What's Wrong With My New Tattoo ?

Last Wednesday I got my first color tattoo. Aside from having color it's also in a very visible spot (right forearm). I was very happy with it and aside from it hurting a little it seemed to be healing well, but today I woke up and jumped in the shower for work, and well, basically, I rubbed the area and chunks of outer skin came off and it started bleeding quite a bit. Needless to say, not only am I going to need a touch up, but it HURTS ! Is this normal with forearm tattoos ? Is it a possible reaction to colored ink ? (It's mostly in the yellow green part but only a little bit in the red part) Is it an infection ? I tried to get a hold of the guy who tatted me but he's been out sick for a while, I showed it to other guys in the shop and they more or less implied that they'd never seen something like this and insist I should just keep using the after care ointment and wait for it to heal. I thought I would ask you all for a second opinion/feedback.

you have less than 15 minutes to live.

What did you "rub the area" with? The top layer of skin will peel during the healing process but you are not supposed to rub the fresh tattoo with anything but some mild soap and water and your hand..nothing rough like a wash cloth or "poof". You could have abraded it if you did so. Remember, it's a wound

Right forearm being like the outside ? or closer to the inside of your elbow joint? I had problems with mine healing there in the creases of the arm on one occasion.Hurt like hell but go back and talk to your artist. Aren't most professionals supposed to offer free touchups on work they've done? I'm sure there's a whole thread we could start about that aspect , but once again i'd go talk to the person who did the tattoo.

I just rubbed it with my hand, it seemed to have healed up, I still remember I was soaping up then starting rubbing soap on my arm then starting rubbing the area (i was still waking up) and I saw pieces of colored skin on my hand, I looked at my arm and it was bleeding. And it's on the inside of my forearm, not the elbow you know the side where they poke you when they draw blood, hehe. Well I talked to another guy from another tattoo shop, he said that the guy was probably just heavy handed and he over worked the area, he said to stop using ointment and use vitamin E so that it won't scar real bad. He also said I should wait a good 4-6 months before getting it touched up, so I should be ok. Thanks for chipping in though guys ! Appreciate it.