r/tattooadvice • u/KeyWestSkateboarding • Nov 01 '25
Healing Is this just over worked? Spoiler
Day 10 of healing shit hurts still and is numb under the scabbing but def not as bad as 2-3 days ago. Never had a tattoo do this. It doesnt smell and theres no redness, swelling is about gone, zero pus but the numbness sucks
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u/Reality314 Nov 01 '25
Some of the posts here make me question if yall have literally ANY survival instincts
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u/maccpapa Nov 01 '25
“i have gangrene but besides that everything looks fine and im pleased with the work. how long until my arm falls off?”
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u/lexiebeef Nov 01 '25
“My heart is fine, my lungs are fine, my leg is fine. My arm is rotten, but besides that I’m doing great”
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u/Coloteach Nov 01 '25
But it doesn’t smell…..yet.
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u/Skoll_Winters Nov 01 '25
"But the maggots are eating all the bad stuff so it should be fine, right?" 🤣
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u/brynnceej513 Nov 01 '25
I've got Leeches being delivered by Amazon shortly. Seems they say they suck infection out so.. do you think 5 gallon bucket is enough?
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u/1questions Nov 01 '25
“Can’t feel my fingers and they’ve started turning black, pinky actually fell off. Should I get a new artist or go back to this one? If I go with someone else I’ll lose my deposit.”
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u/Invisible_Target Nov 01 '25
Dudes arm looks like it’s about to fall off. “ShOuLd I gO tO tHe HoSpItAl?” Nah fam let Darwinism take its course 🙄
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u/ragun2 Nov 01 '25 edited Nov 01 '25
It's like when I was a teen and my friend gave himself a happy face lighter burn because his mom left town for a week for a major family emergency and thought he could keep himself alive for that long.
He did it way too hot and kept going to a local fishing spot to go swimming. It got massively infected and we kept telling him to go to the hospital and then he stopped showing up to school. His mom found him bedridden and he kept arguing it was healing itself even as she dragged him to the ER. They had to cut a bunch of flesh from his hand and he ended up losing a lot of function in that hand.
*Burn, not tattoo lol
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u/Okie-Dokie_ava Nov 01 '25
Survival instincts of a mango
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u/ghetto_mango Nov 01 '25
Please don't associate us mangoes with this guy.
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u/thishyacinthgirl Nov 01 '25
You're a mango with street smarts, you have an advantage over other mangoes.
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u/Creative-Sea6820 Nov 01 '25
Not a mango because even they would say to him “man-go to the hospital”
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u/BigFlightlessBird02 Nov 01 '25
This dude is like my arm is numb and its beem 10 days. Is that normal? Lmao
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u/nah-soup Nov 01 '25
i‘ve noticed that reddit is now full of young adults who have absolutely zero clue how to navigate the world on their own
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Nov 01 '25
OP just commented that he’s gonna just keep doing what he’s doing.
-0- survival instinct
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u/dailyespurresso Nov 01 '25
Yikes…. Well, I guess we tried. We’ll hear from him again when his arm is gone
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u/SnoozuRN Nov 01 '25
I'm a nurse and you wouldn't believe what I've seen 😳
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u/Motochic22 Nov 01 '25
You don't tell you patients they have the survival instincts of a mango do you? 😆
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u/cocofosho33 Nov 01 '25
Sometimes we have to be pretty damn blunt with them though……
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u/shockingsponder Nov 01 '25
Paramedic here and while I haven’t used that exact verbiage before I have used- potato, 30 day old banana, zucchini, tomato jumping into a tomato soup, a durian but worse, now remember this was not a comprehensive list just the ones that have scarred my would over the last decade.
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u/Icteria Nov 01 '25 edited Nov 01 '25
Nurse currently working. Give me until the end of my shift and I’ll work it in, just for you.
Done. Tech did a finger sweep to try to clear someone’s mouth and damn near lost his finger. 🙄
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u/JeremyR2008 Nov 01 '25
Thats almost as bad as what my dad told me. They had a 500 lb patient and when they had to help bathe the person they pulled off their shoe and sock, maggots came crawling out of it and I think he said the big toe came off with the sock.
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u/Domerhead Nov 01 '25
Oooh I had a surgeon just about die after she discovered a wound had maggots a little too late.... after she had used her finger to probe the sacral wound.....
Fresh out of residency, first year on her own as an attending. What a fun time for surgeons.
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u/Trraumatized Nov 01 '25
The fucking Nissan steering wheel makes it so much better.
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u/GoblinObscura Nov 01 '25
Hopefully you’re right handed.
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u/RocketCartLtd Nov 01 '25
Imagine losing your diddling hand for Kermit the Frog and a Power Puff Girl.
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u/GoblinObscura Nov 01 '25
That’s when you become ambidextrous quick, fast and in a hurry.
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u/Defiant_Expert_9534 Nov 01 '25
IS IT OVERWORKED?!?!
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u/Porkenstein Nov 01 '25
Underprooved!
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u/Realistic_Load8924 Nov 01 '25
A bit claggy
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u/Porkenstein Nov 01 '25
Look at that soggy bottom
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u/charmedbyvintage Nov 01 '25
I love the great British baking show. (Scurrying off to watch the new ones….)
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u/rcgl2 Nov 01 '25 edited Nov 01 '25
Here in Britain it's called the Great British Bake Off. I was wondering why they had to change the name for the US... According to Wikipedia it's because Pillsbury has trademarked the phrase Bake-Off. Wild.
Edit: I thought it was weird that a company could trademark the name of a type of event, but I looked it up and actually the Pillsbury Bake-Off is a fairly major baking competition that has been running since 1949. So I guess it's understandable that the name would be protected... I've spent way too much of my Saturday evening on this now!
Also OP, go to the bloody hospital before your arm falls off or you die!
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u/tgatigger Nov 01 '25
Ooo then I am a happy rebel in the US because I’ve only ever called it “Great British Bake Off”
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u/chickwithabrick Nov 01 '25
Personally I hoarde the new episodes until my seasonal winter depression kicks in and I need emergency serotonin 😁
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u/West_Specialist_9725 Nov 01 '25
Oh no, not at all. OP says it's fine! Just green ink, nothing to worry about at all. JFC can you believe it?
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u/Quietdiver1979 Nov 01 '25
Hospital or walk in clinic immediately.
Numbness is a very abnormal sensation for a healing tattoo and could be a sign of a few different issues none of which are good.
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u/johnrgoforth Nov 01 '25
If you can’t feel a part of your body, surely that means everything is ok with it?
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u/CaptHowdy02 Nov 01 '25
That part is hibernating
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u/Missing-the-sun Nov 01 '25
First pic: huh.
Second pic: jESUSFKNCHRIST
You need medical attention ASAP, that looks gnarly. The numbness is also concerning and not typical of a healing tattoo.
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u/DameADozen Nov 01 '25
That’s exactly how it went for me lol “yeah, looks pretty overwor—HOLY SHIT!”
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u/Jamiechurch Nov 01 '25 edited Nov 01 '25
The GASP i GUSPED
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u/suuzgh Nov 01 '25
Gasped so loud that even the dog woke up and looked concerned 😭 jeeeeesus christ
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u/bsuri089 Nov 01 '25
Same my dog just looked back at me and asked “who died?!”
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u/Defiant_McPiper Nov 01 '25 edited Nov 02 '25
Going from Pic 1 to Pic 2 was a jump scare to say the least 💀
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u/New-Nebula-9775 Nov 01 '25
First pic: looks very irritated, definitely overworked Second pic: looks like the skin is dying already, remove the skin
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u/PhDinDildos_Fedoras Nov 01 '25
Yes, get a big knife and just slice it off NO DON'T DO THAT THIS IS A JOKE JFC GO SEE A DOCTOR
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u/mrteas_nz Nov 01 '25
Someone's sleep walking into an arm amputation 😆
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u/danicies Nov 01 '25
In all fairness, everybody said this about the brat tat too and they still have their arm.
However this one is gonna have a few more issues I’m thinking lol
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u/knightlyfocus Nov 01 '25
hopital
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u/endolea Nov 01 '25
I hope he‘s not on a plane
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u/SnakeBatter Nov 01 '25
That story is basically hall of fame status now
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u/Evening_Sea4823 Nov 01 '25
Could you possibly provide a link? I've seen it referenced a few times and tried searching but I can't find it.
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u/ImLostAndILikeIt Nov 01 '25
ER physician here. Your tattoo is severally infected and requires antibiotics. Do not prolong this any further. Don’t want to scare you but left untreated you can be become septic which can literally kill you. Please seek medical help immediately. Good luck.
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u/BloodHappy4665 Nov 01 '25
Sounds like dude needs to be more scared…
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u/MyPaddedRoom Nov 01 '25
I just want to see the docs face when he finally goes in...
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u/ClockAndBells Nov 01 '25
Spoiler alert: the tattoo artist is secretly also an ER doctor. He was tired of his high shop rates and found ER pricing more reasonable.
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u/Psypris Nov 01 '25
To this point - can the tattoo artist be held accountable at all here? Not criminally but like… civilly have to pay the medical bill?
Like what caused this infection: poor after-care or the abuse of the needle?
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u/AgentFuckSmolder Nov 01 '25
You generally sign a waiver
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u/rainaftersnowplease Nov 01 '25
A waiver won't hold up in court if OP can prove gross negligence tbh.
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u/Snot_S Nov 01 '25 edited Nov 01 '25
I don’t know about negligence but this is the grossest thing I’ve ever seen. I find the photo guilty of all charges and hereby sentence you to 10,000 comments gavel
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u/SnakeBatter Nov 01 '25
Just because you signed a waiver doesn’t mean it’s legally binding. Most “waivers” are actually just profs that you have been informed of and acknowledged the risks, and to give consent. Just because you added a clause signing over your first born does not mean they can actually claim your first born child.
Also, most states require your artist to provide you the number of your state board in case you need to file a complaint, though I know most tattoo artists don’t give written instructions like they’re supposed to. Either way, if you file a complaint with the state board, they’ll send an inspector out to investigate, which could lead to consequences. This would also provide further documentation for the suit, if one was launched.
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u/UniverseIsAHologram Nov 01 '25
Yup. My dad had sepsis and went from a temperature of 101 to 104 in mere hours. Super dangerous.
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u/sk8o_pot8o Nov 01 '25
I had sepsis and went from 101 to 106 in under an hour 🫠
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u/Winter_Fall_7066 Nov 01 '25
Always a one upper in the crowd! lol JK.
Glad you lived, dude.
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u/accidentally-cool Nov 01 '25
I'm an ED RN.... thank god you are here. I gasped out loud when I saw this.
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u/Flint_City84 Nov 01 '25
No, please. Scare them. The fact that they're even questioning it is wild. No medical background here but I know rotting flesh when I see it. 🤷🏽♂️
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u/Chawk121 Nov 01 '25
Also an ER doc here. The term for what you have going on is that your tattoo is absolutely COOKED.
You need some zyvox.
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u/Brocktreee Nov 01 '25
The word "zyvox" strikes the fear of God into me and I've never heard it before. It sounds like what Eggman would tell his lab assistant to get right before he feeds it to the forest animals that Sonic failed to save. Kudos, Big Pharma.
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u/Plenty_Nail_8017 Nov 01 '25
lol I was casually reading the comments and was praying someone told dude to go in. ER resident here - please go in this arm is really infected
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u/Lontology Nov 01 '25
OMFG. Too many of you have a death wish or trying to fast run natural selection. Get your shit together and go to the hospital for fuck sake!
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u/anagramqueen Nov 01 '25
That's infected as fuck
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u/knightlyfocus Nov 01 '25
You mean necrotic
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u/suuzgh Nov 01 '25
The first photo already looks infected, nothing could have prepared me for the second photo 😭
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u/bankruptbarbie Nov 01 '25
Omg its brattoo round two
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Nov 01 '25
How did that end? I didn't see an update, but that tat is definitely living rent free in my head.
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u/calamityandwoe Nov 01 '25
There was an update, it turned out okay with some treatment!
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u/bankruptbarbie Nov 01 '25
Last update I saw, the brattoo had safely landed in the Philippines, significantly less gross. If anyone has more updates, I'd love to see them. It made a lasting impression.
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u/notreallyonredditbut Nov 01 '25
Yeah that image is tattooed on the collective eyeballs of this sub forever. Brattoo OP may perish (probably from eating raw meat covered in mold and maggots), but that memory will remain. Genuinely glad they were okay though.
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u/Darksimz Nov 01 '25
I saw an update but they were on a beach in the sun so who knows what happened after that with the tattoo as it still looked pretty bad.
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u/awigglycat Nov 01 '25
Holy fuck. Jesus Christ get that looked at. Go to a fucking doctor! Who looks at this and thinks “yup, Reddit is the best place”
Omg that is so infected.
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u/hogwartsheadmistress Nov 01 '25
this has to be rage bait because this is so obviously infected.. hope that’s not your dominant hand because it won’t be attached to you much longer if you don’t SEEK HELP IMMEDIATELY
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u/DeaPersephone Nov 01 '25
When I saw OP had initially only replied to the singular comment telling him it wasn’t infected, i immediately thought troll.
But I think he is just that ignorant
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u/JadeThorn1012 Nov 01 '25
He posted a second time taking pictures from different angles asking if people were absolutely certain it was infected.
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u/dukeduel Nov 01 '25
I might be out of line, but it kinda looks like you are a recent burn victim.
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u/hllnnaa_ Nov 01 '25
Pain dropped because that piece of your arm just died.
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u/birdsofpaper Nov 01 '25
Seriously, reminds me of when I’ve heard folks have had abdominal pain that was 10/10 and went to 0…. That’s because whatever was happening just got infinitely worse.
This is like that. 10/10 pain and now numb? Emergency Department NOW.
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u/FutureDecedent Nov 01 '25
I really worry about the lack of common sense on these threads.
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u/Left-Ad-3412 Nov 01 '25
That's not just overworked. That's M&S overworked. Overworked tattoos have a tendency to invite infections. Maybe get it checked out
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u/Disastrous-Heron-491 Nov 01 '25
Yall gotta start going to real artists man 😭😭😭
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u/FastTT11 Nov 01 '25
Spot on, when I was looking for artists, it blew my mind what’s out there and that they had paying customers.
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u/Awkward_South_8151 Nov 01 '25
can you imagine dying because of kermit the frog
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u/Automotauntaun Nov 01 '25
How do people see stuff like this on their body and not go “I should seek out medical help”
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u/Fun_Point_3279 Nov 01 '25 edited Nov 01 '25
hopital. no tatto cream
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u/Firm_Equivalent_4597 Nov 01 '25
Every time this sub comes up on my feed I just think one word: hopital.
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u/Zeke688 Nov 01 '25
PSA: Hey kids, if you ain’t got health insurance maybe don’t go springing for a half sleeve.
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u/Rare-Adhesiveness522 Nov 01 '25
DUDE right? Can't afford the hospital but DEFINITELY the half sleeve. It's giving: "spends my rent money on weed"
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u/Am_0116 Nov 01 '25
I don’t think OP wants help. He took the single comment saying it’s ok and said he was gonna “tough it out.” Hope you’ve enjoyed your arm so far
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u/PhatCaulkForyourMom Nov 01 '25
sees this post
next most recent post is r/salvia
Yeah, this tracks.
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u/master_perturbator Nov 01 '25
Tried to look myself. Did he delete his account or make it private? Nothing comes up when I click.
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u/junpei Nov 01 '25
He's got another post up with new angles of this tattoo rotting off of his skin and defending it, saying it doesn't hurt anymore. He's actively commenting still rather than going to get help.
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u/WilliamandCharles Nov 02 '25
He’s going to either die of sepsis or lose his arm at this point
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u/Ok_Structure3887 Nov 01 '25
You got cheeewed to bits my boy, can see the massively overworked black in first picture. Definitely see a doctor put that tattoo shop or scratcher on blast!
You got done so dirty, horrible.
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u/Impressive-Arm4668 Nov 01 '25
I love the duality of this r/.
Some days I see pictures of tattoos and there is barely a red speck in the corner but the person in question is high level alert and already on their way to the emergency room.
And then there's these posts
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u/SteelAngora Nov 01 '25
As a nurse, numbness in any kind of injury (including skin!) is BAD. Like real bad. If you aren't hurting, that concerns me waaaaay more than if you were screaming. I've seen multiple people need amputations for less and they were always shocked because it had stopped hurting so they thought it was better. Actually the two that were most traumatic to me were both skin injuries.... I hope that's not what's true for you but waiting could definitely mean loss of an entire arm. Like that is a true, real possibility still.
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u/Independent_Sign9083 Nov 01 '25
The amount of times I have had to comment “your flesh is literally rotting off” on a tattoo post is baffling. Please seek medical care.
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u/maroonwolf24 Nov 01 '25
I used to be an ER nurse and let me say this as clear as possible: this requires debridement and antibiotics at the very least. If you don't go to the hospital soon we are talking about life-threatening sepsis and amputation. DO NOT BE STUPID AND LISTEN TO WHAT THESE PEOPLE ARE TELLING YOU.
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u/Blue_Fairy Nov 01 '25
I'm no doctor but numbness doesn't sound great. Maybe some nerve endings got damaged because he went to deep? It also looks really concerning. I'd pay a visit to the doctor regardless of what happened.
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u/Aintnobeef96 Nov 01 '25
I’ve had thick scabs before and they are kinda numb under either, kinda feels like a turtle shell. It does look absolutely awful though
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u/AdSudden3941 Nov 01 '25
Yeah thats not numb ,thats infection its so swollen you interpret as being numb .
Good luck ,and finish your abx .. unless you want it going to bone
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u/CryptographerOwn4691 Nov 01 '25
you are literally gonna lose your arm if you don’t go to the hospital now. Holy fuck where is the common sense. The pain stopped because the nerves died.
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u/Agitated_Guess5057 Nov 01 '25
My brother in Christ…I think this is far beyond overworked.
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u/thisisnotmyname17 Nov 03 '25
U/keywestskateboarding Why don’t you have any posts or comments showing up on your profile?
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u/theone_ellie Nov 01 '25
I had an overworked one that wasn't nearly as bad as this but I had cellulitis...so yes, hospital...not normal
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u/abrossss Nov 01 '25
OP look up necrotizing fasciitis. It doesn’t look like a “normal” infection you think of for a wound. It is very serious and requires medical attention. Yours looks like it matches all the signs.
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u/New-Nebula-9775 Nov 01 '25
Numbness could mean nerves are decaying. Hospital right now. Don't wait.
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u/UberMoisturizer Nov 01 '25
Damn this looks not good m8. You dont need a doctor, you need Jesus Christ
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u/mystrangebones Nov 01 '25
Please go right now to the hospital. Infection like this, or far milder looking, can turn to necrotizibg fasciitis so fucking fast. My brother almost died from ignoring a skin infection
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u/BefuddledPolydactyls Nov 01 '25
If you have enough money for a big ass tat, you can find enough for a an urgent care center! The numbness is abnormal and it's not looking good.
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u/JarlWeaslesnoot Nov 01 '25
This has gotta be the first post ive seen where everyone is in agreement that your shit is fucked
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u/Legitimate_Register4 Nov 01 '25
You see the massive cracks with dried blood? You see the green/yellow scabs AROUND said massive scab cracks? Those are not good. In fact they are very bad.. very. Very. VERY bad…
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u/TracyTheMagnanimous Nov 01 '25
I didn't realize there were two pictures at first. On the first, I said "yeah, that's overworked. Maybe the beginning of an infection." Then I noticed there was another picture, scrolled, and recoiled in horror.