patchy as it is only a background, he doesn’t want it to be too saturated when the layers go on top. But it looks much worse near the elbow.
Any help very much appreciated! What should i do?
Hi
My advice is wait 6 weeks before your next session to give the skin time to heal both on the surface and beneath.
I would also suggest to the artist that he tries a different mix or settles on a different brand and uses more wash with it rather than mixing 2 pigments – it could be a reaction.
Also how long are you having sessions for? Is the skin being overworked? Are you getting a lot of contaminates from work area etc?
Try shortening the session and doing a test piece once healed.
The key thing is it can be fixed as long as don’t chew the skin up. More ink can be layered into the healed skin but won’t hold if still healing.
I am having a tattoo over skin graphs on my leg and discussed the risks with my artist – I have some small patches where the black pigment has just peeled right out and still got a heavy scab after 3 weeks.
My artist did my entire back with no issues and the care regime or inks have not changed. However I am confident that with some touch ups it will be as good as new it is just the irritation and waiting that is hard.
Sometimes it is down to physiology of your skin but as I say let it heal and then review how to fill it in again.
Take Care
Matthew
never use vaseline on a tattoo, its terrible, and never smother, just the lightest thinnest coat you can apply.
My elbow is completely inked (in my album) and you can only work this skin a small amount each session, it is skin that is nearly impossible to tattoo, it doesnt want to be tattooed, and it will never be easy to tattoo,
I dont know about this ink mix, color shouldnt be so patchy
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