After months of saving and preparing, you’ve finally gotten the tattoo you’ve always wanted. Crisp lines and vibrant colours define its brand-new design.
Isn’t it likely that you’ll want to appreciate and photograph your new tattoo for everyone? Unfortunately, it will need to be rescheduled.
Your tattoo will initially receive a thin coating of petroleum ointment from the tattoo artist before being protected with film and, if necessary, a bandage. This safeguards the tattoo from infection, irritability, and bacteria.
The healing process starts at this point, and proper tattoo aftercare is crucial.
Even though a tattoo could seem flawless immediately, the healing process can take months.
If you want your tattoo to look fantastic and remain clean, have patience, have faith in the procedure, and adhere to your tattoo artist’s recommendations.
Your investment in body art, which has come to life on your flesh, must be safeguarded. Your tattoo will look its best during the healing and aftercare processes and for a very long time after if you avoid some of these common mistakes. Follow our advice for proper tattoo aftercare if you want your new tattoo to look vibrant and feel healthy.
1. Doing nothing after getting a tattoo
After the tattoo artist’s sterile bandage is removed and any excess ink has been cleaned away, it’s amazing how many people fail to adhere to the aftercare instructions.
Although many tattoo enthusiasts like the dry healing technique for tattoo aftercare, you should wash your tattoo with soap three times daily to clean the wound and take additional precautions to guarantee it heals properly.
2. Exposure to direct sunlight
Direct sunlight can harm your skin and tattoo ink while healing and knitting.
This is an important topic, yet it is also one of the most common errors. Until a new tattoo fully recovers, it must be shielded from the sun. After that, ensure your sunscreen has an SPF of 30 or higher. The youthful, thin skin behind the tattoo may burn readily, deteriorate quickly, and increase your melanoma risk.
3. Skip your first 48 hours of exercising.
Sweating increases the risk of bacteria contaminating your newly applied tattoo. That’s seldom good news, either. Therefore, many tattoo artists suggest waiting at least 48 hours before working out. Depending on the intensity of the exercise (heavy, moderate, or mild) and the placement of the new tattoo, different measures will need to be taken. Generally speaking, the fewer bacteria our tattoo exposes, the better.
4. Steer clear of excessively constricting apparel or doesn’t breathe well.
You must give your tattoo room to breathe.
Wearing tight clothing can make it difficult for air to circulate, leading to sweating, chafing, and irritation.
When exercising or engaging in leisure activities, avoid wearing clothes that wick moisture away from your skin and keep you dry; wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothes that don’t restrict your ability to move or breathe if you live in a warm or hot area. Wear cotton next to your skin if you live in a chilly region and need to stay warm since it breathes better and enables more moisture to flow.
5. Excessive Tattoo Care
Avoid wearing clothes that wick moisture from your skin and keep you dry whether working out or engaging in leisure activities. If you live in a warm or hot environment, wear loose-fitting clothing that doesn’t restrict airflow and limb movement. If you live in a cold climate and need to stay warm, wear cotton near to your skin since it breathes better and enables more moisture to circulate. At regular intervals, apply a small layer of lotion; let it time to absorb before reapplying.
6. Replanning
When your new tattoo is finished, it is covered with a bandage made specifically to shield recently opened wounds. Depending on the sort of bandage, the kind of aftercare method you’ll be using during the healing process, and the instructions from your tattoo artist, this bandage will be removed anywhere from 3 to 24 hours after the ink is finished you’re out of the chair. After removing a bandage, don’t put one back on. The tattoo has to be able to breathe and for moisturization to happen at a different rate; wrapping it again will be harmful.
Final Reflections
Your tattoo will have a better chance of healing if you follow the above instructions, but risk mitigation does not equal risk removal. You could still experience problems with your healing tattoo even if you follow every stage of the healing process. The experience of getting a new tattoo is thrilling and exciting. But since you’re spending money on something that will be a part of your life forever, you surely want the best of the best.
After spending so much time researching the artist and style you like, it is worthwhile to put out the extra effort to maintain your design.
Sometimes the uproar surrounding getting a tattoo can obscure the need for aftercare. You run the risk of harming your new ink and even becoming sick if you don’t adhere to your tattoo artist’s instructions to the letter. No matter how uncomfortable or inconvenient they may be, follow the tattoo aftercare dos and don’ts, and you’ll have a lovely, healthy tattoo that will last for years.
