Virginia Woman Travels To Las Vegas, Gets $10 Tattoos. Then She Tries To Pick Up A Drink: ‘You Should Go To The ER’

Tattoos are one of those services you can get done cheaply at a strip mall, despite the fact that the process involves a needle repeatedly piercing your skin. And while tattooing is generally safe, poor hygiene, contaminated ink, or improper training can still lead to nasty infections and other serious health complications. One Virginia woman who recently travelled to Las Vegas and got small tattoos on both arms says something may have gone seriously wrong.

In a video posted to her TikTok account, Nicole Jackson (@mezzyj5) sits at a bar with both arms raised.

Saran wrap covers both of her wrists where she got the small tattoos, and she struggles to pick up her drink, making it look like her arms are temporarily immobile.

“Apparently $10 Vegas tattoos come with temporary loss of arm function,” she wrote in the video’s text overlay, adding a crying-laughing emoji.

“$20 in tattoos and suddenly I need assistance with basic life functions,” she added in the caption.

The clip got over 377,500 views.

Cheap tattoos are still very much a thing in Las Vegas, though they usually mean a tiny piece or a flash design.

For a more complicated design or a piece that takes longer, artists typically charge by the hour. Nowadays, they can range from $100-$250+ an hour based on the complexity of the design, the artist’s experience, size, and more.

Viewers Were Concerned

Some viewers thought Jackson’s reaction looked serious and suggested she immediately seek medical attention.

“You should go to the ER cus what??!!” one commenter wrote.

Another asked, “Ummmm… got antibiotics on hand by chance?”

However, there was a much more innocent explanation.

“The place was actually super clean and steril!” Jackson replied to one concerned commenter. “This is me drunk being dramatic lol.”

“Idk what’s funnier this being a obvious joke or yall in the comments missing the entire joke,” a third viewer said.

Another user, though, brought up a different concern.

“YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO DRINK BEFORE OR AFTER A TATTOO!!!!!! it thins out your blood and can cause many many many issues,” they wrote.

Tattoo artists generally advise against drinking around the time of a tattoo, partly because alcohol can increase bleeding. It can also interfere with the body’s healing response and make aftercare more difficult.

More bleeding can also cause heavier scabbing, which can make healing more uncomfortable and may affect how the tattoo settles.

What Are Some Actual Signs Something Went Wrong During Tattooing?

Because tattooing involves a needle repeatedly piercing the outer layer of the skin to deposit ink into the dermis, some redness and swelling afterward is completely normal.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, other common reactions during healing can include clear fluid seeping from the tattoo, itching, flaking, and some scabbing.

There are, however, signs that can point to a problem.

If the redness becomes darker or spreads instead of improving, or if pain gets worse rather than subsiding, that can be a reason for concern.

Painful, itchy red bumps can also develop around a tattoo and may signal an infection or another skin reaction.

More serious symptoms, including fever, chills, or shivering, can also indicate a possible complication.

Something to keep in mind is that these symptoms aren’t isolated to only happening right after a tattoo. In some cases, they can appear even months after tattooing.

If any of those symptoms appear, the American Academy of Dermatology advises seeking medical care as soon as possible.

“The sooner treatment is started, the less damage it can do to your health and your tattoo,” the association says.

BroBible has reached out to Jackson via TikTok messages for comment.