When you’re planning on getting a tattoo, you need to take the necessary precautions to ensure that your tattoo heals properly. If your tattoo does not heal the way it should, this can lead to blemishes, fading, scarring and other complications. This means another visit to the tattoo studio for a touch up and the healing process starts all over again. The last thing you want is to go through this process repeatedly, when it should have healed correctly in the first place!
Most tattoo studios revealed that about half of clients end up making an appointment for a touch up, due to improper tattoo healing. So it is important to learn about proper tattoo aftercare. Follow these steps to ensure proper tattoo healing.
- You should buy all the things you need to take care of your tattoo before going to the tattoo studio. This is to avoid any contamination. You will need: cotton towels or lint free paper towels, antibacterial soap and a tattoo aftercare lotion. Do not buy any of those nappy rash creams.
- After your fresh tattoo is done, ask your artist to wrap it up with cotton gauze. This will absorb blood, excess ink and will allow the tattoo to breathe, which is good for healing. After that go straight home and do not show off a freshly inked tattoo.
- After two hours, gently remove the bandage. If it sticks, moisten the gauze until you can safely pull it off. Using lukewarm water, wash off excess blood and ink. You will also notice an amber coloured fluid oozing out of the tattoo. This is called plasma and this oozing is a normal part of wound healing. When left alone plasma will form a thick scab when it dries. We don’t want this while a tattoo is healing, so wash thoroughly.
- Next pat dry, do not rub, then air dry. Apply a thin layer of tattoo aftercare lotion. Repeat as needed until the oozing stops. You will be busy for a few hours because the plasma takes a little while to stop oozing.
- Once that’s over, regularly apply a tattoo aftercare lotion to prevent the tattoo from getting too dry. In a few days, a thin scab will form, this is normal. Continue to apply the lotion to keep the scab soft and moist until it falls off. Now, your tattoo is ready for display 🙂
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