"HOW DO I CARE FOR MY NEW TATTOO?"
by Rob Taylor
Every tattoo artist has their preferences in tattoo healing. Some prefer to use second skin, some prefer aftercare cream, others prefer their clients not to do anything with it at all. Regardless of whatever your friends or relatives say, LISTEN TO YOUR ARTIST!
Here’s how I prefer my clients to perform aftercare:
After the session is complete I will apply petroleum jelly to slow any bleeding and wrap the tattoo in cling wrap. You need to leave this on for at least an hour so that the bleeding and plasma discharge stops.
After this time you can remove the cling wrap and give the tattoo a gentle wash with clean hands in warm water using antibacterial soap, I usually do this in the shower. Do NOT use a loafer or any kind of abrasive cloth.
Pat dry with a clean towel and let the tattoo air dry for 20 minutes. After this you can use a thin layer of aftercare cream (I supply Bepanthen tattoo cream at the shop) about 4 times a day for 2 weeks.
Remember that your tattoo is a wound and needs to be cared for as such. Keep the area clean and avoid any germs or bacteria. The aftercare cream is antiseptic and will help ensure your tattoo does not get infected.
Sometimes I will use an adhesive bandage instead of cling wrap and this can be left on for up to 24 hours but no longer. After that you need to remove the bandage in the shower as it’s much easier to get off and continue aftercare routine as normal. I always have the bandage as an option because some clients don’t like it and some even have an allergic reaction to the adhesive.
- DO NOT put your tattoo in direct sunlight. Particularly in the first 2 weeks of healing but even after that if you go into the sun you need to use sunscreen otherwise your tattoo WILL fade over time. Direct sunlight on a fresh tattoo will make it fade dramatically. The blacks will turn to grey and your grey wash will disappear. For colour tattoos it gets even worse, your whites will turn yellow, your yellows will turn brown and those blues and purples will turn green.
- DO NOT immerse your tattoo in water. You can still have showers but don’t go swimming, have a bath or jump in the hot tub. If you do your tattoo WILL fade.
- After 4 - 5 days your tattoo will begin to get itchy, scab up and start to flake, similar to that of a sun burn.
DO NOT pick or scratch your tattoo. If you do this you will remove the ink with it. Just keep putting the cream on as normal.
- Avoid physical activity during the first week of healing. Any excess movement or rubbing on the tattoo will cause ink to fall out. If you have a physical job, wrap your tattoo in cling wrap after applying aftercare cream. This will reduce any friction or rubbing against the tattoo but be sure to remove it after a few hours to avoid too much perspiration affecting the area.
- Give your tattoo time to air out when you’re at home and not doing much. Oxygen promotes good healing.
- DO NOT apply fake tan for 2 weeks unless you want your tattoo to turn permanently brown.
- DO NOT let your dog or cat lick your tattoo or let your tattoo come into contact with any dog or cat hair. Animals carry germs and could infect your tattoo.
- DO NOT touch your fresh tattoo with your hands unless you have washed them first. If your hands are dirty you could infect the tattoo.
- If you have children do not let them near the tattoo. Kids carry germs and could infect your tattoo.
- Everything you do with aftercare is to avoid the tattoo becoming infected. If your tattoo becomes infected you will most likely need antibiotics, your tattoo will be ruined, the ink will come out and a scar will form where the ink used to be. The tattoo won’t be able to be fixed for months, if at all, depending on the scar tissue.
- Remember that your tattoo is not permanent until it is fully healed. Until then, nurture it like you would a new born.
I know just by looking at your recently healed tattoos whether you have looked after them correctly or not so please listen to this advice. If you do not follow after care instructions correctly you will need to pay to have them touched up.
Remember, as tattoo artists we pride ourselves on our work and don’t take kindly to knowing a poorly healed tattoo of ours is walking around in the community.
Why I don’t like my clients using second skin:
As previously mentioned, some clients can have an allergic reaction to the adhesive. Some artists also recommend leaving the 2nd skin on for the entire duration of the healing process. I disagree with this because just like any other wound, it needs to be cleaned and redressed. Bacteria can get in underneath the bandage and cause infection. Antiseptic cream can reduce the chance of infection.
Why I don’t agree with dry healing: Dry healing is where you let the tattoo heal on its own without any assistance. Again as I mentioned earlier, the tattoo is an open wound. If the client avoids any kind of bacteria and keeps the area clean then sure, the tattoo will probably heal fine, but there is always a chance of infection if the wound is not cleaned or maintained. The artist needs to fully trust the client to adhere to aftercare instructions for this kind of healing process and not all clients listen or take aftercare instructions seriously so for that reason I stick to my preferred aftercare process.