Did something spontaneous... now regret and feel stupid!

[cavycavy]

So I am a very sensible, professional, 39 year old mother. I’m not (totally) boring but I’ve never really done anything really spontaneous.

But at the weekend I decided to be spontaneous and get a TATTOO.... so I got a very small one on my lower back of a bluebird.

The picture I took in was a black line drawing, similar to that you would see in an old nature book. Kind of sketched but realistic.

Went to the best tattoo shop in town and checked out the artists work. All looked amazing with loads of nature pictures. On Facebook he had countless rave reviews and a few people a know who have tattoos confirmed his good rep. He appeared totally confident and I booked in to have it done the following day.

So in a go, and he does it. It’s very small (50p sized) and it hardly hurt at all.

He told me to keep it wrapped for 1 hour then uncovered or very loose clothing until fully healed. Wash/cream etc.

Firstly, I’m not that happy with it but it’s hard to know what it will look like when fully healed. The proportions of the bird look a bit off and very different to the picture I took in and the transfer he printed off. Also the skin behind the tattoo immediately become very red and sore and all the lines became really swollen so I couldn’t really tell what it really looked like even straight after.

Since then (4 days later) it has become even more red and swollen. It actually looks like it has been drawn by a child with black felt tip!

Looking at all his other tattoos the lines are so thin and precise! There’s a tiny spider (literally about the size of a 20p) and you can see the individual hairs!!

Anyway, have seen a practice nurse and a GP today who both confirmed it is definitely not infected or an allergic reaction, I just have delicate, pale skin which has effectively been injured by the tattoo.

However, I still totally regret having it done! I feel like MASSIVE wanker for thinking I’d be spontaneous, not doing any proper research etc, only for it turn out a bit shit.

The few people I have shown have said “oh that’s lovely” but I can tell they are just being nice bless em!

Anyhoo... my AIBU question is:

AIBU to go back and ask to have it corrected? Can it even be corrected? I have since learned of an amazing artist in a nearby shop who apparently can work magic so is it worth going somewhere else... ? The only problem is, I can see they are friends on Facebook....

The other thing is my tattoo artist posted pictures of all the other work he did that day but not mine!! He obviously wasn’t that proud of it! :(

i really like it and i think its pretty similar to the pic you took in. x

I don't think you made a spontaneous decision - you researched the best clinic in town and saw photos of his work. I think you just need to let it settle down. In England Bepathan is a nappy cream which provides a barrier to wetness, although I know its an antiseptic cream in other countries. But I wouldn't use the nappy cream version to help heal anything other than nappy rash.

OP I love it! Had I not saw the original, then I would have been very confused as to why you don't like it! I can see now why as it is a bit different, but that is the danger of bringing in another actual tattoo for them to work from - they won't ever copy someone else's tattoo 100% identically. Honestly it is gorgeous though, enjoy!!! If you are concerned about healing, please contact the tattooist for advice

Tr

I've really sensitive skin which always looks crap after a tattoo. Just wait til it's healed and it will be fine.

Just seen the pic - I really like it! Absolutely nothing wrong with it!

If having a free slot is a sign of a bad tattoo artist, how do new (good) tattoo artists start up and get established? To get work they have to do work, but to be busy they have to convince people they are good... It must be a pretty hard game to get in to!

Size 9 feet here too.
Just means more room for tattoos!
The bee is lovely and I wouldn't be worried or upset about it if it was mine.
I have the whole top of both my feet tattooed and in the same session.
I remember going to work in dolly shoes that basically just covered the bottom of my foot and having to elastic band my trouser leg to my ankles because even the swish of the material on the top of the foot felt like burning 😂
It'll all feel better soon though.
Again, it's lovely. Stop stressing about it.

Thank you. Good to hear that this could literally just be me healing in an ugly way rather than the tattoo itself being bad.

I’m look at it now with more kindness. And yes, it’s my unique bee :) maybe I should put it on Pinterest!!

So when he put the photo on his computer to print off the transfer I noticed the image looked a bit squat. Like it changed the dimensions of it. So I have a slightly short fat bee.

I’ve genuinely been looking at hundreds of photos of bees and there are so many different kinds and shapes. Mine looks just like one of them.

Think I might add something else for balance. A pp said the placement isn’t quite right, so maybe if I had him landing on a flower? Or I quite like geometric designs.... honeycomb or something??

Any ideas?

Don’t tinker until it’s healed!

Hugely outing but never mind.
If this helps OP, heres a photo of mine about a week after and now a year after.
Admittedly I've had shading done since but you should be able to see the line difference at least.
Tattoos fade to be a lot more delicate once they've healers so no panic.

Yours looks lovely.

Wow anothercareer that’s beautiful.

I very nearly went for this bee on my inner forearm but chickened out in case it would be a jobstopper. In my job (health profession) we have to be bare skin from the elbow down and not sure what the policy is on tattoos on show are. But mine is on show today out of necessity!

Think it’s calmed down a bit.

@cavycavy I'm a Governess, employed to be very posh and British and well presented yadda yadda... And I just wear a tattoo sleeve over it!

Here it is the right way up!

I can’t even wear a sleeve due to
Infection control. I’m gonna check the policy for tattoos on show.

Surely, provided it’s not obviously offensive the NHS can’t discriminate?

OP, speaking as someone covered in tattoos and who has worked in tattoo/piercing shops, it doesn't look like a particularly good quality tattoo. I wouldn't be happy with it. I'd ask for it to be re-touched by someone else. I've had to do this before when I haven't made the best decision re the artist. I go to the same guy for all my tattoos now.

@cavycavy

It wasn't Manchester Ink was it? I had something similar if it was. About 4 years ago I booked in, had to wait for a few weeks for my appointment, had a design I had researched and really loved and ended up so unhappy with the final result. I've had a local guy rework it but turns out that the amazing artist I thought I was getting, who had rave reviews, wasn't the man who tattooed me. Thinking of paying for removal (it's large - 5" square in an obvious place) but can't do that yet as I'm pregnant.

Honestly, for a random walk in a lot of tattooists are pretty shoddy and don't give it the attention/time they deserve. I'm not an advocate of walk in appointments unless you know the artist already, he probably saw tattoo-virgin you coming a mile off. I would just go to the better artist or ask around for recommendations and go through them.

But I do agree with the PP's asking what cream you've been using as some draw the ink out and can make the lines bleed (savlon can do this, sudocrem is a big NO). Also it's only a few days old, it will still be swollen and scabbing. Leave it until 2 weeks, if you're still unhappy then go elsewhere. Where about are you? We might be able to recommend some good studios.

Sorry - just read the thread - your bee looks fine!

I have over 20 tattoos, a mix of large and small. I plan and design each one carefully, wait months until I'm certain, and discuss with my wife and the tattoo artist before proceeding so I'm sure they know what I want. Each time, for about a week after, I hate them. It's strange seeing something colourful where you're used to seeing skin, and it's never exactly the way you picture so I end up analysing any little mistakes. By the end of the first week I'm used to it, I've fallen in love again and I've never regretted or covered one up.

Just wanted to say that I think your tattoo looks lovely. I can understand how you got worried, though, especially while it was looking all red and still healing. The last picture (showing more of your foot) shows it better and it's gorgeous. Hopefully you will like it even more once it's all healed!

You need to give it four weeks to heal, after two weeks you’ll get more of an idea of what it’ll look like once healed. Are you cleaning it and moisturising it?

It’s lovely. I do like bees. I stroke them in the garden all the time. It needs some friends. And some flowers. What about a dragonfly too.

It's not as bad as it sounded in the beginning but the legs do look a bit odd.

It does sound like a good idea to try and add a flower or something to cover up the fact the legs are all scrunched up.

Love your little bee tattoo, glad you are starting to like it