There is NO foolproof set of aftercare instructions for a healing tattoo. Everybody is different and there is always a risk of an allergic reaction or problems. I will do my best to explain a couple of options and will give a few examples of products and hopefully help troubleshoot any problems you may have..
Here is a list of some aftercare products and their potential risks….
TATTOO AFTERCARE PRODUCTS (TATTOO GOO, INK FIXX, TAT WAX, BLACK CAT, H2OCEAN FOAM, ETC)
I tend to recommend products that have been created by people in the industry specifically for the use of healing a tattoo, but there are a few risks for you to consider and look for. The trend in the tattoo industry is to preach the wonders of the new “miracle product” my advice is to not be a fool to marketing gimmicks, the manufacturer is sure to have a list of reasons as to why their product is superior, the truth of the matter is they have money to make and are more interested in sales than anything else, including the healing of your tattoo, these people are modern day snake oil salesmen, so I’m of the opinion to take the grandiose claims with a grain of salt.. The fact of the matter is ALL of these products have healed some tattoos perfectly and ALL have caused reactions (sometimes severe) in others. All have different ingredience and it is in your best interest to read them and look for anything that you know to be a problem. For example some products contain BEES WAX , common sense will tell you that if you are allergic to bees, it might be a bad idea to use the product….
My personal favorite product is the H2OCEAN FOAM I have seen many fewer (if any) reactions to this than the other aftercare, the foam tends to absorb into the skin, and creates less discharge which in turn seems to produce less scabbing thus smoother healing, the only complaint that I have heard is that it slightly burns a few peoples skin when first applied. I heal all of my tattoos with this product and swear by it, but just because it seems to be the best for me doesn’t mean that you will like it..
OVER THE COUNTER OINTMENTS/CREMES (NEOSPORIN , TRIPLE ANTIBIOTIC, BACITRATION AQUAPHOR, PREPERATION H, NOXEMA, A&D, VITAMIN E OIL, ETC)
I prefer products designed specifically for tattoo aftercare which these are NOT but I will be the first to admit that many tattoos have been successfully healed with all of these over the counter ointments. However the most popular error that people make with these (and all the other aftercare for that matter) is that they over do it ant put far too much of it on their healing tattoo, it is imperative that you put as thin of a layer on your healing tattoo as possible, it is my opinion that ANY product that is PERTOLIUM or LANOLIN based is inferior for healing of tattoos and produce a far greater risk of reaction, excessive seeping and scabbing, thus resulting in color loss. TRIPLE ANTIBIOTIC and NEOSPORIN seem to have the highest risk of reaction and if you use them please do so with caution, NEOSPORIN for example used to be considered to be the absolute best in aftercare by the majority of people in the industry. Some (reputable I might add) artists still swear by it today, but it is a popular opinion that there is a higher rate of reaction (rashes/pimples) and a greater risk of color loss, to be honest I personally am not sure if the critics of NEOSPORIN have their facts straight or have bastardized the product because it is considered “old school”. I am not one of those people that will claim that it is the absolute worst thing you could put on a tattoo, but I’m not an advocate of it either… My opinion of the best OVER THE COUNTER aftercare products are AQUAPHOR, A&D, and BACITRATION (in that order)…. But I honestly wouldn’t use them unless I had to..
OVER THE COUNTER SKIN LOTION (LUBRIDERM,CUREL,VASELINE INTENSIVE CARE, ETC)
First off if you use any SKIN LOTION for tattoo aftercare it is IMPARITIVE that you only use the name brands recommended and be absolutely sure that they are NON SCENTED and contain NO ARTIFICIAL COLORS!!!! a scented lotion and/or one with artificial color will burn and more than likely cause a reaction. There are reputable artists that recommend nothing but skin lotion for a healing tattoo. And some that recommend the use of LOTION after 3-4 days. Like everything else here many tattoos have been successfully healed with these, HOWEVER I have personally witnessed the WORST/MORE FREQUENT REACTIONS with Lotions than virtually any other form of aftercare. I have seen large puss filled pimples from these products on some people to an extreme that overshadows anything I have ever witnessed with any ointment or any other kind of aftercare’s bad reaction. I think people tend to completely over do it with this kind of product. And I think there is a lot of room for error when choosing a lotion, such as accidentally getting a scented/colored or an off name inferior product containing elements detrimental to the healing of a tattoo. I have also seen people mistakenly use VASELINE PETROLIUM JELLY (which is horrible for a healing tattoo) because they thought it was the same as VASELINE INTENSIVE CARE. So I recommend that if you are someone that chooses to use lotion for aftercare be very aware of what you are putting on your tattoo and make sure that it is EXACTLY what your artist recommended and even then keep on the watch for reactions.
SIGNES OF A GOOD/NORMAL HEALING TATTOO …… the tattoo will go through a period where they peel, the skin that peels will be the color of the tattoo, and it will literally look like your tattoo is flaking off the more even the tattoo peels the better the tattoo will look when it is completely healed, underneath the peeled skin you will have healing skin cells that will cause the skin to seem milky rather than transparent, don’t worry about this, you tattoo will be bright in no time, it’s all part of the healing process.
SYMPTOMS OF BAD REACTIONS / BAD HEALING CAUSED BY AFTERCARE ….
Aftercare reaction is one of the leading causes of a badly healed tattoo.. Some things to look for are extreme seeping/heavy scabbing, excessive inflammation, and most of all a rash (little bumps) or excessive pimples. If you think that you are having a reaction to your aftercare it is VERY IMPORTANT that you consult your artist asap, you can save your tattoo if you deal with the situation right away…
OTHER CONTRIBUTORS OF A BAD HEALING TATTOO ……. If you are having a problem with your healing tattoo done at a reputable shop, it more times than not IS your choice of aftercare, a few other things that will cause a tattoo to heal badly are…
NEGLECT – If you don’t practice good personal hygiene, pick your tattoo, let clothing stick to it, scrub your healing tattoo in the shower your tattoo will NOT look nice when it heals, do the right thing and take care of your investment you’re going to have it the rest of your life…
YOUR HEALTH – If you have immunity deficiencies, blood disorders such as diabetes, or are on certain medications such as steroids or blood thinners your tattoo tattoo could be affected, it is a good idea to consult your doctor if you suspect there may be a problem.
SUN EXPOSURE – The sun is your tattoos worst enemy, if you expose your healing tattoo to the sun it can react with the healing ink and literally burn it from the inside out, so UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES expose your healing tattoo to prolonged direct sunlight. Even a healed tattoo will fade when exposed to the sun or tanning beds with time, if you must expose your HEALED tattoo to those nasty UV rays be sure to use a high SPF SUNBLOCK (at least 30)
EXPOSURE TO TOXINS / BACTERIA – If you work/live in an environment with dirt and filth you run the risk of infection, nursing homes/hospitals, being around animals, toxic metals/chemicals, and filth of all kind can cause a SERIOUS infections, be smart and use common sense …. If you have a tattoo on your hand/forarm and you work on a farm or change a diaper you run the risk of an infection …. The possibilities are endless …….
DAMAGED SKIN – If your skin is week, sun damaged, thin, or an artist overworks the tattoo it will cause the tattoo to heal badly
ALLERGIC REACTIONS TO LATEX OR TATTOO PIGMENT – If you are allergic to latex you will more than likely know before you get your tattoo. Let the artist know, NITREL or VINYL gloves can be used… signs of allergic reactions are extreme rash/redness in the case of latex (gloves worn by the artist)
An allergic reaction to tattoo ink is VERY RARE but is possible, if you are allergic to a pigment it will be evident certain colors in your tattoo bubbling and raising off of your skin resembling a SEVERE scar. If you are concerned about having a reaction to tattoo ink ask your artist about doing a “prick test” where a small dot of each color to be used in your potential artwork is tattooed under your skin at least 24 hours before your tattoo …. If you have a lot of allergies sometimes it is better to be safe than sorry….
I hope this has helped, together we can make your tattoo/healing experience a good one and give you a beautiful piece of living artwork that will last a lifetime…
great guide! i would also like to add that it is a very common reaction when people use lotion to get bumbs like a little rash all over the tattoo. if this happens you need to discontinue use immediately. The rash is caused by chemicals that are in fragrance (even some unscented lotions carry purfumes to make it smell like lotion, what you didnt think thats what lotion actually smelled like do you?). Point is use caution when using lotions, as everybody has different tollerances to the purfume. Some people will use a lotion and have no reaction, and some will use the same one and get a severe reaction.
also, i have seen several people suggest you take a shot or two before you get a tattoo, and that is some of the worst advice. You have to use common sense. Alcohol is a blood thinner, which will make you bleed out all over the place, making the artists job much harder (if you found one that will tattoo a dunk), as well as making your tattoo most likely not come out as well as if oyu where sober. If you are to afraid to try the pain sober, then you shouldn’t get a tattoo i think.
Thats a very informative rundown of aftercare products, are they all in the US?
I use an ointment called Tattoo Aftercare. It’s made here in Britain. I have quite severe Eczema and this stuff helps soothe my eczema too, I got a big studio jar and it last for ages 😉 my tattoo healed up in only 5 days and I use it every day now too as part of my daily skin moisturiser, save me using fekn steriod creams. I am like a polka dot glove with all my clothes off, ha ha not a pretty site at my age 😮 having lost a lot of my skin pigment since childhood using steriod creams 🙁 so this stuff is a kind of blessing for me too. It is getting great reviews here in the UK. check them out at tattooaftercare.co.uk happy days 🙂
my wife also had really bad eczema for a long time, until about a year ago we discovered that she is allergic to the sulphates in body wash’s/shampoo (like laurelith sulphate, and all the others similar)..
since she has been using more organic cleaners, she has not had a problem with eczema…
not to do with tattoo aftercare, just a tip…
Hi Calandryll yes I can empathise wife your wife, it’s not a skin condition I would want anyone to suffer. But more and more ppl having problems and additives in products now seem to be a cause. I have had exzema since three months old, now almost 49, (two weeks), and have tried just about every man made chemical and steriod based applications prescribed, a lot helped immensley and others not so good, burned or dried out the skin too much. I had an allergy test in my teens and apparently i am allergic to all things green lol, (born on the wrong planet?), and a few animals too. I was quite apprehensive getting tattooed in my teens but went for it, much to my mum’s alarm as it was in her kitchen ha ha ha, done by a local artist……OMG how long ago was that!!! :confused: than it was another 20 odd years before I went under the needle again and I found this stuff to be good for me and it has no additives which is a blessing and it healed up my tats quick too and then found it is a great compliment as part of my daily routine of keeping my skin nourished, pity I can’t get it on the national health though lol 🙂 Hope yopur having a good day. Jimmy V
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