Why Vaseline Isnt Good For Your Tattoo
Its important to know that only anecdotal accounts support the use of products like Vaseline on healing tattoos.
According to a survey of 32 tattoo artists, most tattoo professionals recommend an aftercare routine of washing with antibacterial soap and applying a petroleum-based ointment or unscented lotion, two to three times a day.
One-third of the artists surveyed above said that they recommend petroleum-based products because thats what they learned to use from other artists or through trial and error.
The American Academy of Dermatology says petroleum-based products can cause ink to fade. They recommend using water-based moisturizers on new tattoos instead.
But why? Products like Vaseline and super thick ointments may trap moisture and bacteria on top of a new tattoo, increasing your risk of developing an infection. Water-based lotions are breathable and wont suffocate your healing skin.
Can You Scratch A New Tattoo
No. It may be tempting to scratch that itchy ink, but trust us when we say, dont do it.
Scratching, peeling, or picking your tattoo leaves light patches in the tattoo from ink loss, scarring, and possible infection. If you just cant resist the urge, gently pat the tattoo with the palm of your hand or apply a little more moisturizer.
Is It Possible To Over
Moisturizing your tattoo can reduce the pain and discomfort associated with a wound of this type of healing. Moisturizing can strengthen the skin. You can however get too much of a good thing.
If you apply too much moisturizer you can keep the skin from creating a scab at all. Scabbing is a natural part of tattoo healing and the skin has to be able to dry out enough to develop the scabs. You do not want to impede the natural progression of the wound.
The extra moisture can also cause complications like oozing and clogged pores. Clogged pores can turn into blackheads and acne-type breakouts that can disfigure or ruin your artwork.
A dab of lotion in your palm that is about the size of a dime should cover most tattoos and for larger ones use a lotion dab about the size of a quarter.
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Caring For Your Tattoo The First Day
When Should You Apply Lotion To Your New Tattoo
Applying lotion or other tattoo aftercare products to your tattoo at least 3 times a day should work to keep it well hydrated and in good condition to heal quickly and efficiently.
The best tattoo lotion Ive ever personally used is a vegan aftercare product called After Inked Tattoo Aftercare Lotion. This stuff works amazingly well during the healing process not only by keeping your tattoo really well hydrated but also by soothing any annoying itching and irritation. When using it from the very start of the healing process, this lotion will help to decrease tattoo healing times and work towards eliminating any lingering dryness and scabbing.
Morning
As a rule, lotion should first be applied in the morning after waking up, after cleaning your tattoo.
As you sleep, your body becomes dehydrated as it loses water through sweat and vapor while breathing. Plus, you arent drinking at all during sleep. Therefore, your tattooed skin will normally start the day by being quite dry and tight, and applying lotion first thing should help to loosen it up and relax the area.
Midday
As the hours pass, your tattoo will gradually begin to dry up again. Therefore, its best to apply another layer of lotion to the area.
Before doing this, however, its essential that you clean the tattoo first before applying another layer of lotion.
Evening
Always clean your tattoo before going to bed and make sure to apply lotion afterward once the tattoo has dried.
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Helping Your Tattoo Heal
How To Sleep On The First Night:
It’s important to consider that your tattoo is technically an open wound at this point, so it needs to stay protected for little while. Most tattoo artists will recommend that you leave your bandaging on overnight to keep it protected .
If your tattoo is covered in plastic wrap instead of a sterile bandage and you notice that a lot of moisture has built up underneath it, you may want to consider cleaning it up and re-wrapping it before you go to bed . The plastic wrap can trap ink, plasma, blood, sweat, and general moisture against your tattoo, creating a perfect environment for bacterial growth. Not great for open wounds, TBH.
For the next few nights, make sure to sleep on the opposite side of wherever your tattoo is, so you’re not pressing it directly on your sheets. It will leak a tiny bit, so if you have darker sheets, use them.
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Dealing With Itching And Scabbing
If you are experiencing intense itching, there are a few things you can do to relieve it. Try gently slapping your tattoo. It sounds quite silly, but it often works. You can also take an antihistamine such as GoodSense All Day Allergy to relieve the itching.
As a last resort, apply some hydrocortisone cream like this 1% cream from Basic Care to your tattoo. Hydrocortisone shouldnt be used frequently or on a long-term basis. Limit your use of it, only using it when the itchiness is unbearable. If your itchiness is mildly annoying, try one of the other suggestions mentioned above instead.
A tattoo scab does not necessarily mean youve done anything wrong. Some peoples tattoos will scab no matter what is done for tattoo aftercare.
If theres tattoo scabbing, keep the scabs moisturized, and dont pick at them. Within two weeks, your scabs will begin to fall off by themselves. If you try to rush the process by picking at your scabs, it can affect your tattoo ink, leaving light spots on your healed tattoo where the scabs were. As tempting as it is to pick your tattoo scab off every time, leave them alone.
Keeping This In View What Is The Best Moisturizer For Tattoos
Best Lotion For Tattoos
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What Happens If You Dont Moisturize Your Tattoo
Its a tricky line to tread, looking after your new tattoo and making sure it doesnt get infected, while also leaving it alone to do its healing without being fiddled with! Too much balm can be problematic, as skin needs to breathe while healing, but what happens if you dont put any on at all?
- Itchiness Without moisturiser, theres a risk that healing skin will get very dry, tight and itchy, and itchy skin that you cant scratch that in fact you shouldnt touch at all is not much fun! If you do itch then you risk damaging the new tattoo.
- Tightness and Scabbing Dry skin can also cause very tight scabs to form these can flake and fall off easily, pulling the ink away with them, which you also really want to avoid.
- Infection Lastly, uncovered skin can be more open to infection, which can also damage the design a fine layer of breathable balm works like a sticking plaster to protect against irritants and microbes.
Your skin needs to be looked after whether its been tattooed or not it goes through the same natural cycle of repair and regeneration every 3-4 weeks, rebuilding its outer layer so that it can provide a robust barrier to the outside world.
Do I have to wash my tattoo every time I put lotion on it?
Sleeping dehydrates your body, so when you wake up the tattooed skin can feel particularly uncomfortable, so moisturizing early can be beneficial. It is also important to clean and moisturize before you go to sleep at night.
How Often Should I Moisturize My Tattoo
The tattoo healing process can be extensive lasting anywhere from a few weeks, to a few months. Even if the upper skin layer seems to have healed, the underlying layers take a lot more time than you would expect. One of the essential products that is often used to help boost the tattoo healing process is a tattoo ointment.
Yes! A tattoo ointment has a very important role to play when it comes to healing. In todays blog were going to explain the many ways in which your freshly tattooed skin can benefit when you apply an ointment
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How Long Should I Wait To Use Any Type Of Lotion After Getting My Tattoos
If you want to use any type of lotion after getting your tattoo, then you should keep in mind whether the tattoo has adequately healed or not.
If your tattoo is still in the healing process, you may consider being picky on the type of lotions you use.
Especially those you use to keep it moisturized, to avoid any chances of infections likely to result from them.
When you have confirmed that the tattoo has completely healed.
Then you can proceed and use any kind of lotion of your preference as there will be no damage whatsoever caused to the tattoo by using them.
You should note that freshly done tattoos are treated as healing wounds on the skin and so should be cared for cautiously as one.
So, if you want to use any type of lotion, then you should consider waiting for as long as the tattoo takes to heal.
Dont Moisturize Your Skin Until Its Dry
The very first step in the tattoo aftercare process is actually a waiting game. The ink will likely be wet for the first couple of days after getting the tattoo. It is important that you do not apply lotion or moisturize your tattoo until it is fully dry.
This will take anywhere from 1-3 days. Leave your tattoo covered until it is dry, and change your bandaging twice a day. When you change your bandage, you will want to clean the wound with fragrance-free, antibacterial soap. Softly dabb your tattoo with a wet towel that has a small amount of soap on it. After cleaning, re-bandage your tattoo.
You will know its time to apply lotion when the wound begins to itch, and you will notice that the ink is beginning to scab over. Do not pick at the scabs. This is the natural healing process at work.
After all, your tattoo is a scar. Interfering with the natural scarring process can cause your tattoo to become infected, or warp.
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Here’s Your General Timeline:
Week 1 Your tattoo will be weepy, slightly oozy, sore, and the surrounding area will probably be a bit swollen. The tattooed area will heal a little more every day and begin to gently scab over.
Week 2 Scabbing will continue and your skin will start to peel, similar to a bad sunburn. You will probably get itchy AF and start to feel like a reptile.
Weeks 3 to 4 You will likely still be a bit itchy and dry, and your tattoo may look a bit cloudy. Your body is still repairing the skin, even though it’s not flaking or peeling anymore. At this point, it’s mostly healed.
How Long Should I Wait Before Removing The Bandage
Remove the bandage no sooner than 3-4 hours after, though it can also be left on overnight, especially if you received the tattoo in the evening. If you were tattooed early in the day, you may remove the bandage before going to bed. At most, the bandage should be removed within 24 hours of receiving the tattoo. We dont recommend re-bandaging after the first bandage is removed.
There is a new type of bandage called Saniderm, which allows for quick, easy and clean healing of your tattoo. It is a thin, clear film that can stay on the tattooed area for as long as 5 days, and can be worn to bed and in the shower. Not all tattoo shops carry Saniderm, so it is recommended to ask the shop in advance, or bring your own if you wish to use this method.
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So How Often To Moisturize New Tattoo
How often do moisturize new tattoos? The answer may surprise you. You should be doing it as often as possible!
The more times you can apply lotion or ointment to your tattoo in the first few days, the better. This will help keep the area hydrated and prevent the tattoo from drying out and cracking.
Of course, you dont want to overdo it, so be sure to consult with your artist or follow tattoo aftercare instructions and caring tips before slathering on the lotion.
As a general rule to keep your tattoo looking its best, you should moisturize the area around 2-3 times per day. This will help avoid dryness and promote new skin cell growth to protect the art piece.
Its very important to listen closely and adapt the process for yourself. Proper moisturizing forms a thin membrane that protects your tattoo avoiding any risks of ruining it!
When Should I Start To Apply Lotion To My New Tattoo
For a tattoo that is healing normally the application of moisturizer or lotion does not need to begin until about the fourth day after you have gotten the tattoo. Right after your tattoo is completed the artist more than likely put a thin layer of antibacterial ointment on top of the work before they applied the bandage.
You want to give your tattoo about four days so the skin can start to dry out just a little. The drying allows the oozing to stop and a thin scab to form over the open wounds. Your scab should be left alone, do not pick at it, because it stops bacteria from entering the wound. A light layer of moisturizing lotion will help ease the itch and stop the pulling feeling of a drying wound but will not loosen the scab or make it fall off.
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What Is After Care Moisturizing
While its unnecessary to use lotion right away, most artists recommend waiting at least 5-10 minutes after you get inked before putting on lotion. This gives the tattoo time to form a scab, which is an important part of the healing process and will help protect your fresh tattoo from infection.
If you dont want to wait around for half an hour after getting some new ink, you can use a wet washcloth or paper towel to pat your new tattoo dry. This will soak up any excess ink and blood almost immediately, but dont forget to wash it off before putting on some lotion.