Tattoo Aftercare
How do I look after my new tattoo?
Once if you've finally done the deed, finally gone and had your tattoo you're going to have to look after it. How your tattoo ends up is going to, in some part, depend on how you treat it for the first few weeks of it's life. If it's your first tattoo your tattooist will give you a list of aftercare instructions and herein is the first problem.
No reputable tattooist will ever give you bad aftercare advice, the issue is that there is no 100% clearly defined "best practice". Nearly everybody who gives tattoo aftercare advice will give slightly different advice to the next person who gives aftercare advice. So what do you do for the best? Well, you set out to follow the advice your artist gives you and, over time, you'll find what works best for you. |
Will my tattooist bandage my new tattoo?
Once your tattoo session is finished and you've had a quick look in the mirror to admire your new best friend, your tattooist will apply a bandage to protect your tattoo for the journey home....or maybe they won't.
You haven't even left the shop and what you've heard may already be conflicting with what's happening. The truth is, in some shops the practice is to apply a bandage and a protective pad (like the ones hospitals use for burns). Others will simply wrap the tattoo in plastic wrap/cling film, some will simply apply some anti-bacterial ointment and send you on your way and then some will cover it with a paper towel and stick it to your body with sticky tape. |
For a few hours afterwards your tattoo is going to "weep" (I prefer that word to ooze). Ink and and blood plasma will weep from your skin in reaction to the thousands of tiny pin-pricks you've just subjected it to, so it's a wee bit messy.
So, what is the best covering for a new tattoo?
Well, my first tattooist was a dab hand with a paper towel. Let me tell you straight away, I'd rather have no covering than a paper towel. Whether this is clinically the best idea or not I don't know but I do know that paper towel sticks. Paper towels soak up all of these fluids and stick to your skin, you know that skin that's sore and enflamed and a bit sensitive from the pounding it's just had? You will literally have to soak a paper towel off you, at a time when you really don't want to be soaking your tattoo. Personally, I'd never go to a tattooist who uses paper towel again. Older and wiser, as they say.
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As for bandages, there is obviously nothing wrong with applying a bandage, I'd want to be sure they were applying sterile gauze though before I let them put one on. These are designed not to stick to your skin. I've no more desire to soak a bandage off than I have to soak a paper towel off.
Personally, I prefer to simply have cling film wrapped around it. Plastic wrap is never going to stick to you, it protects your tattoo and your clothes for those first few hours and then offers no resistance whatsoever when you take it off. |
How long do I leave the bandage on my new tattoo?
This is another of those, "It depends on who you ask" questions. I've read that some recommend up to a week, others a few days and others again suggest just a few hours.
Personally, I leave it on just a couple of hours until it stops weeping, I like to get air to it as soon as possible. Once the cling film is off I wash the tattoo with plain, unscented anti-bacterial soap and lukewarm water. When you wash your tattoo and the surrounding area use only the flat of your hand and whatever you do, don't scrub. While the tattoo is still tender it's not actually too painful to touch (if your gentle about it), and while you shouldn't touch it unnecessarily, you are going to need to keep it clean. It might sound like a no-brainer but don't use anything even slightly abrasive while your tattoo is healing. So, no sponges or flannels etc. |
You can recover the tattoo with cling film at night, if you find that clothes or bed sheets rubbing on it is too uncomfortable, however if you do this remove it as soon as you get up and give the tattoo a thorough cleansing (more about this in the next section).
It's important to note that while the tattoo is healing you don't want it getting too wet, so you'll want to avoid baths if the tattoo is in a place where it is likely to be submerged and when you have a shower make sure that the tattoo is not in the direct flow of the shower. While you're at it, avoid water which is too hot. Your fresh tattoo is going to feel a lot like sunburn for a few days so you can imagine what hot water on sunburn is going to feel like. Not good.
Once you've cleaned the tattoo, pat it dry with a clean towel, you can try other ways of drying it but when you come down from off the ceiling you'll accept that patting it dry is the way to go. After I've patted it mostly dry I tend to let it air dry for a little while before I put on a very old t-shirt.
It's important to note that while the tattoo is healing you don't want it getting too wet, so you'll want to avoid baths if the tattoo is in a place where it is likely to be submerged and when you have a shower make sure that the tattoo is not in the direct flow of the shower. While you're at it, avoid water which is too hot. Your fresh tattoo is going to feel a lot like sunburn for a few days so you can imagine what hot water on sunburn is going to feel like. Not good.
Once you've cleaned the tattoo, pat it dry with a clean towel, you can try other ways of drying it but when you come down from off the ceiling you'll accept that patting it dry is the way to go. After I've patted it mostly dry I tend to let it air dry for a little while before I put on a very old t-shirt.
What to expect after a new tattoo: Days 1-3
As I've already mentioned, for the first few days your new tattoo is going to feel a lot like sunburn. The skin will feel, tight, sore and inflamed. It will be sensitive to the touch, accidental contact with it by other people and/or inanimate objects will be be unpleasant and of course, just as nobody ever steps on your toe until you've stubbed it, this is the time when people will unexpectedly grab you by the arm or clap you on the back and generally and quite inadvertently do everything in their power to make you swear at them. Beware of clumsy people when you are in possession of a new tattoo.
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During this first few days the tattoo will still weep slightly meaning that any fabric you come into contact with for any length of time will become imprinted with a faint copy of your tattoo. Wherever possible, wear something old and baggy, something you don't mind getting messed up and which will let air circulate and if you have expensive bedding you might want to swap it for something a little less luxurious for a few days. If you have recovered the tattoo with cling film while you sleep, make sure you clean it thoroughly the following morning. All this gunk will now be safely trapped between your skin and the film.
It's very important to keep the tattoo clean at this stage, the fluids that your body will continue to produce need to be washed off and you want to avoid letting them dry over the tattoo. If these fluids dry and become crusted on they can damage the end result, You've gone to great lengths to get your tattoo, don't let go of the reins now. I tend to wash the tattooed area two or three times a day and avoid showering for a couple of days.
The heat generated in your shower can not only be uncomfortable but the heat can open your pores leading to loss of pigment, gentle rinsing in cold water can actually have the reverse effect, closing the pores and helping to retain the colours in your tattoo.
It's very important to keep the tattoo clean at this stage, the fluids that your body will continue to produce need to be washed off and you want to avoid letting them dry over the tattoo. If these fluids dry and become crusted on they can damage the end result, You've gone to great lengths to get your tattoo, don't let go of the reins now. I tend to wash the tattooed area two or three times a day and avoid showering for a couple of days.
The heat generated in your shower can not only be uncomfortable but the heat can open your pores leading to loss of pigment, gentle rinsing in cold water can actually have the reverse effect, closing the pores and helping to retain the colours in your tattoo.
What to expect after a new tattoo: Day 3 and beyond
Once those, first couple of messy days are over the healing process will start to kick in, you can also get in the shower...which is nice, I'd advise against long showers and soaking in the bath is probably best left until the tattoo is fully healed.
From this point things are fairly straight forward, well straight forward-ish. Keep it clean and don't let it dry out. The best way of preventing from drying out is something which, once again, is a matter of great debate. Skin care products are numerous and varied and some will be fine for your new tattoo, others won't |
If you've been on tattoo forums you'll come away with no clear idea of what's best. Some people recommend using petroleum jelly, personally I've used this once and to be honest that was purely because I was going in a swimming pool (I know, I know...don't do that. Try telling a two year old you can't take him in the pool on holiday). On that occasion I covered the tattoo in Vaseline simply to create a barrier between the water and the tattoo. I've read that too much petroleum jelly can keep the tattoo too moist and actually attract bacteria, if this is the case it may not be a bad idea to avoid it anyway.
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You've possibly read that unscented, alcohol free lotions are best, or tattoo specific products like Tattoo Goo, American forums will mention Lubriderm (which you'll have to hunt for in the UK), then I've seen Savlon mentioned, Johnson's baby lotion, creams or lotions that contain Aloe Vera and even hemorrhoid cream. There are more but you get the idea, everyone has their own favourite product and everyone will extol that product's virtues and I was no different.
Up until now I have almost unreservedly recommended Bepanthen, which served me we well for many years, something I sadly can no longer do. Following the last couple of sessions I had I found that during the healing process I developed rather sore and inflamed "spots" (almost exactly like acne) under the skin. The tattoo had been kept clean as normal and the spots eventually faded and disappeared. I had put it down to a reaction to the ink my tattooist had used as it was a new one to her, however this was not the case.
Following feedback to this site I have done some extended research and found that, a couple of years ago, Bepanthen changed their "recipe" nothing new was added that I can find but they did increase the amount of lanolin that Bepanthen contained. This made an already quite thick cream, thicker and I do recall thinking around that time that it did indeed seem thicker than before. What this means is that it is now more difficult for the skin to absorb, which clearly isn't a problem when using it for its intended purpose but when used on a tattoo it can block the pores leading to a build up of those fluids your body is trying to rid itself of.
The upshot being it can create sore and inflamed spots which are not only uncomfortable but could lead to infection. In my case it got no further than uncomfortable spots but I can no longer use or recommend a product which seems to be increasingly causing healing problems.
One product getting great tattoo aftercare reviews is Nature's Balm from Coconut King. I have used this product for psoriasis with great results and the feedback on their Facebook page is incredibly positive, you can get more information by clicking the link below..
Find out more about Nature's Balm from Coconut King.
Up until now I have almost unreservedly recommended Bepanthen, which served me we well for many years, something I sadly can no longer do. Following the last couple of sessions I had I found that during the healing process I developed rather sore and inflamed "spots" (almost exactly like acne) under the skin. The tattoo had been kept clean as normal and the spots eventually faded and disappeared. I had put it down to a reaction to the ink my tattooist had used as it was a new one to her, however this was not the case.
Following feedback to this site I have done some extended research and found that, a couple of years ago, Bepanthen changed their "recipe" nothing new was added that I can find but they did increase the amount of lanolin that Bepanthen contained. This made an already quite thick cream, thicker and I do recall thinking around that time that it did indeed seem thicker than before. What this means is that it is now more difficult for the skin to absorb, which clearly isn't a problem when using it for its intended purpose but when used on a tattoo it can block the pores leading to a build up of those fluids your body is trying to rid itself of.
The upshot being it can create sore and inflamed spots which are not only uncomfortable but could lead to infection. In my case it got no further than uncomfortable spots but I can no longer use or recommend a product which seems to be increasingly causing healing problems.
One product getting great tattoo aftercare reviews is Nature's Balm from Coconut King. I have used this product for psoriasis with great results and the feedback on their Facebook page is incredibly positive, you can get more information by clicking the link below..
Find out more about Nature's Balm from Coconut King.
UPDATE!
I've got a new favourite product. My tattooist put me on to A&D Ointment (you can get it online via eBay and Amazon, among others).
I've used both Rensow & Dynarex A&D Ointments both come in handy 5g sachets and is a lanolin and petroleum based ointment which contains vitamins A&D (clever name, eh?). A&D ointment is a thin almost aqueous solution which spreads easily and easily absorbed by the skin, it reduces the itching sensation and so far is healing my new tattoo very nicely.
I've got a new favourite product. My tattooist put me on to A&D Ointment (you can get it online via eBay and Amazon, among others).
I've used both Rensow & Dynarex A&D Ointments both come in handy 5g sachets and is a lanolin and petroleum based ointment which contains vitamins A&D (clever name, eh?). A&D ointment is a thin almost aqueous solution which spreads easily and easily absorbed by the skin, it reduces the itching sensation and so far is healing my new tattoo very nicely.
My new tattoo is really itchy!
Itching is part and parcel of the healing process, it's normal, it's to be expected and it may well drive you insane. We've all had cuts and scrapes which have scabbed over and itched like hell and we've all scratched and taken the scabs off. Well, a tattoo that is healing is no different..actually, I tell a lie. There is one huge difference. You can't scratch your tattoo, even if you can reach it.
Scratching your tattoo will lead to the scabs coming off before they are ready and when that happens, colour comes with it. Scratching a new tattoo is the best way to completely ruin what you've worked so hard to attain. You're likely to end up with a tattoo which looks faded and patchy and if you happen to leave a scar because you picked too deep, you'll have an area which can't even be touched up by your tattooist, because the ink won't take. |
So, you probably want to know how you can prevent it itching. The bad news is...you can't. You can take the edge off (as I said earlier, Bepanthen is great at this), you can find ways to deal with it, even stop it for a little while but the fact is, when you're healing, you itch. It's a fact of life.
There are however one or two things you can do to make it more bearable.
Unfortunately, this is something that for the most part you are just going have to endure. Over the first 2-4 weeks it will gradually subside as the skin heals and the scabs slowly come away naturally.
There are times when an itchy tattoo is bad news. Click here to find out more.
There are however one or two things you can do to make it more bearable.
- Slap it. I'm not talking about the kind of slaps your mum gave you for swearing when you were a kid, a quick light slap is a decent quick fix.
- Apply something cold to the tattoo. Run cold water over it, apply an ice pack (better if you wrap it in a towel or a cloth first) or even hold a bottle of refrigerated water to the clothing over the tattooed area.
- Do something that takes your mind off the itch. Anything will do really, you just need to distract yourself from itch.
Unfortunately, this is something that for the most part you are just going have to endure. Over the first 2-4 weeks it will gradually subside as the skin heals and the scabs slowly come away naturally.
There are times when an itchy tattoo is bad news. Click here to find out more.
My tattoo is healed, is that it?
Once your tattoo is healed, you can pretty much treat it like the rest of your skin, you may want to use skin products to keep it looking as fresh as possible but which one is down to your own personal choice.
The only further recommendation I would make is that if you are going to be out in the sun with tattoo exposed use a high factor sun cream on your tattoo, regardless of the level of protection you use on the rest of your body. My Irish heritage has given me skin which is incredibly intolerant to the sun (I'm built for rain) so I never use less than a factor 30 sun lotion anyway but my tattoos get a 50. Feel free to go higher if you like, it's better to get too much protection than not enough. |
One final point on tattoos and the sun. You may find that in hot weather your tattoo will occasionally become raised, i.e. you'll be able to feel the tattoo on your skin. This is very common and nothing to be concerned about, the lumps and bumps are created by the reactions of your skin and ink to the heat. There are instances when raised tattoos should be of concern but these tend to be permanent lumps and bumps rather than occasional, you'll find these on the, "Tattoos and Your Health".
So, that's it. Easy, eh? The rules are pretty simple; Keep it clean, don't let it dry out and don't scratch. Stick to these and you won't go far wrong. If you go on to be the owner of many tattoos, you'll find in time that you'll find your own "best practice", which I believe is why there is so much conflicting information about aftercare. Everyone finds what works for them and swears by it.
So, that's it. Easy, eh? The rules are pretty simple; Keep it clean, don't let it dry out and don't scratch. Stick to these and you won't go far wrong. If you go on to be the owner of many tattoos, you'll find in time that you'll find your own "best practice", which I believe is why there is so much conflicting information about aftercare. Everyone finds what works for them and swears by it.
How soon can I give blood after getting tattooed?
One further point to consider after you have a tattoo applies to people who regularly give blood. In the UK you will have to wait at least four months from the date of your tattoo to resume donating blood, in the US this varies from state to state depending on the level of regulation of tattooists in that state.
While there is almost no chance that you will contract any blood borne diseases such as Hepatitis or HIV, if you have gone to a reputable tattoo studio that conforms to all legal health and hygiene standards, infection can still occur if you don't look after your new tattoo properly. Once you're out of the "quarantine" period, you're good to go.
While there is almost no chance that you will contract any blood borne diseases such as Hepatitis or HIV, if you have gone to a reputable tattoo studio that conforms to all legal health and hygiene standards, infection can still occur if you don't look after your new tattoo properly. Once you're out of the "quarantine" period, you're good to go.
How soon can I go to the gym after getting tattooed?
Can you go to the gym with a new tattoo? Well the answer is yes but, I would advise that if the tattoo is in area that is likely to be rubbed by your clothing while working out, that you apply some form of covering to your tattoo to avoid direct contact with your clothing. Wrap some cling film or a non-stick bandage around the area to form a barrier between your new tattoo and your clothing to avoid unwanted chaffing or snagging.
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