So I just recently became the proud owner of a beautiful owl tattoo on my inner forearm. I’ve wanting this damn thing for years and finally had it done on Saturday(8/23) in a 3 hour session, with only one break.

I didn’t feel much of anything when it was being done aside form a slight vibration from the gun. When we were all done, my artist cleansed my tattoo, put a thin layer of Vaseline, then wrapped my arm in the plastic wrap, telling me to take it off in 2-4 hours.

After removal I was to told to use a non-scented anti-bacterial hand soap and luke warm water to remove all the Vaseline and what blood and plasma had remain. Then I was to let it air dry. Day one I followed all of these. I was told from day one on to gentle cleanse the same way 2-5 times a day as I noticed any seepage, and after 5 days to start applying lotion when it started getting taunt.

My problem is that my skin, on day 2, became very dry, and my tattoo began to crack, so I cleansed, waited and applied my non-scented lotion very thinly, and patted off the excess. (I for some reason didn’t take of pic of it like a moron -.-”)

It’s day three now, and I have had to cleanse and apply lotion aprox. 5 times today due to how severely, and quickly it keeps drying out. BUT the last time, it behaved how my pictures show. I have weird patches of color and line that look kind of like toad skin or cottage cheese.

I’m currently about to go to bed, after attempting a modified routine, I’m going to wash hands(like always) then do the cleanse, but no lotion. I’m not sure if its an allergy or not, so figured I’ll use the power of sleep and bennydril to try to help.

What does it look like to you folks. Normal? A reaction to the ink or perhaps the soap? It only feels irritated right after I’ve done the washing, but the irritation is like that of a mild sunburn.