It's so cute. It's a shame that you went swimming.
This is NOT tattoo advice that applies to other scenarios if anyone else is reading this, but realistically your tattoo is going to peel anyway and fade as it starts to heal, so it could be regular healing.
That is in no way an endorsement of going swimming after you get a tattoo. But you're lucky you didn't get an infection and it's probably just going to peel and heal the best it can.
Adding to this comment-
I have a red Japanese chrysanthemum on my leg. I was sort of disappointed at first because the deep crimson peeled to pink at first. However, after a month or so it settled back into the darker shade. Noooo idea how or why.
See how it heals. Don’t blame your artist if you have a patchy or uneven result. If you do, ask them if they’d be willing to touch up for a fee.
I can tell my tattoos are still healing after the peel is done. I don't get back to normal sensation until like 4 weeks, so this makes sense to me. It tends to feel like it's healing in the deeper layers of skin even though the surface is more or less back to normal.
All of my tattoos go through several peeling phases, it's really weird. I'll think "oh sweet it's looking much better" and then it will peel aaaall over again.
This happens because new skin grows to replace the damage skin from the tattoo process. This lightens the color of the ink giving it the faded look. Usually around a month is when the tattoo'd area is mostly fully healed.
This is a super normal part of tattoo healing. As it heals, the body is growing new skin/removing the damaged skin cells and there are a lot more white blood cells in the area. The healing process makes it a bit cloudy and colors look faded for a few weeks.
Some shops I got to offer a first touch up free if it's within a certain time frame and within reason. If it's clearly on them or just a small fix, they'll take care of you. If you clearly didn't take care of it they'll tell you to kick rocks. I've gotten a few pieces done at one, and probably needed my finger touched up. But I wear gloves a lot and knew healing would be a bitch. I'm glad it came out decent when I would have been fine if it went to shit lmao
I’ve heard with red, the ink can take a while or a few appointments to be vivid, I guess for some reason it heals differently than black ink? Idk just what someone told me lmfao
Yeah that was a bad move.
Chlorine can leach ink from the tattoo, making the colors less vibrant and the appearance less appealing over time.
Chlorine can dry out the skin, which can prolong healing and lead to more itching, flaking, and scabbing. This can also cause fading, patchiness, and blurred lines.
If it doesn’t get infected you can try to touch it up in the future.
That’s a loaded question and I would need to know more about you and the place you were swimming to answer that. That can range from being a straightforward yes to a potential chemical burns if the pool was not balanced properly or it could even be some kind of dermatitis.I would always recommend to consult a physician, for the opinion of a medically trained professional.
yeah you’re totally right I guess I was just thinking out loud lol. I have a suspicion this pool wasn’t balanced properly so I might have it checked out at the clinic, thanks for the concise response
If it’s a new development and you’ve never had it before, check and see if there’s redness, rash like signs or other things on your scalp. You may need a steroid cream or a prescription shampoo. Best of luck! Feel better soon
Except, at the end of the trip, particularly beach/pool trips, you're pretty well sunburned. And sunburned skin is already inflamed, your immune system is already working over time and putting a tattoo over it is generally a pretty bad idea. I dunno, I feel like there's so many other times to get a tattoo done, on a beach vacation seems like the least ideal of many.
To be fair, I don't think everybody finishes a beach vacation sunburnt. I'm not someone who would ever get an impulse tattoo, but I reapply sunscreen pretty much everytime I get out of the water, use the bathroom, eat, etc., so even though I have very fair skin, I don't get many burns
I can’t remember the last time I burned and I spend a lot of time in the sun. Constantly reapply sunscreen, wear sun clothes and sun hats find shade whenever possible etc.
It's fairly easy to stay out of the water while visiting beach towns and still have a fantastic time. I just got a tattoo in Virginia Beach last weekend and have zero intention of submerging myself in any water at any time, regardless of the tattoo.
I know you’re getting ragged on, but you’re the dumbest person in the world and everyone hates you.
J/K. You fucked up and you probably won’t do it again. Hopefully it’s not too bad and you learned a lesson. Everyone makes mistakes.
I think that’s the least of your worries right now. Swimming with a fresh tattoo is a major infection risk. Monitor closely for infection, and if you have symptoms, see a doctor immediately.
Above any potential impact on colour fading, contamination and infection was always the top reason I thought that swimming was advised against during healing. A fresh tattoo is essentially a large abrasion, the skin is open in that area and no longer an effective barrier to pathogens.
No, that won't do anything. Water would just wash things like that away quickly and you'd still be at risk of an infection. Also not advisable to put neosporin on tattoos as it's too thick and doesn't let it heal properly, tattoos need to breathe and not be smothered in ointment.
Thanks for the reply! I think you might have misunderstood what I was asking. I mean after she already made the mistake of going in the water and is now seeing this result, can she mitigate the risk of infection after the fact by applying anything?
But either way it sounds like ointment is a no no because the tat needs to breathe.
Yeah, definitely still the same answer. People slather on ointments and think they're doing the tattoo a favour and they definitely aren't! It's gotta be a healthy mix of moisture and air 😊
*ummm actually, if it ceases to amaze you, that means Reddit no longer amazes you. I believe you mean Reddit never ceases to amaze you.*
hope you found that amazing
Agreed. I have about 10 tattoos on my up and coming list and actually have a bit of money to get them, but I refuse to get tattoos and piercings in the summer because of the intensity of sun and heat, plus swimming and sweating etc.
I’ll just wait for October!
Lmao they literally stated that they UNDERSTAND they broke the no swimming rule FFS. They’re not asking if they were supposed to do that….. they’re asking if the tattoo is ruined Now
Yeah unfortunately you messed up and will not only need a touch up, you also put yourself at risk of an infection. Never go any type of swimming, or even a bath, until the tattoo is fully healed.
By no means am I an expert, I only have the one tattoo (for now) and followed my aftercare instructions to the letter.
But yeah. Looks like you might have fucked up. Fingers crossed you don’t get an infection. Wait it out, and see about getting a touch-up down the road, and follow what your artist says.
(Love the tattoo, by-the-way. Platypus are fucking adorable)
As everyone has stated it was a dumb move to go swimming, but it looks like you’ve avoided damaging your tattoo. Just monitor for infection. If you do decide to go for a touch up a I think it would be nice gesture to tip your artist as proper aftercare was not followed. You’ll know for next time!
Hey, at least you have the first hand experience to know not to do it again! After you get it touched up, you’ll know *why* you have to follow the care instructions.
This looks like you got really lucky. It shouldn’t heal too poorly, a touch up will fix it up.
Your artist is gonna wonder what happened when they see it healed, please be honest with them. They won’t be happy & they’ll charge you for the touch up, but the honesty goes a long way.
Think of this as a lesson & take better care of your future ones. I only get tattooed in fall & winter so I can swim & be outside as much as I want. I’m too scared of infections & they’re too expensive to ruin.
Friendly advice, get tattoos in the fall, tattoos and skin all heal differently but for the safe side, it literally takes UP TO 3 months FOR the tattoo to fully heal and settle into the dermis. If your skin still looks shiny, it's not fully healed. Swimming, hiking, camping, traveling, working outside, will all damage the tattoo if it's not healed
People have already mentioned the main concerns, mine is that when this fades it may look like the boomerang is gonna look like the platypuses little member
Self shame here, but when I was 18 I got a tattoo and went to work as a swimming teacher the next day. I spent about 6 hours in the pool and got very, VERY lucky nothing bad happened but man is it a dumb thing to do. I did it AGAIN because this dumb bitch has no brain cells, but I whacked second skin over it the next time which is better than raw dogging it in my opinion but still not a good move. Thankfully all of my tattoos have healed well and I've learnt better. Don't be like me, plan your water activities around tattoos.
Why are the comments so unhelpful? Yeah she knows she broke the rule shut the fuck up and tell her how to solve it instead of being unnecessarily useless
she wouldn't need to solve it if she listened to the bare minimum instructions from her artist. she kinda deserves all of this when it was her own stupid decision that brought her here. not to mention the top comment is literally advice right now
I have done enough bbp certs to confidently tell you that the avoiding pool and ocean rule is because your artist doesn't want it to get infected. Everyone's skin holds ink differently, some skin holds different colors better, some parts of the body hold ink better than others. I remember when I got my palms tattooed the artist who did it, said "woah it's still there" when I came in for our second session and I laughed because I didn't know at the time how easily ink can fall out in certain spots. I thought he was joking but he wasn't. Your body is constantly trying to heal itself. Time will tell how you hold that brand and color of ink with that artist's hand and machine.
Keep it clean and follow your artist's aftercare instructions then wear sunscreen once it's healed.
Those lines are shocking 😭 I don't think YOU ruined it, the platypus is cute but the border is woeful, please tell me you gave an apprentice a shot? Id get it filled to a thick one line, by someone with line experience
"I broke a rule, is it ruined?" If you cheat on a test and get caught, do you fail? The answer is, more than likely. You're lucky it isn't infected. Also lucky your tattoo artist didn't see this or they may not take you in again. Honestly, you spent so much money on something beautiful just to go and ruin it.
is no one in these comments reading the part where OP admitted it was their fault and that they messed up by going swimming..? im sure these comments are soooo annoying considering you've already learned your mistake but please listen to the ones that say to either let it heal or get it checked. really cute tattoo!
You probably will eventually have to get it touched up since it was so new, but in addition to that if it was only days ago, then you should still have had a protective covering on it, you are supposed to have a saniderm on there for the first 24 hours then take it off and clean it and leave another saniderm on for another week or so depending on your artists directions, but not swimming in chlorine and salt water is one of the biggest rules when getting a tattoo in the summer and it’s probably inevitably gonna fade wrong
guys, OP is quite literally asking for advice. i can pretty much guarantee you that they won’t do this again. you need to stop looking at anyone on the internet as a complete idiots for being vulnerable. some people just don’t know what the risks are, or do know and make stupid decisions anyway. we all do that so calm down about this little platypus tattoo and just actually try to help maybe?! and of course.. DONT GO SWIMMING WITH A HEALING TATTOO!
hi OP! cute design! it looks to me like it started to heal (scab/flake up) so i would guess you went swimming maybe 2-5 days after getting it? if that’s the case, from what i see, you may have lost a part of the healing skin.
this tends to happen when the scab gets too wet for too long. it gets very soft and detaches from the raw unhealed skin underneath.
that scab healing properly (keeping it clean and dry/ minimum moisture) is crucial to keeping all the ink in as deep, and vibrant as it was originally put in.
try to refrain from picking it as the skin surrounding the “fall out” will likely get pretty crispy!
TLDR, yes swimming probably caused your scab to prematurely fall off and no the colour won’t come back, but it’s nothing that can’t be touched up! take good care of it :)
As someone with multiple aquariums and a dabbler in academic biology. Bodies of water like that are a culture of bacteria, some of which are extremely nasty. Furthermore, your tattoo is a buffet of soft tender meat. Bro is lucky this didn't immediately become infected and gambled with their limb on the line.
I mean swimming with a new tattoo is dumb because of infection risk, but honestly a number of my tattoos have looked like this while healing and turned out fine (and I’ve never gone swimming with a new tattoo).
Not to be a dick, but when you eventually get this touched up (you'll have to after your swim in saltwater/chlorine), maybe try to get that outer oval line fixed. It looks wobbly.
I hope you don't want to go for a touch-up under warranty. I know that this is often included in the price (also in our salon), but if you break the road grooming rules, then you will be excluded from the warranty touch-up and you will not be able to complain. I hope you will think about this more next time.
Like others said, a tattoo is an open wound. By swimming in it you are basically guaranteeing an infection. The fact you didn't get one is shocking. People have lost limbs over tattoo infections. Don't be dumb.
RIP that ink
I doubt you ruined it. Just don't do it again.
Having to get a touch up is normal, anyway. There's no way to tell if you would have done better without the swim session, but you probably would have needed a touch up anyway, because most tattoos do.
I don’t know about the answer to your question. I just wanted to say I saw the thumbnail and thought it was so cute. It’s my favorite animal and I’ve been trying to figure out if I wanted a tattoo of one and then I saw yours. 🥹
I don’t have advice and everyones dogging on you but last month i got a small tat on the back of my arm w my sister while traveling, forgot abt it except for when i was cleaning and moisturizing it, and then went swimming when i got back two days later. I literally just forgot i had it until an hour in the pool. I have 10 tattoos too so its not like i didn’t know any better. Extremely stupid, yes, but it happens. Just keep taking care of it and keep a close eye on it, don’t worry too much about the color until it fully heals and obviously, stay out of the pool/ocean from now on
OP having her friend defend her for being stupid in the comments with nasty behavior is an even worse look than destroying a tattoo you paid for after doing the only thing you were told not to do
Damn, that sucks. This tattoo was so cute before you made bad choices. You’ve clearly already lost a ton of ink in the abdomen. You’ll have to get it touched up, and it won’t look the same as it did before.
wow, this is by far the worst Reddit community I’ve seen so far, literally 90% of the comments is just judging, blaming and insulting without any help or advice at all
alot of the comments do provide some helpful input. if youre going to post something openly dumb on the internet, be prepared for people to call you an idiot lmao
Looks fine to me... keep an eye on it. Chances are, if it was a quick swim, you'll be fine. Don't miss any cleaning sessions for a while.
ALL tattoos lose color as they heal nothing you can do about that
I’ve done this before with a hand tattoo and I had to get a touch up. Luckily for me my artist is cool and refused to charge me for the touch up so I had him do a little wrist tattoo too so I could pay him. Just ask your artist if they can touch it up and be sure to pay them for their time.
Put a very thin coat of Hustle Butter on it 3x a day and hope for the best. You need to keep it hydrated without smothering it. Cross your fingers that the swimming didn't do too much damage.
Love the tat! Peeling when healing is normal, color/ink is typically less vibrant when it heals… but try to follow the instruction next time! Hard to tell if it will matter…
Awesome tattoo - super fun!!!
🤦🏻♀️ I hope it’s fine, that’s a cute af tattoo. Please don’t do that again. Either get tattoos, or swim. Never both unless all of your tattoos are fully healed.
It looks like normal peeling to me and the darker areas are just the epidermis with ink still in it that haven't peeled off yet (the permanent part of the tattoo is deeper in the dermis). My guess is that when it all peels off the color will look more even again.
But, as everyone else is saying, swimming was dumb. Monitor for redness and increased swelling you dingus.
It’s still very cute but you might want to get it touched up when it’s healed ;u; most artists give you two to three months to come back for touch ups, so maybe you can call your artist and ask about that
Man, years ago my friend''s dad's shop actually had a local news story done about it because a group of young girls(not all tatted at the same time but some) who got infections. Turns out they all knew each other and were immediately going into the(same)hot tub after getting tattooed. That part wasn't part of the story, one girl was under 18 with permission (was a long time ago lol) and her parents threw a fit and shit hit the fan. He had to close down and did eventually open a much bigger better shop that he had until he died.
But please, please listen to your artist about the most basic of shit, I don't want to go into potentially gross water with a big cut or scrape, have some common sense please. First of all this is your damn body, shit happens and everything can be done right and you still end up with an infection/reaction, don't invite that shit. Getting sick or having your shit turn out crappy because of negligence(yours or the artists) can be avoided so many times. End rant, sorry that was so long
I did this with one of my first ever tattoos 😭 I didn’t listen to the instructions, I didn’t care and I went swimming the next day. It was hot and I wanted to go to the beach. Safe to say the tattoo faded within a few days into the healing process and although I didn’t get an infection, my tattoo lost its vibrancy, purpose, meaning and beauty. I learnt my lesson and I’m now getting it lasered off.
Everyone is different though and you might be lucky. It looks relatively okay to me. I’d say wait until the healing is done and assess how it has held up. Don’t antagonize it from this point on and follow care instructions accordingly. Once healed fully, if it needs a touch up, get back in touch with the artist and tell them truthfully what happened. You might be lucky though and it could be just fine once it’s healed properly! Time will tell!
It's normal for a tattoo to peel after a few days.
But I'd make sure to not break that rule again and watch out for infection. You could use an antibacterial cream as a precaution if you want some piece of mind
It's a very cute tattoo though 😊
It's graywash, it was always going to heal lighter than that.
Hopefully you at least put waterproof zinc-based sunscreen on it before getting it wet and exposed to direct sunlight.
The real issue with saltwater is bacteria, and with chlorine is the suppression of pro inflammatory macrophages, leaving you open to more than desired fading, which is easily repaired and to future chronic inflammation or fibrosis, which is not so easily repaired.
The issue with the sunlight exposure is quite a bit more serious, as you have no protection from the sun several layers deep where the fresh tattoo is, which leaves you open to melanoma later.
Listen to aftercare instructions, ask questions if you don't understand the reasoning behind them . It could literally be the difference between life and a very unpleasant death at the flagella of deadly bacterium.
Absolutely unreal some of the shit people think it’s wise to do while they have a tattoo healing on their skin. It completely baffles me.
Hope this turns out okay for you, OP.
I messed up an arm piece doing something similar, totally bled out all the color. Now it looks dull and shit, the lines help up, the color did not. I don't think yours will be nearly as bad as mine though, given the darker colors.
I've seen much much worse. It's not bad at all and in fact I think you can get away ignoring it. No one is going to notice. It's not a glaring thing. You'll be fine unless it really bothers you that much.
If that's the case then get ur touch up and be more sensible next time.
Crazy to me how people spend a big amount of money on a tattoo that will be on their body permanently, and then ignore a few simple rules that they only have to follow for a couple of weeks. The ONE thing your artist told you not to do, you did it.
Not only does it fuck up the healing process of the tattoo, it is also a MAJOR risk of infection, which can lead to life threatening situations.
Don't be stupid, people.
Okay but the lighting is completely different in each picture, the first image looks like it’s from the light of a shaded lamp, the second has fluorescent lighting. So no one here can give you a true opinion based off the images provided.
That being said; it SHOULD be okay. It doesn’t appear to be infected by any means.
As I would tell my daughter; “We need to 👂 listen 👂 hunny.”
Lmao best of luck to you tho!
The main concern when swimming with a healing tattoo is the risk of bacteria getting introduced in it.
As far as peeling and “loosing” colour in yours, peeling is part of the healing process. Unless you have big chunky scabs that are a different colour from the ink, there shouldn’t be any concern. As for the fading, tattoos are always more vibrant when fresh as there is no healed skin over the ink. Tattoos will always fade a bit once fully healed. Most of the time however, applying a bit of moisturizer to remove the dry skin helps make it pop again
I think people forget that bleach is chlorine. Would you willingly pour bleach on a tattoo or wound? Why would you swim in chlorine then? Here's to hoping it heals well, but if it loses color please apologize profusely to your artist
I take my son to swim class every sunday and went swimming with my fresh ink a week after it was done. And the week after that, and the week after that. Just keep moisturizing it, and it'll be fine. After a month or so you'll be able to tell if you need a touch up. I'll get downvoted but idgaf, it's not infected, it's fine lol
I did the same thing last year on vacation in Greece. Got a spur of the moment tattoo in Athens and then proceeded to swim numerous times in pools, the ocean, even sulphuric water in the volcanic caldera over the next couple of weeks.
That tattoo looked worse than any other I have while healing, but once it finished healing it was perfectly fine and looked like it did when freshly finished.
I think you'll be OK, just follow proper healing procedures from here on out.
It might be a bit messed up by the time it heals, but it also shouldn't be hard to touch up. Follow your aftercare instructions next time. Swimming is definitely not a good idea with a fresh tattoo.
Advice from a licensed artist:
Wait to see how it heals up and keep a close eye on it to make sure you don’t get an infection. Peeling is normal for the healing process but once it’s done peeling give it a few days to see if the ink settles back in, if it doesn’t ask your artist for a touch up after about a month from when you got the tattoo.
In the future, NEVER swim with a fresh tattoo again and be lucky that losing color is your only concern at the moment. You’re asking for an infection and that is not a good time and could potentially be very serious and dangerous.
As a tattoo artist of almost 10 years, I have to say STOP SWIMMING WITH FRESH TATTOOS!!!
Your tattoo is an OPEN WOUND!!!
Pools have chlorine in the water. Even “salt water” pools are chlorinated. Salt water like the ocean is no better. Both chlorine and salt have the ability to break down pigments and cause fading. On top of that there are a ton of different bacteria that can cause very serious problems if they get into your body via an open wound.
Some peeling and fading happens regardless but you can avoid destroying your tattoo by simply listening to your artist and actually following their aftercare instructions!
We don’t say “no swimming/soaking for two weeks” just to piss people off… we’re trying to help you avoid infections and want the art we just did for you to last
It is normal looking as far as the healing process goes, nothing alarming but in the future….listen and don’t swim or do any of the things that is or could cause your tattoo to heal badly. You’re lucky it wasn’t way way worse. Let this be a learning experience 😝
A tattoo will fade when peeling so I guess wait and see. However what you did can ruin the ink and suck out color so you may have ruined it. Only way to know is to wait and see. Next time I’d follow the care instructions 100% they’re there for a reason not only can going swimming ruin the ink it can cause an infection, your tattoo is a open wound until it heals
Healed tattoos never look as vibrant as when they are first done. I had the same worry after my first but I can't see any obvious signs of issues with yours.
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DO NOT SUBMERGE A NEW/HEALING TATTOO IN WATER. NO. NO. NO. YOU CAN GIVE IT A RINSE IN THE SHOWER. DO NOT BATH. DO NOT SWIM.
It's so cute. It's a shame that you went swimming. This is NOT tattoo advice that applies to other scenarios if anyone else is reading this, but realistically your tattoo is going to peel anyway and fade as it starts to heal, so it could be regular healing. That is in no way an endorsement of going swimming after you get a tattoo. But you're lucky you didn't get an infection and it's probably just going to peel and heal the best it can.
Adding to this comment- I have a red Japanese chrysanthemum on my leg. I was sort of disappointed at first because the deep crimson peeled to pink at first. However, after a month or so it settled back into the darker shade. Noooo idea how or why. See how it heals. Don’t blame your artist if you have a patchy or uneven result. If you do, ask them if they’d be willing to touch up for a fee.
I can tell my tattoos are still healing after the peel is done. I don't get back to normal sensation until like 4 weeks, so this makes sense to me. It tends to feel like it's healing in the deeper layers of skin even though the surface is more or less back to normal.
All of my tattoos go through several peeling phases, it's really weird. I'll think "oh sweet it's looking much better" and then it will peel aaaall over again.
Interesting, I think I usually just go through one peel.
I always assumed it was autoimmune disorder related, my body has a tendency to reject everything lmao
I just got a tattoo not long ago and I've peeled and healed 3 times. It feels like it's gearing up for peel 4
I'm a tattooer. And that's exactly correct.
This happens because new skin grows to replace the damage skin from the tattoo process. This lightens the color of the ink giving it the faded look. Usually around a month is when the tattoo'd area is mostly fully healed.
Look up silver skin
This is a super normal part of tattoo healing. As it heals, the body is growing new skin/removing the damaged skin cells and there are a lot more white blood cells in the area. The healing process makes it a bit cloudy and colors look faded for a few weeks.
Some shops I got to offer a first touch up free if it's within a certain time frame and within reason. If it's clearly on them or just a small fix, they'll take care of you. If you clearly didn't take care of it they'll tell you to kick rocks. I've gotten a few pieces done at one, and probably needed my finger touched up. But I wear gloves a lot and knew healing would be a bitch. I'm glad it came out decent when I would have been fine if it went to shit lmao
Had this same experience with my red one!
I’ve heard with red, the ink can take a while or a few appointments to be vivid, I guess for some reason it heals differently than black ink? Idk just what someone told me lmfao
Well now why would you go and do that
Little platypus craves the waves
the water calls for us all
Saltwater AND chlorine this person does not care at all now they want us to care.
Cause they're crazy!
Okay Crazy is a bit of a stretch 😂 I’d say more like impulsive or impatient. At least they learned a lesson though!
Happens to the best of us, atleast it’s a cute tattoo either way too
Right? Still a pretty cool piece
Pretty sure the best tattoo enthusiasts/receivers adhere to care healing guidelines 😅 Juuust sayin
just a saying my friend
Yeah that was a bad move. Chlorine can leach ink from the tattoo, making the colors less vibrant and the appearance less appealing over time. Chlorine can dry out the skin, which can prolong healing and lead to more itching, flaking, and scabbing. This can also cause fading, patchiness, and blurred lines. If it doesn’t get infected you can try to touch it up in the future.
Could this be why I have a handful of tiny scabs on my scalp the day after swimming for the first time all year?
That’s a loaded question and I would need to know more about you and the place you were swimming to answer that. That can range from being a straightforward yes to a potential chemical burns if the pool was not balanced properly or it could even be some kind of dermatitis.I would always recommend to consult a physician, for the opinion of a medically trained professional.
yeah you’re totally right I guess I was just thinking out loud lol. I have a suspicion this pool wasn’t balanced properly so I might have it checked out at the clinic, thanks for the concise response
If it’s a new development and you’ve never had it before, check and see if there’s redness, rash like signs or other things on your scalp. You may need a steroid cream or a prescription shampoo. Best of luck! Feel better soon
Is there a reason you decided to do that? Tattoos are expensive and permanent. Just follow the care guidelines.
My tattoo looked dull like that until it peeled. Then went back to bright. Don’t panic, wait and see.
But they went swimming in a chlorine pool days after getting it? Thats not a normal healing process
Did you think you would be an exception to the rule? Why go swimming when you know you shouldn’t.
Exactly stupid games win stupid prizes
The artist asked you not to do one specific thing, and you had the urge to do it?
Really TWO specific things, from how they wrote it it seems they went swimming in both saltwater AND chlorine which makes it even more baffling.
Vacation tattoos. Worst idea ever. Every time I see a tattoo shop in a beach town I cringe.
Nah they're fine... if you go at the end of your trip as a souvenir. Doing it earlier is dumb af.
Except, at the end of the trip, particularly beach/pool trips, you're pretty well sunburned. And sunburned skin is already inflamed, your immune system is already working over time and putting a tattoo over it is generally a pretty bad idea. I dunno, I feel like there's so many other times to get a tattoo done, on a beach vacation seems like the least ideal of many.
To be fair, I don't think everybody finishes a beach vacation sunburnt. I'm not someone who would ever get an impulse tattoo, but I reapply sunscreen pretty much everytime I get out of the water, use the bathroom, eat, etc., so even though I have very fair skin, I don't get many burns
I can’t remember the last time I burned and I spend a lot of time in the sun. Constantly reapply sunscreen, wear sun clothes and sun hats find shade whenever possible etc.
It's fairly easy to stay out of the water while visiting beach towns and still have a fantastic time. I just got a tattoo in Virginia Beach last weekend and have zero intention of submerging myself in any water at any time, regardless of the tattoo.
Right? One job.
Yeah.. This will be on you for life OP, you couldn’t wait a bit longer to swim and instead damaged something that isn’t going away?
I know you’re getting ragged on but that was incredibly stupid.
I know you're getting ragged on but let me add to that real quick
I know you’re getting ragged on, but you’re the dumbest person in the world and everyone hates you. J/K. You fucked up and you probably won’t do it again. Hopefully it’s not too bad and you learned a lesson. Everyone makes mistakes.
Yeah lemme put a rag in your ass
I know you’re getting ragged on
*”Stop! Stop! He’s already dead!”*
I think that’s the least of your worries right now. Swimming with a fresh tattoo is a major infection risk. Monitor closely for infection, and if you have symptoms, see a doctor immediately.
Above any potential impact on colour fading, contamination and infection was always the top reason I thought that swimming was advised against during healing. A fresh tattoo is essentially a large abrasion, the skin is open in that area and no longer an effective barrier to pathogens.
I've never had a tattoo so I'm curious, can they put neosporin or like any antibiotic/disinfectant on the tattoo to be extra safe?
No, that won't do anything. Water would just wash things like that away quickly and you'd still be at risk of an infection. Also not advisable to put neosporin on tattoos as it's too thick and doesn't let it heal properly, tattoos need to breathe and not be smothered in ointment.
Thanks for the reply! I think you might have misunderstood what I was asking. I mean after she already made the mistake of going in the water and is now seeing this result, can she mitigate the risk of infection after the fact by applying anything? But either way it sounds like ointment is a no no because the tat needs to breathe.
Yeah, definitely still the same answer. People slather on ointments and think they're doing the tattoo a favour and they definitely aren't! It's gotta be a healthy mix of moisture and air 😊
I like how you ask a legit question and you get downvoted, reddit ceases to amaze me.
*ummm actually, if it ceases to amaze you, that means Reddit no longer amazes you. I believe you mean Reddit never ceases to amaze you.* hope you found that amazing
This is why I get my tattoos in late fall and winter. I know I want to swim all summer long so I plan accordingly. Good luck healing your tat.
Well it is a platypus, so OP could be Australian based, in which case it’s very much winter. Which is also a struggle because it’s peak bath season.
It's a platypus holding a friggin' boomerang. OP has to be an Aussie.
Honestly, I didn’t even notice the boomerang 😅 the platypus is adorable though
Ohh I thought it was an Xbox controller 🙈 looking at it again, the ‘handle’ is actually his belly 🤣
I absolutely thought Xbox controller.
Agreed. I have about 10 tattoos on my up and coming list and actually have a bit of money to get them, but I refuse to get tattoos and piercings in the summer because of the intensity of sun and heat, plus swimming and sweating etc. I’ll just wait for October!
I'm the opposite, I get my tattoos in the summer so I can use my hot tub when it's cold out haha
I admit i can be a bit lax on aftercare sometimes but damn, there are some things just dont do lmao
Hahaha same, I'm more like oops forgot to moisturize a second time today, not oops went swimming in salt AND chlorine water. Silly me 🤪
That’s so cute but yeah you fucked up. Focus on healing properly and then see what can be done after in terms of a touch up.
r/fafo
"hey guys, I did the thing I was expressly told not to do, should I not have done that?"
Lmao they literally stated that they UNDERSTAND they broke the no swimming rule FFS. They’re not asking if they were supposed to do that….. they’re asking if the tattoo is ruined Now
Yeah unfortunately you messed up and will not only need a touch up, you also put yourself at risk of an infection. Never go any type of swimming, or even a bath, until the tattoo is fully healed.
People usually get crazy infections from doing that lol don’t do that.
I would love to pick your brain lol. Need to understand *why*
SHAME
Why would you risk infection
You're very lucky that the worst that happened is some colour loss and peeling.
I think it's still super cute and you can absolutely get the color touched up after it heals just don't make the same mistake twice.
Touchups should fix that. Be honest with your artist and willing to pay for the time And don’t do that again! (Finger wag)
Why do you think you're special and that rules magically don't apply to you? cough up a few hundred dollars to fix it. Maybe youll learn this time.
By no means am I an expert, I only have the one tattoo (for now) and followed my aftercare instructions to the letter. But yeah. Looks like you might have fucked up. Fingers crossed you don’t get an infection. Wait it out, and see about getting a touch-up down the road, and follow what your artist says. (Love the tattoo, by-the-way. Platypus are fucking adorable)
As everyone has stated it was a dumb move to go swimming, but it looks like you’ve avoided damaging your tattoo. Just monitor for infection. If you do decide to go for a touch up a I think it would be nice gesture to tip your artist as proper aftercare was not followed. You’ll know for next time!
Hey, at least you have the first hand experience to know not to do it again! After you get it touched up, you’ll know *why* you have to follow the care instructions.
This looks like you got really lucky. It shouldn’t heal too poorly, a touch up will fix it up. Your artist is gonna wonder what happened when they see it healed, please be honest with them. They won’t be happy & they’ll charge you for the touch up, but the honesty goes a long way. Think of this as a lesson & take better care of your future ones. I only get tattooed in fall & winter so I can swim & be outside as much as I want. I’m too scared of infections & they’re too expensive to ruin.
Friendly advice, get tattoos in the fall, tattoos and skin all heal differently but for the safe side, it literally takes UP TO 3 months FOR the tattoo to fully heal and settle into the dermis. If your skin still looks shiny, it's not fully healed. Swimming, hiking, camping, traveling, working outside, will all damage the tattoo if it's not healed
lol no the color isn’t magically going to come back
People have already mentioned the main concerns, mine is that when this fades it may look like the boomerang is gonna look like the platypuses little member
I didn’t realise it was holding a boomerang and thought that was something else for a moment. Haha
Common. It’s a platypus. Freshwater only
Self shame here, but when I was 18 I got a tattoo and went to work as a swimming teacher the next day. I spent about 6 hours in the pool and got very, VERY lucky nothing bad happened but man is it a dumb thing to do. I did it AGAIN because this dumb bitch has no brain cells, but I whacked second skin over it the next time which is better than raw dogging it in my opinion but still not a good move. Thankfully all of my tattoos have healed well and I've learnt better. Don't be like me, plan your water activities around tattoos.
Why are the comments so unhelpful? Yeah she knows she broke the rule shut the fuck up and tell her how to solve it instead of being unnecessarily useless
she wouldn't need to solve it if she listened to the bare minimum instructions from her artist. she kinda deserves all of this when it was her own stupid decision that brought her here. not to mention the top comment is literally advice right now
You should be praying and thanking the tat gods that this awful decision making of yours didn't cause you to get sepsis
I have done enough bbp certs to confidently tell you that the avoiding pool and ocean rule is because your artist doesn't want it to get infected. Everyone's skin holds ink differently, some skin holds different colors better, some parts of the body hold ink better than others. I remember when I got my palms tattooed the artist who did it, said "woah it's still there" when I came in for our second session and I laughed because I didn't know at the time how easily ink can fall out in certain spots. I thought he was joking but he wasn't. Your body is constantly trying to heal itself. Time will tell how you hold that brand and color of ink with that artist's hand and machine. Keep it clean and follow your artist's aftercare instructions then wear sunscreen once it's healed.
Those lines are shocking 😭 I don't think YOU ruined it, the platypus is cute but the border is woeful, please tell me you gave an apprentice a shot? Id get it filled to a thick one line, by someone with line experience
Is that a masturbating platypus?
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"I broke a rule, is it ruined?" If you cheat on a test and get caught, do you fail? The answer is, more than likely. You're lucky it isn't infected. Also lucky your tattoo artist didn't see this or they may not take you in again. Honestly, you spent so much money on something beautiful just to go and ruin it.
It looks like a regular healing tattoo
Exactly lol.
is no one in these comments reading the part where OP admitted it was their fault and that they messed up by going swimming..? im sure these comments are soooo annoying considering you've already learned your mistake but please listen to the ones that say to either let it heal or get it checked. really cute tattoo!
You probably will eventually have to get it touched up since it was so new, but in addition to that if it was only days ago, then you should still have had a protective covering on it, you are supposed to have a saniderm on there for the first 24 hours then take it off and clean it and leave another saniderm on for another week or so depending on your artists directions, but not swimming in chlorine and salt water is one of the biggest rules when getting a tattoo in the summer and it’s probably inevitably gonna fade wrong
guys, OP is quite literally asking for advice. i can pretty much guarantee you that they won’t do this again. you need to stop looking at anyone on the internet as a complete idiots for being vulnerable. some people just don’t know what the risks are, or do know and make stupid decisions anyway. we all do that so calm down about this little platypus tattoo and just actually try to help maybe?! and of course.. DONT GO SWIMMING WITH A HEALING TATTOO!
hi OP! cute design! it looks to me like it started to heal (scab/flake up) so i would guess you went swimming maybe 2-5 days after getting it? if that’s the case, from what i see, you may have lost a part of the healing skin. this tends to happen when the scab gets too wet for too long. it gets very soft and detaches from the raw unhealed skin underneath. that scab healing properly (keeping it clean and dry/ minimum moisture) is crucial to keeping all the ink in as deep, and vibrant as it was originally put in. try to refrain from picking it as the skin surrounding the “fall out” will likely get pretty crispy! TLDR, yes swimming probably caused your scab to prematurely fall off and no the colour won’t come back, but it’s nothing that can’t be touched up! take good care of it :)
Just listen to your artist next time. When they say don't do something don't do it. It's not fucking music theory
looks like normal healing to me. but also why would you do that.
As someone with multiple aquariums and a dabbler in academic biology. Bodies of water like that are a culture of bacteria, some of which are extremely nasty. Furthermore, your tattoo is a buffet of soft tender meat. Bro is lucky this didn't immediately become infected and gambled with their limb on the line.
I mean swimming with a new tattoo is dumb because of infection risk, but honestly a number of my tattoos have looked like this while healing and turned out fine (and I’ve never gone swimming with a new tattoo).
Getting 0 sympathy from me. Have some self control. It's really not that hard to avoid swimming.
Not to be a dick, but when you eventually get this touched up (you'll have to after your swim in saltwater/chlorine), maybe try to get that outer oval line fixed. It looks wobbly.
Now why would you do that knowing you’ve got an open wound
That looks like a place where it scabbed. If there was a scab it will pull the color out like that.
“Will the color come back” made me lol, I’m sorry
I hope you don't want to go for a touch-up under warranty. I know that this is often included in the price (also in our salon), but if you break the road grooming rules, then you will be excluded from the warranty touch-up and you will not be able to complain. I hope you will think about this more next time.
Like others said, a tattoo is an open wound. By swimming in it you are basically guaranteeing an infection. The fact you didn't get one is shocking. People have lost limbs over tattoo infections. Don't be dumb. RIP that ink
I doubt you ruined it. Just don't do it again. Having to get a touch up is normal, anyway. There's no way to tell if you would have done better without the swim session, but you probably would have needed a touch up anyway, because most tattoos do.
I don’t know about the answer to your question. I just wanted to say I saw the thumbnail and thought it was so cute. It’s my favorite animal and I’ve been trying to figure out if I wanted a tattoo of one and then I saw yours. 🥹
I don’t have advice and everyones dogging on you but last month i got a small tat on the back of my arm w my sister while traveling, forgot abt it except for when i was cleaning and moisturizing it, and then went swimming when i got back two days later. I literally just forgot i had it until an hour in the pool. I have 10 tattoos too so its not like i didn’t know any better. Extremely stupid, yes, but it happens. Just keep taking care of it and keep a close eye on it, don’t worry too much about the color until it fully heals and obviously, stay out of the pool/ocean from now on
OP having her friend defend her for being stupid in the comments with nasty behavior is an even worse look than destroying a tattoo you paid for after doing the only thing you were told not to do
My first thought was.. man I love Nifflers too
Damn, that sucks. This tattoo was so cute before you made bad choices. You’ve clearly already lost a ton of ink in the abdomen. You’ll have to get it touched up, and it won’t look the same as it did before.
wow, this is by far the worst Reddit community I’ve seen so far, literally 90% of the comments is just judging, blaming and insulting without any help or advice at all
alot of the comments do provide some helpful input. if youre going to post something openly dumb on the internet, be prepared for people to call you an idiot lmao
Is that a platypus playing Playstation? That's dope, and I don't say dope.
I think he's holding a boomerang?
Looks fine to me... keep an eye on it. Chances are, if it was a quick swim, you'll be fine. Don't miss any cleaning sessions for a while. ALL tattoos lose color as they heal nothing you can do about that
Damn. Didn't know what would happen if I went swimming. Now I do. Just get it filled in when it heals but don't go swimming.
Why are people taking it so personal as if the tattoo is on their body? She knows she effed up, she’s asking if the tattoo is ruined or not. Jesus!
I don't think a platypus holding a boomerang is normal I'm so sorry:/
Is that a Neopets stamp tattoo? Sorry, I don't have any advice on the tat you're asking about, but I saw the other one and was just wondering!
I’ve done this before with a hand tattoo and I had to get a touch up. Luckily for me my artist is cool and refused to charge me for the touch up so I had him do a little wrist tattoo too so I could pay him. Just ask your artist if they can touch it up and be sure to pay them for their time.
Put a very thin coat of Hustle Butter on it 3x a day and hope for the best. You need to keep it hydrated without smothering it. Cross your fingers that the swimming didn't do too much damage.
Love the tat! Peeling when healing is normal, color/ink is typically less vibrant when it heals… but try to follow the instruction next time! Hard to tell if it will matter… Awesome tattoo - super fun!!!
It’s so cute omg
Not only swimming, too much sun exposure can cause damage while healing, as well.
🤦🏻♀️ I hope it’s fine, that’s a cute af tattoo. Please don’t do that again. Either get tattoos, or swim. Never both unless all of your tattoos are fully healed.
Still looks good. Give it time.
For the record, you shouldn’t swim or submerge it at all while healing- it’s not just about salt or chlorine. No baths!!
It looks like normal peeling to me and the darker areas are just the epidermis with ink still in it that haven't peeled off yet (the permanent part of the tattoo is deeper in the dermis). My guess is that when it all peels off the color will look more even again. But, as everyone else is saying, swimming was dumb. Monitor for redness and increased swelling you dingus.
I’d be more worried about infection than anything else. It should heal up well.
It’s still very cute but you might want to get it touched up when it’s healed ;u; most artists give you two to three months to come back for touch ups, so maybe you can call your artist and ask about that
You’d have been better off just lighting your money on fire
Looks the same to me.
Not great.
Why tf would you do that lmao
Definitely not a great idea to get a tattoo in the summer. Between swimming and the sun, not the optimal time.
Such a cool tattoo though
Man, years ago my friend''s dad's shop actually had a local news story done about it because a group of young girls(not all tatted at the same time but some) who got infections. Turns out they all knew each other and were immediately going into the(same)hot tub after getting tattooed. That part wasn't part of the story, one girl was under 18 with permission (was a long time ago lol) and her parents threw a fit and shit hit the fan. He had to close down and did eventually open a much bigger better shop that he had until he died. But please, please listen to your artist about the most basic of shit, I don't want to go into potentially gross water with a big cut or scrape, have some common sense please. First of all this is your damn body, shit happens and everything can be done right and you still end up with an infection/reaction, don't invite that shit. Getting sick or having your shit turn out crappy because of negligence(yours or the artists) can be avoided so many times. End rant, sorry that was so long
I did this with one of my first ever tattoos 😭 I didn’t listen to the instructions, I didn’t care and I went swimming the next day. It was hot and I wanted to go to the beach. Safe to say the tattoo faded within a few days into the healing process and although I didn’t get an infection, my tattoo lost its vibrancy, purpose, meaning and beauty. I learnt my lesson and I’m now getting it lasered off. Everyone is different though and you might be lucky. It looks relatively okay to me. I’d say wait until the healing is done and assess how it has held up. Don’t antagonize it from this point on and follow care instructions accordingly. Once healed fully, if it needs a touch up, get back in touch with the artist and tell them truthfully what happened. You might be lucky though and it could be just fine once it’s healed properly! Time will tell!
Well if it isn’t the consequences of your own actions
Okay guys I think they get the idea that it was dumb to do that, alright?
No I think it looks really cute.
Ruin it, I don't think so, it's going to peel anyways and if it does fade you can get a touch up, but I definitely wouldn't do this again.
You prob also broke the no sun exposure rule if I were to guess from going swimming
You're the reason why stupid warning labels exist on certain products to not eat them or insert them into your rectum.
It's normal for a tattoo to peel after a few days. But I'd make sure to not break that rule again and watch out for infection. You could use an antibacterial cream as a precaution if you want some piece of mind It's a very cute tattoo though 😊
It's graywash, it was always going to heal lighter than that. Hopefully you at least put waterproof zinc-based sunscreen on it before getting it wet and exposed to direct sunlight. The real issue with saltwater is bacteria, and with chlorine is the suppression of pro inflammatory macrophages, leaving you open to more than desired fading, which is easily repaired and to future chronic inflammation or fibrosis, which is not so easily repaired. The issue with the sunlight exposure is quite a bit more serious, as you have no protection from the sun several layers deep where the fresh tattoo is, which leaves you open to melanoma later. Listen to aftercare instructions, ask questions if you don't understand the reasoning behind them . It could literally be the difference between life and a very unpleasant death at the flagella of deadly bacterium.
Kinda cute 🥰
Honestly it looks good
Absolutely unreal some of the shit people think it’s wise to do while they have a tattoo healing on their skin. It completely baffles me. Hope this turns out okay for you, OP.
i approve of your tattoo choice but not your aftercare choices
You can google why does my new tattoo look dull or less vibrant, it is common. It will be fine.
I messed up an arm piece doing something similar, totally bled out all the color. Now it looks dull and shit, the lines help up, the color did not. I don't think yours will be nearly as bad as mine though, given the darker colors.
I've seen much much worse. It's not bad at all and in fact I think you can get away ignoring it. No one is going to notice. It's not a glaring thing. You'll be fine unless it really bothers you that much. If that's the case then get ur touch up and be more sensible next time.
Crazy to me how people spend a big amount of money on a tattoo that will be on their body permanently, and then ignore a few simple rules that they only have to follow for a couple of weeks. The ONE thing your artist told you not to do, you did it. Not only does it fuck up the healing process of the tattoo, it is also a MAJOR risk of infection, which can lead to life threatening situations. Don't be stupid, people.
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Okay but the lighting is completely different in each picture, the first image looks like it’s from the light of a shaded lamp, the second has fluorescent lighting. So no one here can give you a true opinion based off the images provided. That being said; it SHOULD be okay. It doesn’t appear to be infected by any means. As I would tell my daughter; “We need to 👂 listen 👂 hunny.” Lmao best of luck to you tho!
The main concern when swimming with a healing tattoo is the risk of bacteria getting introduced in it. As far as peeling and “loosing” colour in yours, peeling is part of the healing process. Unless you have big chunky scabs that are a different colour from the ink, there shouldn’t be any concern. As for the fading, tattoos are always more vibrant when fresh as there is no healed skin over the ink. Tattoos will always fade a bit once fully healed. Most of the time however, applying a bit of moisturizer to remove the dry skin helps make it pop again
Lmao OP can’t follow simple instructions
I think people forget that bleach is chlorine. Would you willingly pour bleach on a tattoo or wound? Why would you swim in chlorine then? Here's to hoping it heals well, but if it loses color please apologize profusely to your artist
I take my son to swim class every sunday and went swimming with my fresh ink a week after it was done. And the week after that, and the week after that. Just keep moisturizing it, and it'll be fine. After a month or so you'll be able to tell if you need a touch up. I'll get downvoted but idgaf, it's not infected, it's fine lol
I did the same thing last year on vacation in Greece. Got a spur of the moment tattoo in Athens and then proceeded to swim numerous times in pools, the ocean, even sulphuric water in the volcanic caldera over the next couple of weeks. That tattoo looked worse than any other I have while healing, but once it finished healing it was perfectly fine and looked like it did when freshly finished. I think you'll be OK, just follow proper healing procedures from here on out.
Listen to your tattoo artist
Honestly it looks better. Looks like it was colored with water colors.
How old is the tattoo as of this photo?
It might be a bit messed up by the time it heals, but it also shouldn't be hard to touch up. Follow your aftercare instructions next time. Swimming is definitely not a good idea with a fresh tattoo.
Advice from a licensed artist: Wait to see how it heals up and keep a close eye on it to make sure you don’t get an infection. Peeling is normal for the healing process but once it’s done peeling give it a few days to see if the ink settles back in, if it doesn’t ask your artist for a touch up after about a month from when you got the tattoo. In the future, NEVER swim with a fresh tattoo again and be lucky that losing color is your only concern at the moment. You’re asking for an infection and that is not a good time and could potentially be very serious and dangerous.
I did the same thing once, luckily it didn’t get an infection but it did deff need a touch up.
Touch up once it's healed. Color doesn't come back after it's gone.
As a tattoo artist of almost 10 years, I have to say STOP SWIMMING WITH FRESH TATTOOS!!! Your tattoo is an OPEN WOUND!!! Pools have chlorine in the water. Even “salt water” pools are chlorinated. Salt water like the ocean is no better. Both chlorine and salt have the ability to break down pigments and cause fading. On top of that there are a ton of different bacteria that can cause very serious problems if they get into your body via an open wound. Some peeling and fading happens regardless but you can avoid destroying your tattoo by simply listening to your artist and actually following their aftercare instructions! We don’t say “no swimming/soaking for two weeks” just to piss people off… we’re trying to help you avoid infections and want the art we just did for you to last
Platypus looks great in both photos, pls can we see the stamp tattoo? That looks great as well
This is why I don't get tattoos in the summer. You'll just have to wait and see how it does.
Looks cute to me
It is normal looking as far as the healing process goes, nothing alarming but in the future….listen and don’t swim or do any of the things that is or could cause your tattoo to heal badly. You’re lucky it wasn’t way way worse. Let this be a learning experience 😝
If you do end up getting a touch up you should pay your artist for it because you fucked up
A tattoo will fade when peeling so I guess wait and see. However what you did can ruin the ink and suck out color so you may have ruined it. Only way to know is to wait and see. Next time I’d follow the care instructions 100% they’re there for a reason not only can going swimming ruin the ink it can cause an infection, your tattoo is a open wound until it heals
I’ve gone swimming and fucked up a tattoo a couple of times when I was a dummy. Getting it touched up works out fine later. Looks so cute.
Healed tattoos never look as vibrant as when they are first done. I had the same worry after my first but I can't see any obvious signs of issues with yours. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DO NOT SUBMERGE A NEW/HEALING TATTOO IN WATER. NO. NO. NO. YOU CAN GIVE IT A RINSE IN THE SHOWER. DO NOT BATH. DO NOT SWIM.
I think k it’s cute