Did I ruined my first tattoo?

Hey guys, I had my first tattoo done a day ago (a black one on my bikini line) and I`m pretty sure by now I messed it up by putting way too much ointment on it ( the color leached quite a lot). It looks like the ointment had combine with the ink and a crust is forming. There are also some very small bumps on it. Now I`m applying just a VERY thin layer of Bepanthen 3-4 times a day because i`m afraid the crust is going to crack if i don`t use anything and I wash it gently with water and soap before applying it. What should I do? Should I stop using ointment, continue to wash it and just let it heal by itself? I`m afraid that the crust is going to fall along with the ink. Please...any advice is more than welcomed as this is turning into a bad first tattoo experience.

I'm not an artist, but a collector, and it sounds like normal tattoo healing. Tattoos take weeks, sometimes months to heal completely. Yours has only been a day. It is normal to see color going down the drain with the soap and ointment for the first few days until the skin seals over the wound. Tattoos are fairly durable, but they are also permanent and expensive, and that is why people try to go to the extreme to take care of them, to ensure that they heal properly. Don't freak out prematurely. Wait for one of the pro's on this forum to respond, they know what they're talking about, and can give you the best advice. TCE

Romanian Girl, Without seeing your art it doesn't sound like anything serious. The "crust" you are talking about is just Plasma leaking out of the wound (that is what a tattoo is or any puncture of the skin). It is the bodies natural reaction to the skin injury ( a natural band-aid). This is quite normal and is actually good. The problem you might be having is you are not washing it off. By putting to much ointment on it you are not allowing the skin to "breath". You need this breathing to help seal the wound thus no more leaking plasma. The "bumps" you are seeing are most likely clogged pores from too much ointment. Or it could be a reaction to the ointment you are using. I suggest talking to the artist who did you ink. If you don't feel comfortable talking with him/her click on my name above and I will be happy to shoot you my healing instruction from my studio. Here is a hint to try and heal up the problem. Wash the tattoo with luke warm water (not hot) using tradition hand soap (I like Ivory). Wash it good so you don't see any crust on it but don't scrub it with a cloth just use your hand and work up a good lather. Rinse it off completely, pat it dry with a clean paper towel, then "let it air dry for 15-20 min" then apply your ointment. Don't use very much at all....hope that helps. Mike

Here's an idea. Follow the directions your artist gave you!

first off, my props to you... being a first tattoo for you, i'm surprised you went down on the spot you went to for a first tattoo... that had to hurt.... damn you're brave... i can't help you either, but am wondering if the spots (bumps) you have happen to appear white, like a pimple but smaller... so like if you apply pressure, white stuff comes out of it? i get those in/around my tat areas sometimes... and i think it's from the pressure or the reaction my skin has to the needle.. or something... i dunno... but they happen sometimes on my skin... here's a tip of advice if you do have those bumps like me... DON'T POP THEM!!!! If you need something to pick/pop and don't have a lil acne like me, then pinch yourself or something... but don't pop those white bumps... they spread like a mofo!!! and they don't heal up to easily either...

Romanian girls are HOT!!!!!!!!!!!

all tatts heal differently you should go back to the artist if your conserned but it sounds normal

Thanks for the advice Mike. You were right about not washing it well enough because it still had that glossy look after I was washing it. So today I did a thorough cleaning with warm water and soap and it looks a whole lot better. I guess I was freaking out a little because I have no idea how a tattoo is supposed to look like in the first days :) I did follow the instructions my artist gave me. However, he didn`t mention not to put too much or too little ointment on it. And since this was my first tattoo, I didn`t exactly know how much is too much. The reason I posted this was because the shop is closed on Sunday so I couldn`t contact him and I was worried. As far as the pain goes, it wasn`t as bad as I expected. The outline was quite painful, but the filling was a piece of cake. The actual pain came afterwards. Thank God my skin is starting to heal! No matter how painful it would have been, I would have still done it because I thought about it for a long time, I made my own design and it means a lot to me. Thanks for the props Kryptik :) Overall, I think I was worried for no reason. It`s starting to look good, healing properly and the skin around it isn`t irritated anymore. I`ll make sure to wash it now and then and use a little Bepanthen until I switch to lotion. Hopefully it won`t need a touch`up, but if it does, the artist told me he`ll do it for free.

Glad to be of help....enjoy your artwork!!!! Mike

Hey i cant say for sure without seeing your tattoo, but i will tell you that tattoos healing are a lot like sun burns. after a few days they will peal a layer of skin. If the skin is blistering too much thats usually not good. it is also normal for you to "bleed out" some of the ink the first few days, i always have to go for a second sitting to touch up light spots. I hope this helps a little, let me know if you have other questions!

just let it heal .then go back to the artist that did it and have it fixed !

boy did i forget to look at the date on this post