Tattoo Aftercare: Living like a Vampire
So your fresh tattoo just put you on cloud nine, right? Obviously, the new addition of cool ink to your body will fill you with satisfaction, but when you get home, reality hits that you’re responsible for this masterpiece on your skin. Luckily, there are plenty of informative posts online about tattoo aftercare if your artist wasn't clear enough about how to care for their hard work, and this is one of them.
The best way I can describe taking care of a new tattoo is by acting like you're a vampire. You shouldn't expose your brand-new ink to the sun, as it can create painful burns and slow the healing process. Instead of garlic, you are now allergic to perfumes and products that contain alcohol in the ingredients list. Instead of holy water, avoid swimming pools, lakes, oceans, or any other body of water that isn't your shower for at least 3 to 4 weeks. Lastly, you will be dry and itchy like the dead, and you must moisturize 2 to 3 times a day.
If your tattoo artist uses an adhesive bandage after you get tattooed, such as SecondSkin or Dermshield, you should let them know if you feel any itching, burning, or redness beyond the common irritation of the tattoo site itself. These symptoms can indicate an allergy to the adhesive, and not all adhesives are made equally. I am personally allergic to SecondSkin, but I heal fine using Dermshield; it depends on what your skin is sensitive to. If you have an adhesive bandage on, let it stay on for at least 3 to 4 days, and if you can handle having it on for up to a week, you should try. The bandage protects from outside particles getting into your tattoo, which is helpful because it is now considered an open wound. Using bandages like these will protect it from things like clothing fibers, dust, or anything else that might stick to it, and it would be wise to keep on for as long as you can stand it, but no more than a week. Adhesive bandages also help your body to heal the tattoo by trapping your blood and plasma leaking onto your skin.
Plasma helps to create scabs and reseal the damaged dermal layer that was tattooed over, while also helping to keep your skin’s moisture barrier intact. This is much better than healing a tattoo by letting it air dry until the plasma is no longer sticky. This healing method is highly advised against, as it can increase skin tightness, irritation, itching, and flaking, which will ultimately take parts of your tattoo off. Once the Dermshield or SecondSkin is removed, it's best to wash the area with lukewarm water and an unscented, preferably natural or even antibacterial soap. This will help remove the remaining plasma and blood from the skin without causing too much shock to the system with your products. Afterwards, pat dry and allow the tattoo to breathe for a bit before applying moisturizer. The best kinds for this have the fewest ingredients, no alcohols or perfumes as mentioned before, and are light enough not to clog the pores. My most recommended moisturizers for healing are shea butter, cocoa butter, sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, or even argan oil. It is best to apply one of these two to three times a day for best results, preventing the skin from becoming overly itchy and dry, though some itchiness is expected.
The full healing process of a tattoo ranges from two to three weeks, depending on the size, location, and skin sensitivity. It is most advised once again to avoid sun exposure, using SPF only when the tattoo has fully healed over, as putting it on anytime sooner can cause infection, and staying out of bodies of water that aren't your shower. Its also recommended to hold off on taking long baths or doing intense workouts for at least two to three weeks after a tattoo, as the steam and hot water from the bath can cause the skin to halt its healing process and you could risk ink falling out, as well as infection from prolonged soaking with your bath products. Working out immediately after getting a tattoo can expose it to bacteria through sweat covering the already damaged pores, and risk infection. Once again, the best way to think about healing a tattoo is by considering yourself to be a vampire (with some symptomatic substitutions) and listening to the directions of your artist. With that, I wish you the best of luck on your healing journey.
