Is it itchy that whole time? I'm really bad about scratching itchy things. I might not make it three weeks.

Not so much. When it gets too bad, I put a non-alcohol-containing lotion on it (like Burt's Bees Milk & Honey), which helps.

It's itchy for about the first week, IIRC. And my healing time was about 2 weeks, total - maybe closer to 3, like Jilli's (it's been well over a decade since my last, so my recollection is imprecise).

And the itch isn't OVERWHELMING. The answer is to lightly SLAP the tat, just don't SCRATCH.

Is it itchy that whole time?

Nope. I was only itchy for about a week and a half. The best way to combat the itching is to take a washcloth, run it under VERY VERY HOT water, wring it out thoroughly, and then press it against the tattoo. The ZOMG HOT! sensation cancels out the itching.

My tats probably had healed faster than three weeks, but that's how long I was told I had to wait before I could submerge them when taking a bath.

Nope. I was only itchy for about a week and a half. The best way to combat the itching is to take a washcloth, run it under VERY VERY HOT water, wring it out thoroughly, and then press it against the tattoo.

Blow dryer. Works wonders.

Blow dryer. Works wonders.

Oooh, good suggestion.

Joining the "suck it up and pay" crowd. It's a nice gesture on the treatee's part to check if drinks are okay, but not required. Unfortunately, sounds like you have to either stop treating or work on your polite gee-no-not-really-bothered-at-all face.

ION, dang. A drug rep's casual question about my plans for the weekend just turned into a 20-minute crash course in Miyazaki, complete with quick tours of Wikipedia, IMDB and Google Images. I think the rep is going to go hunt down Spirited Away or Howl's Moving Castle this weekend. Hee! (I tried to steer him away from Howl, because the end is a little abrupt and weird and possibly not the greatest choice for My First Anime Ever, but he seemed really excited at the thought of Christian Bale doing a cartoon).

Yep, dinner includes drinks.

Okay, I could probably handle that. It's funny that I'd be more worried about the itch than the needles or pain, but there you have it.

I don't own a blow dryer, though.

I'm saying all this like I have any serious plans, which I don't. But still, good to know.

Yay, anime toaster for JZ.

Yep, dinner includes drinks.

What if you're with a large group, and one side of the table orders quite extravagantly, including a couple bottles of wine, and the other side of the table orders frugally, and then it is decided that the bill should just be split equally? Is that a valid reason to be annoyed or another instance of "just suck it up"? Hasn't the frugal side effectively been asked to subsidize the extravagant side? That's lame.

No, that's worth speaking up about.