Taking care of a brand new tattoo might stress you out if it’s your first time, but there’s no reason to panic. As long as you follow these hacks for making a tattoo heal quickly, your new ink will look and feel amazing in no time. Proper aftercare is incredibly, incredibly important to avoid any infection, fading, or blurring, so don’t slack off.
When I got my first tattoo, I remember asking my tattoo artist exactly what to do to take care of it, like seven million different times. His first piece of advice was to chill the hell out, and he then proceeded to repeat the cleaning instructions a few times. Afterward, he promised everything would be fine and sent me on merry way.
I wouldn’t call myself an old pro at this point, but several tattoos later, I’m much calmer when making sure a tattoo heals correctly. I’ve learned not to freak out over every little scab, have harnessed massive amounts of will power so I never itch it ever, and also have no shame calling my artist about questions if they emerge.
Whether you’re a tattoo pro or rookie, the hacks below can help your freshest ink heal properly and fast.
1. Don’t Re-Bandage It
After you remove the initial bandage from your tattoo, never cover it again. Your tattoo has to breathe to scab over and heal, and wrapping it back up will create to much moisture and slow the process down.
2. Clean With Lukewarm Water
The last thing you want to do when cleaning your new tattoo to help it heal fast is use scalding hot water and accidentally burn yourself! Remember, a tattoo is essentially an open wound and you need to be gentle to have it heal fast.
3. Get The Right Ointment
Getting the right ointment to help your tattoo is essential to dodging any infection that could slow down healing.
4. Apply Ointment Sparingly
You don’t want to drown your tattoo in ointment because that might create an overly moist environment. Instead, apply enough to barely coat the tattoo and create a hardly-visible sheen.
5. Use Non-Scented Lotion
Once you switch over from ointment to lotion, make sure to reach for non-scented. The chemicals in certain fragrances could react with your tattoo in a not so awesome way and substantially slow down your healing time.
6. Don’t Scratch It
Oh man, I know this is hard, but fight all urges to scratch. Feeling itchy is a good sign — it means your tattoo is almost all the way healed and the scab is coming off!
7. Don’t Peel Dead Skin
You can’t rush a tattoo during the healing process, and ultimately, giving it the time it needs to have the scab naturally fall off ensures the skin underneath will be healthy.
8. Avoid Baths
Even if you’re a hardcore bath addict, soaking your tattoo could wreck the design. To help it heal fast and properly, stick with showers for a few weeks.
Getting
a new tattoo is similar to having a minor medical procedure done. Your
skin is penetrated by rapidly moving needles that deposit ink beneath
the top layer of your skin. Once completed, your tattoo is in fact an
open wound, prone to infection and requiring care.
Now, nobody in their right mind would turn up for their medical
procedure without having followed the doctor’s recommendations of
pre-care. And they certainly would follow all further aftercare
instructions in the hope that their wound will heal well and not require
any further medical intervention.
Key Points
Considering you’re about to spend quite a fair amount of money on your new piece of body art, it’s smart to learn how to:
Prepare yourself and your body for your tattoo—the more comfortable and prepared you are, is the longer you will be able to sit.
Look after your tattoo once you’ve had it done—help avoid infections so you’ll heal without any damage.
Invest in aftercare lotions and an anti-bacterial wash.
Proper pre-care and aftercare will help with the entire tattoo healing process and prevent fading or loss of ink.
Proper pre-care and aftercare will help with the entire tattoo healing process and prevent fading or loss of ink.
Pre-Tattoo Consultation With Your Artist
Arrange
a pre-tattoo consultation with the artist you have selected. Your
meeting should be at the studio where you will get your new tattoo done.
This appointment gives you the opportunity to check out the studio
itself. See where you will be sitting, learn what their infection
control procedures are, and ask any questions you may have.
One of the main reasons for your pre-tattoo consultation is to discuss the design of your new tattoo and its positioning on your body. Your artist could possibly draw a quick outline of the shape of your limb on a large piece of paper for a size reference. This may be done if they want to pre-draw your design on a stencil for when you arrive.
Describe your feelings/ theme
Describe to your tattoo artist the feel or theme you wish your tattoo
to have. Express color, size, and placement choices. Bring along any
reference material you may have, including pictures, colors, and
examples.
Remember, this is your tattoo. Do what you want with it, but
take into consideration the artist’s professional suggestions and
opinions. That is what you are ultimately paying them for: their skill,
knowledge, and previous experience with tattooing.
Ask questions
Once you have discussed your design, make sure you ask all the following questions.
Approximately how much will this tattoo cost?
How long do you estimate it will take to complete?
How long will each session last?
Girl shoulder tattoo | Source
What to Eat and Drink Before and After Your Tattoo Appointment
When
a tattoo is being inked, many tiny needles are piercing the skin. This
can create unwanted bleeding. To avoid excessive bleeding and potential
damage…
do not drink alcohol24 – 48 hours before your session,
stop coffee intake
avoid taking aspirinfor pain relief.
Alcohol, coffee, and aspirin are commonly known blood thinners and could result in additional unwanted bleeding.
Increase consumption of foods that contain vitamin C, such as citrus
fruits and sweet vegetables i.e sweet potato, cauliflowers, and
broccoli. This naturally occurring medicine from Mother Nature aids the
body’s tissue repair and tissue recovery processes.
Drink a lot of healthy fluids, such as…
water
soup
juices
herbal teas
It is extremely important to maintain your fluid levels while
being tattooed, as dehydration will intensify the discomfort, give you a
headache, and make you feel ill.
Do not skip the meal prior to attending your appointment. Provide
your body with plenty of sustenance and fuel to last a good few hours on
the tattoo table.
The night before is not a party night. You will need to get a full night’s sleep.
Once you’ve received your tattoo, increase your consumption of garlic
and onion. Many naturalist believe they assist in healing due to their
anti-microbial properties.
Resist consuming…
dairy products: milk, cheese, cream, etc.
processed foods.
sugar.
This is due to the belief that they slow down the body’s healing process.
Steampunk, clockwork, 3D tattoo
What to Wear and Bring to Your Tattoo Session
Wear comfortable clothing that offers easy access to the body part getting the tattoo.
Take an extra pair of clean socks to wear. Make sure they’re washed and not full of holes.
Have an extra jacket or sweater for when you start to feel the cold.
Sometimes, especially when you’re having a long tattoo session, your
body will begin to shiver. This is an indication that your body is going
into shock. Keeping warm will help minimise your discomfort.
Some other items to consider putting in your bag:
Music and earphones
Tic-tacs or breath mints
Water bottle
Snacks and nibbles
Change of clothes
Tattoo aftercare cream
A support person (if your studio allows one)
Camera
Be a Hygienic Client
During
your session, you and your artist are going to be getting right up in
each other’s personal space for quite a few hours. This includes getting
your naked bits out and breathing each other’s air.
Make the effort to be a considerate and hygienic client. Don’t be the
funky-smelling customer of your tattooist’s nightmares. So before you
leave home, make sure you…
brush your teeth.
shower using soap.
wear fresh, clean clothes.
bring Tic-Tacs or breath mints.
don’t overdo deodorants, perfumes or colognes.
tie your hair up in a ponytail.
if your feet smell like death, don’t take your shoes off.
You wouldn’t think I’d have to put this paragraph in, but ask
your tattooist about the foul-smelling people they’ve had to work on…!
Full Chest tattoo on male | Source
Tattoo Aftercare Procedures and Products
Next
to actually getting your tattoo, effective tattoo aftercare is the most
important aspect of the process. The healing of your tattoo can take up
to a month, sometimes more.
Follow the aftercare steps below.
Purchase aftercare cream or lotion prior to your appointment.
Ask the artist to use your provided aftercare cream once they have completed the tattoo.
Keep your tattoo wrapped from when you leave the tattoo studio, until you get home and into a clean environment.
Wash all plasma and ink off with an antibacterial soap, within one to two hours.
Apply aftercare cream sparely.
Wrap your tattoo when you’re wearing irritating, tight clothes, that
may rub and damage your tattoo. Also wrap the tattoo for bedtime for
the first three to five days.
Ensure there is plenty of time where your tattoo is not wrapped and is exposed to clean, fresh air.
Avoid dirt and infection.
Here
is where you consider that tattoos are for life and all that other
jazz, I don’t need to go over that, you should have already considered
this fact.
Tattooing your face, hands or neck is really a job-breaker and some
artists will not tattoo those area’s for a reason, but that’s your deal
if you’re going there.
Now, tattoo’s hurt. Yes, a heap of needles are being repeatedly scraped over your skin, it is really not a joyous occasion. There are products available, that will help with minimizing your pain and discomfort.
Good tattoos aren’t cheap and cheap tattoos aren’t good. Make sure you Find a Good Tattoo Artist Anywhere in the world. if you want the tattoo of your dreams.
Good luck with your new tattoo. Hope it all goes well and you love your newly acquired piece of body art!
