How do you care for your tattoos?
I have now been tattooed by 7 different tattoo artists, and been given different advice by each of them. All of my tattoos have healed well enough, so I just tend to do whatever I feel like now!
Back when I got my first tattoos I used good ol' preparation H. Obviously designed for piles, but stops itchy etc.
I have also been sold proper tattoo wax, some Australian stuff in a tin. Hard to apply and messy.
I then got recommended Bepanthen, a nappy rash cream.
I then changed to Vaseline lotion. Had to be the yellow bottle.
I have now been told not to use any cream or lotion at all, as it makes people lazy (when caring for their new tattoo). I have now been told to wash it with very hot water regularly with soap. It musn't be anti bacterial (again in contradiction to the other times I have been made to buy anti-bacterial soap).
I have also been told different things about the cling film - how long to leave it on etc. I have been told anything from 4 hours to over night.
I am no doctor. I give no medical advice. I am only describing the care I have given my own tattoos (of which I have quite a few, ranging from small to large). However, I no longer stress out about the care. I aim to leave it pretty much to itself to heal itself. I do my best not to scratch (the tattoo pat is a good move to master), and to not get clothing stuck to it.
I see so many people get very stressed about tattoo care, and googling it does no help. Every artist seems to recommend something different, often in contradition to each other. Feel free to listen to that particular artist tattooing you, but also feel free to do what you know has worked for you in the past.
I'd love to see how many different care methods people have been prescribed. All of the methods I used were because an artist told me to do that. However, some artists I visited didn't even advise anything. I presume because they could see I was tattooed quite a lot already.
How do you look after yours?
Tattoos 6 Comments
Reader Comments (6)
Great post. I'll soon be having my first tattoo and found everything on the net about aftercare totally confusing!
I think it really depends on the condition of your skin in the first place (which is largely genetic), and also the location. A tattoo on your foot for example, might take more looking after than one on your torso.
I only have a small tat on my back which I've had for about 6 months but I just moisturise as usual using whatever is around. It's healed now so it's up to my body what happens to it and how much is fades etc.
The post was more about the immediate care that a tattoo takes in the first couple of weeks. But you're right long term, any old moisturiser will do. It is actually the sun that fades tattoos.....so keep factor 50 close by!
ReeRee xx
I think initially you should always listen to what that specific tattooist says. Once you have got a few tattoos under your belt and figured out how your skin heals, then you can adapt it and change it accordingly... personally, for me I know that my body tries to heal quickly, which results in me scarring incredibly easy and scabbing up very badly, no matter how I get tattooed or by whoever, so if I don't want to have any drop out from some deep scabs (they always scab deep and look gross) I have to keep it covered for at least a couple of days. Obviously I change the cling film routinely and I don't put anything on it, but I know as I've got older and run out of easier spots to get worked on, and my body gets older and I have a small person to look after, that with every new tattoo it takes me a little longer each time to heal and for it to look awesome again.
And if you loved your skin and tattoos, once healed, you'd keep your skin well exfoliated and moisturised and as ReeRee says, covered in SPF at all times!
Hi there. I have 7 tattoos as well and grew up in and out of tattoo shops and conventions. I have ALWAYS been told the best thing to do is wash it 2-3 times a day for the first 3 days with a mild anitbacterial soap and apply a thin layer so you can't see it of A&D ointment (usually found in your baby isle) then after that unscented lotion to your ink all the time until completely healed. All my tattoos are bright and bold and they still look great even the ones on my feet. =]
im currently in the middle of getting my third tattoo,its quite a large one on my back,all my tattoos have been done by the same guy and he recommends bepanthen,i have to say one of my tatts is almost three years old and it still looks like new.before i left the shop he cleaned the tattoo,applied a very thin layer of bepanthen,then covered the tattoo in cling film which i was to remove after two hours,wash the area with a unscented soap(i used dove extra sensitve)then apply another thin layer of bepanthen(i had to be very creative in how i applied it,some parts were hard to get to!) and i was told do that two to three times a day for 2 weeks,i also put cling film on over the top before i went to bed for and extra three days,all my tattoos have healed amazingly well with little to no scabbing,my latest did itch at times,although is my biggest to date so that might explain it.my tattooist says that different inks require different healing methods,so they may vary from tattooist to tattooist.wish there was something they coulkd give you to stop the inevitable ink addiction(planning my fourth and fifth tatts already) also using a good sunscreen is a must to keep the ink fresh and vibrant :)