HOW TO CARE YOUR TATTOO

How to care for your Tattoo

The healing of your tattoo is the final aspect of your art piece.  The opinions and advice given are endless, and there are more experts out there than tattoos. Since we guarantee our work we ask you to follow our advice and not your buddy’s that has three tattoos. 

 Just as with a psychiatrist, you’ll probably never get the same advice or instructions from different artists.  But after many years of combined experience, you will find this information very beneficial in healing your Unique Ink tattoo.

A tattoo normally takes anywhere from 7 to 14 days to look fully healed, depending on the type, style, size and placement.  

The truth is that it can really take up to a month for a tattoo to be fully healed below the surface of the skin and for your body’s natural healing abilities to lock the ink in completely. Yes, all of these things can and will make a difference. 

 There is no “idiot proof” method, but if you take the time to read the following, you will stand a much better chance of healing your tattoo without any problems to ensure that it looks as good as possible.

The Bandaging:-

When your tattoo artist finishes your tattoo they will clean off your tattoo with some green soap, water, and maybe even a little witch hazel prior to taking a picture for you. Then they should apply a very thin coat of A+D® Ointment or some type of clear anti-bacteria ointment.  Then they will bandage you, hopefully with a sterile absorbing pad.

A word of caution:  If you see the shop using paper towels, Scotch tape, or masking tape in the bandaging process, RUN!!!!

Sometimes your tattoo can be in a difficult spot or too large to use a standard bandage, so clear plastic film is used.  There are some pros and cons to this practice.

 

The Pros:  Plastic wrap won’t stick to your new tattoo, it works for large pieces, and you won’t have to keep taking off the bandage to show all of your friends your cool new tattoo.

On the Con side of things:  Your tattoo will continue to seep bodily fluids and will leak and can become messy. It forms a barrier on your skin and it will cause it to remain moist, wet and hot.  These are the perfect things necessary for the growth of bacteria to start an infection!

If plastic wrap is used, remove it ASAP, meaning that you really don’t want to go over a couple of hours with it on.  Your bandage will be held in place using medical tape.  If you are a person that has allergies to the adhesives make sure that you let your tattoo artist know or bring your own tape.

How long do you have to leave the bandage on?

The responses are broad and varied. Almost everyone wants to take it off to show their friends right away, but this is a bad idea. Resist the temptation and wait. Your tattoo will continue to filter body fluids for an hour or two, depending on size and location. This period of time is critical and must be protected. So how long The most common response is 2 to 4 hours, but it is not uncommon to hear 6 or 8 hours, but never exceed 8. If an artist tells you 2 weeks, it is only so that they have time to leave the city before seeing the get your arm dirty !!!

After 2 to 4 hours, it is time to remove the bandage and show all your friends and loved ones the new art they have collected. 

Well, you may want to clean it first. All you want to use is a fragrance-free liquid antibacterial soap !! (What we recommend is the clear liquid antibacterial dial.) 

When washing, you need to make sure you are only using your clean hand to wash and not scrubbing with anything. You need to make sure you get all the dry fluids and any ointments left.

 If you have to use a soft wipe, be sure to hit it and not rub it. If you're washing in the shower, make sure you're using warm, lukewarm, not hot water. DO NOT allow the water to hit your new tattoo, let the water hit it and it will escape for a short period of time. The idea is to get in and out. DO NOT soak in the tub too!

Caring for your tattoo over the first week

AVOID THE SUN:  The sun is probably the single worst enemy and destroyer of tattoos!!  During the initial healing process, you absolutely need to keep your new tattoo out of the sun, as it will damage the skin further and can cause all sorts of problems from scaring your tattoo to lightening it up, uneven healing etc. 

Use loose fitting clothes to keep your tattoo out of the sun, and as a last resort use a sterile non-stick bandage. 

Ladies, this also applies to those tanning beds that you love so much. DON’T DO IT!!!  Once your tattoo is fully healed and there is no shine to it whatsoever, then you can relax some, Keep them covered, but if you must expose them to the damaging UV rays, then get the strongest SPF sun block that you can find and keep it handy (minimum of 30 SPF). 

OTHER ACTIVITIES: You really want to avoid swimming of any type as well. The ocean, lakes, rivers are full of creepy crawlies, amoebas, and bacteria that you don’t need an infection from.  Swimming pools are full of chlorine, which again is not good for the tattoo.

In Conclusion

I hope that these instructions have helped you, and that you follow them to heal your new piece of art work and that you will have something special to show off. You need to remember that the good Lord has made us all different, and as such, all of our skin is different, and therefore we heal differently.