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Tattoo Aftercare
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Tattoo Aftercare.
After the artist is done applying a beautiful tattoo their work is done, but there is much more that has to be done to keep a tattoo looking beautiful for years and years. A tattoo can be ruined easiest in the first few days while it is healing. This is the time when the skin is locking the pigment into the dermis, the second layer of skin. If this process doesn’t happen correctly it can scar the area, become spotty or weeping, or cause severe allergic reactions. Tattoo aftercare is absolutely essential, but its methods are as varied as the actual designs.
It seems like every different tattooist has a different recommendation for tattoo aftercare. Fifty years ago petroleum jelly was commonly used as aftercare. It was readily available and cheap but it was discovered over the years that petroleum jelly sucked the pigment from the tattoo making it less vivid. It also doesn’t have any healing properties. Medical advances have improved the resiliency of tattoos, but some have been shown to ruin them as well.
Neosporin was touted for many years as the pinnacle of tattoo aftercare. It not only moisturized the area but it also had antibiotics to keep the wound free from infection and it had no adverse effects on the color. Unfortunately many people are unaware that they are allergic to some chemicals found in Neosporin and other over the counter first aid ointments. The most common allergic reaction is small red bumps that appear on the tattoo. When they disappear they take the ink with them leaving a heavily spotted tattoo. Not exactly something to write home about.
Bacitracin has less allergic reactions than Neosporin but there are people who experience the weeping tattoo where the area will bleed and weep which can affect the coloring, mostly blurring tight lines. A&D ointment has even less allergic reactions, contains vitamin A and D, but does not have any healing agents. There are many over the counter products designed specifically for tattoo aftercare which have received mixed reviews but are generally safe.
The important thing about tattoo aftercare is keeping the tattoo, which is basically a series of open wounds, moist and clean so infection is less likely and the tattoo can heal properly. A dried out tattoo has the tendency to scar while healing. Most artists will recommend lotion from day one, but many artists insist that only lotion be used, no antibiotics. The most important aspect to lotion is that it is fragrance and dye free. The fewer ingredients the better and unscented Lubriderm is highly recommended. Avoid anything that could contain impurities such as beeswax, lanolin, and other pore clogging lotions. A clogged pore causes infection.
The best advice is to listen to the artist’s recommendation. A good tattooist knows what they are doing and how to get it to last the longest. No artist wants to see their work deteriorate.
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