You leave the tattoo shop, your skin freshly inked. The artist has done a great job, and this work must now heal without any pitfalls: it will be up to you to make sure! Indeed, the quality of the healing plays a decisive role in the final rendering of the tattoo, so the healing period will require special attention to avoid any bacterial infection or any bad gesture that would harm the appearance of the tattoo.
A tattoo is a wound
Yes, before being a weapon of mass seduction that will allow you to take your best insta photos (or tinder, it works too), the tattoo is above all a traumatic act for the skin, not so trivial as that. This is called a skin break-in, and therefore a fragile wound that needs to be taken care of. In general, we will therefore keep the same reflexes as for a wound: avoid touching the area without washing your hands, dusty environments, dirty clothes, animal hair... Common sense, in short. For more specific restrictions, go to the end of this article.
Apart from these basic precautions, a specific treatment protocol must be put in place until complete healing. There are certain rules to follow, some pitfalls to avoid, some preconceived ideas to discard. Do you know how to ensure that your tattoo heals optimally? Which soap to choose? Which cream? How many times a day? For how long? When to start what?
Follow the guide, we explain everything step by step!
On the first night, clean your tattoo
Once the work was done, the tattoo artist placed a sterile bandage soaked in Vaseline and wrapped in cellophane on your tattoo. In the evening, remove this bandage. Indeed, it is not recommended to keep it for more than a few hours: this may promote maceration and bacterial proliferation, by trapping the moisture created by the rejection of lymph, blood, and ink. Once the bandage is removed, the one and only treatment to be done on the first evening is to clean the tattooed area.
In terms of post-tattoo care, we tend to think that the star of the game is the moisturizer. We're not going to lie to each other, it is indeed essential, but it is not the first to come into action! The very first thing to do is to clean. Don't underestimate him, he is PRI-MOR-DIAL.
After moistening the tattooed area with warm water, apply a mild soap and wash thoroughly, without rubbing. Rinse, then dry gently with a clean cloth. Put on your coolest pajamas, loose and preferably made of cotton to let your skin breathe and avoid friction, and good night! No cream on the first night, we repeat, no cream on the first night!
The next day, we continue the cleaning
During the first 48 hours after your tattoo, your skin is still in an inflammatory period and is naturally trying to eliminate what it considers to be a foreign body. It must be left alone, while helping it to evacuate exudates (lymph, blood and ink rejections). To do this, clean again in the morning, at noon if possible, and in the evening. As you can see, the repair cream is still not up to date at this stage.
The right product:
Choose a gentle, fragrance-free cleansing gel. If it is formulated with Teflose, it's even better: this active ingredient prevents bacterial strains from adhering to the skin. And very important, choose your cleanser with a formula adjusted to the skin's pH, in order to respect the balance of the skin flora. So here's a scoop: contrary to popular belief, neutral pH is not the best option for cleaning a tattoo (or wound), since the pH of healthy skin is not neutral (7) but slightly acidic (between 4.7 and 5.75).
Washing your tattoo with a neutral pH soap is therefore a preconceived idea that dies hard, but now you know!
When to start the post-tattoo cream?
After the first 48 hours, the time has come to set up the complete care protocol: wash AND moisturize your tattoo every day, until the healing is complete (the average duration is estimated at 28 days). We will finally be able to draw our cream/care balm, specially formulated for tattooed skin of course.
The complete routine goes like this:
- First step: no mystery, it's always cleaning, with your mild soap. It is the first essential hygiene gesture in the post-tattoo care process, before applying an ointment.
- Second step: the care cream. Apply a small amount of it, in a thin layer, massaging lightly until it is absorbed. Leave only a light shiny film of hydration on the surface, no need to apply a thick layer! On the other hand, a cream applied in too large quantities will have a counterproductive effect, by risking clogging the pores and promoting maceration, and potentially bacterial proliferation. Another possible inconvenience in the event of a cream applied in too large a layer is the appearance of small white pimples. If this ever happens to you, take a break from the cream for a day or two, and only cleanse.
During the day, reapply the care cream whenever you feel the need (after washing your hands). Feelings of discomfort, tightness and itching are signs of a need for rehydration.
Normally, after about ten days, you can gradually reduce the frequency of application, until you stop the treatments completely once the healing is complete.
The right product:
Your tattoo cream should have a proven moisturizing and regenerating action, and be hypoallergenic (so preferably fragrance-free). If it is packaged in an airtight pump bottle, even better, it ensures maximum protection against bacteria. Finally, choosing a non-sticky, non-staining formula specially designed for tattooed skin will maximize your comfort.
Good to know:
- Leave your tattoo in the open air as much as possible (unless you work in a dusty environment, in which case the tattooed area is protected with a breathable "second skin" bandage).
- Don't scratch yourself: in case of itching, re-hydrate the area with your care cream. Do not pull dead skin that may appear over the days, it will go away on its own.
- Throughout the healing period, choose loose cotton clothing to avoid friction and let the skin breathe.
- Avoid humid environments or environments that are conducive to excessive sweating, such as the sauna or steam room.
- No prolonged station in the water.
- Do not expose your tattoo to the sun for a month after it is done. Then, once your tattoo has healed, protect it with an SPF 50 at each exposure, reapplying it every two hours.
- Even after the healing period is complete, continue to care for your tattoo by moisturizing it daily to maintain its shine. Don't hesitate to pamper yourself with a bodymilk or serum specially designed for tattooed skin.
You are now unbeatable on the subject (you can even show off thanks to the anecdote on the neutral pH), but if you still have any questions about the healing of your tattoo or the treatment protocol, we remain available with great pleasure in dm on our instagram page otzibalkan!
