Today I thought I’d do a quick post about caring for tattoos.  The above photograph was taken just after I had my tattoo in 2010.  I come from a family of tattooed people; my sister has a couple, my dad has loads and a lot of my cousins and friends have a few, so over the years I have seen and experienced a lot of tattoo care.  I am not a professional, but after the taking the advice of my tattoo artist and tattooed amigos, as well as my own experience, these are my tips for caring for tattoos whilst they heal.

Wash regularly

Once you’ve taken your dressing off, it is a good idea to wash your tattoo with warm, soapy water to remove any blood or surface bacteria.  Establishing a washing routine is important in order to avoid infection, so wash the tattoo like this twice daily.  When drying the area, pat dry with a clean towel but do not rub.

Moisturise

A couple of days after you get your tattoo, a scab will form.  To stop the scab from drying out, gently rub a small amount of unscented, healing moisturiser onto the tattoo after you’ve washed it.  My tattoo artist recommended Bepanthen, which is commonly used to treat nappy rash on babies.  I am allergic to some of the ingredients in Bepanthen however, so I used E45 and it worked just as well.  My dad and sister also used E45.

Do not pick or scratch!

Never, ever pick or scratch your scab!  The scab is part of the healing process and may itch a little, but it will fall off in its own time, leaving a perfect tattoo underneath.  If you pick it, you could damage or scar your tattoo, and you don’t want that.  I know it’s very tempting to pick it, but resist – it’s for your own good!

Leave uncovered

In my experience it is best to leave your tattoo uncovered whenever and wherever possible whilst it is healing.  This stops it rubbing which can make it sore or knock the scab off before it is ready.  I had my foot tattoo in the middle of winter and found that wearing boots or shoes made it sore, so I had to go around wearing flip flops for two weeks in the cold weather until it was healed!

Avoid Swimming and Sunshine

Submerging your tattoo in water for a long period of time when you have a new tattoo is not recommended as the ink can come out of your skin.  Also, chlorine from swimming pools can cause reactions with tattoos, leading to irritation and excess scabbing, so swimming is a no-no!  Also, you really, really do NOT want sunburn on a new tattoo, so stay out of the sun :)

Tattoos are usually fully healed within a month, but it is advised that you avoid water/the sun for a good few months after getting a new tattoo.

I hope some of you find this useful.  I am not qualified to give advice about tattoos, but this is what I did to look after my own tattoos and it worked fine for me :)

Do you have any tattoos?  If so, what are they?

Naomi x