ADVICE AND AFTERCARE
Tattoos, an introduction…
When it comes to a Tattoo there a few things to keep in mind… They hurt, most of the time its completely tolerable pain, sometimes… it f**king sucks so bad you have a quiet little existential crisis in your own head. thats one thing.
The next thing to remember is tattoos look amazing and make you a million times cooler and are totally worth all the effort, pain and expense. The process of Tattooing has been around since before 5000BCE, possibly even longer. Tattoos are about forming identity and defining individuality in a person. The value in a tattoo is as much about the the person in possession as it is the art and artistry behind the creation. Tattoos can speak more than words about a persons character and having them is decision to make that should not be taken lightly. They are permanent.
The Risks
Tattooing as a process is not without risk. Mainly we are talking risks to your health, but other risks are involved also such as, your satisfaction with the end product, current/future employment, your relationships, however the latter are situational and may not be a concern for most, my advice there would be to research your artists thoroughly and have relationships with cooler more open minded people! joke…but not really. To the health risks:
Allergic reactions. Tattoo ink can cause allergic skin reactions, such as an itchy rash at the tattoo site. These reactions can sometimes occur years after getting a tattoo, allergies range in severity, from mild discomfort all the way to debilitating symptoms. Red ink tends to be more prone to allergic reactions that other tattoo ink colours.
Skin infections. A skin infection is possible after getting a tattoo. An infection might be due to contaminated ink or equipment that isn't sterilised correctly. Getting a tattoo at a studio that doesn't follow good infection control measures can raise your risk of a skin infection. poor aftercare and bad personal hygiene are by far the most common reasons for skin infections. Some skin infections that are left untreated can progress into conditions like sepsis and could be potentially fatal.
Other skin problems. Sometimes an area of inflammation can form around tattoo ink. Granulomas can form (white spots) which if irritated or scratched can lead to further problems, these can occur for number of reasons and are fairly common. Tattooing also can lead to keloid scarring, raised areas caused by an overgrowth of scar tissue, this is more common in people with black skin but can occur on anyone with the genetic makeup.
Blood born Pathogens. If contaminated equipment is used during a tattoo, you could contract diseases that are spread through blood. Examples include methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, hepatitis B and hepatitis C, HIV and Tetanus. To lower your risk do your research and find a well practiced tattoo artist who follows all the correct precautions. You could get vaccinated for hepatitis B to help lower the risk.
Poor tattooing. Some tattoos can be poorly executed, this can be due to lack of experience or knowledge, unsuitable conditions and environments for tattooing or poor equipment. You could encounter blow-outs, where the ink is deposited too deep causing the blood vessels to disperse the ink, this looks like a permanent bruise (blue/black shadowing around the area). You could receive excess damage to the skin causing poor healing, scarring and increased chances of healing complications. Alternatively the tattoo ink might not be deposited properly resulting in a scratchy/faded looking tattoo. It’s important to find a tattoo artist who always has a good standard of work, who has documents of multiple healed tattoos done by them, and they should have work that is documented in unfiltered and un-edited photography. This isn’t to say avoid Tattoo artists who edit their pictures, sometimes this is necessary to display the Tattoo at its best e.g lowering the saturation to get rid of obvious red inflammation. I’m also not saying to avoid new inexperienced artists, we all have to start somewhere, just be wary of the risks. Sometimes these things can occur through no fault of the artist, sometimes it ban be a result of the client sitting poorly or having adverse reactions such as twitching, however an experienced artist would probably be able to overcome this challenge.
other things. Fainting, body shock, swelling, bruising, bleeding, depression (tattoo blues) which are a result of the toxins formed by adrenaline (the aftermath of body shock) etc.
what to bring to your appointment?
What to wear? wear comfortable, clean clothes, wear layers that can be removed when you are too hot or piled up when that body shock kicks in and you feel like you’re filming a scene of The Revenant. Wear clothes that provide easy access to the area to be tattooed, it may be required that you have to remove clothing to access areas for the tattoo.
Bring a cushion or big hoodie to roll up as a cushion, bring a clean blanket to cover if you are having to sit quite exposed.
You should bring snacks for blood sugar, food for breaks in between Tattooing and plenty of fluids to rehydrate, keep in mind though that allot of studios don’t have toilets for client use and you don’t want to be stopping frequently for pee breaks if the toilet is 5-10 minutes away.
Bring any aftercare products you intend to use and see if your artist approves.
Bring a phone charger as you will likely be on your phone allot and might possibly have to use your phone for payment methods or organising journeys home, bring a book or music to keep you distracted and to pass the time.
My Product Recommendations
There are plenty of products out there, here are a few of the products I use or have used in the past.
Balms and Creams
Hustle butter : their butter range is fantastic, I use this daily whilst tattooing and sell this from the studio, a little goes a long way and it smells amazing also.
Yayo familia : the after care range is very good, large range of different products, again a little goes a long way. its very soothing and easy to apply in thin layers.
Palmers Cocoa butter : cheap and effective, a commonly used aftercare product with tattoo artists, can be bought from almost any shop, just make sure to buy a squeeze bottle rather than a tub as they are more hygienic.
Cleaning
Aloe vera soap
Protection
Tattoomed
Yayo
Saniderm
Advice.
where to start?
So here is my advice for the whole process of getting a tattoo. You have a hankering for getting a tattoo… you have all the time in the world to get one, so don’t rush into a decision on impulse. If you’ve been thinking long and hard for a while and the moment now seems right, thats a good place to start. Do your research! there are thousands of extremely talented artists out there, you have the luxury to be fussy. Don’t settle for your local Bill the Butcher because thats where your whole neighbourhood goes, yes they might be cheap, they might be good solid tattoos, but think bigger.
What style do you love? find someone who specialises in that. What subject do you really like? find someone who is a master at executing that. This way, your style might change over time but the piece you have will stand the test of time. It’s unlikely you will look back at the work you once admired so much with regret. Think with your head and your heart not with your wallet. If your budget is small, get something small or wait till you can afford what you really want.
If its your first tattoo than choose an area which is more inconspicuous, such as inner ankle, inner forearm, inner bicep etc. Collecting tattoos is a skill in itself, you get better at it, save your most prominent and exposed spaces for when you have your style honed in.
Plan ahead, will what you’re getting now get in the way of some bigger idea?
Preparing for your Tattoo Appointment
Be well rested, be healthy. Healing your tattoo starts with your general health, your diet, your heart and your gut. A good night sleep and a good breakfast will up your resilience towards the pain and body shock throughout the session. Be clean and hygienic, your body and your Tattoo artist will thank you for this, nobody wants to be sat smelling someones bad odours for hours on end.
Plan to arrive on time or slightly early, if you’re late to your appointment, you’re going to arrive all stressed out with bad head space, don’t arrive too early either as your artist most likely wont be ready for you to arrive, but you could always pop them a message and they might be happy about the early start. My advice would be to arrive bang on time or a couple minutes before.
If its your first Tattoo and you are all baby faced and crystal skinned, bring a valid form of ID.
Aftercare
The final outcome of a tattoo is as dependant on the client as it is the artist, how you look after your tattoo from the moment the stencil is put on will determine the ease and success of its healing.
The facts are that some peoples tattoos just heal crisper, clearer and more pigmented than others regardless of how you look after it afterwards or whatever magic cream you use, allot of this depends on genetics, age, sex, hormones, diet, lifestyle choices, stress, habits and your collagen content and processes. Skin is the largest organ of the body, its health and resilience is a reflection of what is occurring inside. Healing takes places from the moment the epidermal layer (outer layer/skins surface) is broken and takes up to two years to heal fully when unhindered.
This being said there is plenty you can do to help and control the process of healing. Keep it clean and free from harmful bacteria and pathogens, to do this use gentle unscented antibacterial soap. Always make sure your hands are clean first before touching your tattoo. Keep the tattoo protected from bacterial introduction or mechanical agitation (things like clothes rubbing), to do this cover your fresh tattoo with clingfilm whenever these things might occur. For example beds are full of bacteria so wrap your tattoo when you sleep, other people and animals are full of bacteria so wrap it if you might come into contact with other people or pets, wear clingfilm if you are going to wear tight clothes that would rub, or wear loose clean clothing. It is important to limit the amount you wrap your tattoo with clingfilm to when it is essential, your skin needs oxygen to heal, wounds need to breathe. Avoid wearing clingfilm for longer than 4 hours at a time where possible (at night when you sleep this is okay, sleep is more important). When ever you remove the cling film gently wash your tattoo. I't’s important to not introduce bacteria from bath or hand towels so allow to air dry or use new single use kitchen towels. You should protect your tattoo like this until the epidermis/epidermal layer is no longer broken (no open wounds left). Scabs are your bodies way of protecting these open wounds, do not remove them.
Second skin bandages, Saniderm, Tattoo films are also highly effective and convenient ways of protecting a Tattoo during healing, these are applied when the tattoo is fresh and left of until the skin begins contraction and is deep into the process of fibroplasia (growth of new tissue), generally this is around the 4-6 day mark. Cling film can be used as and when its required after removal of second skin.
Now you know about protecting your tattoos, let me cover the healing, the way to help your body heal quickly and effectively is to eat healthily, increase your vitamin intake, perhaps take collagen supplements leading up to your tattoo and afterwards, cut out smoking and alcohol which seriously impede healing, keep your heart healthy with exercise and keep hydrated. Your body will heal the tattoo for you as long as you look after your body, after care products such as balms and creams help keep the skin hydrated and comfortable and can be a good way of topically introducing vitamins and nutrients to your skin.
Whilst your tattoo is healing you shouldn’t submerge your tattoo in any body of water, water can harbour all different kinds of harmful microbes, the only time your fresh tattoo should come into contact with water is when you are cleaning it.
You should avoid UV exposure, so no sunbathing, keep the tattoo covered for at least 1 month, this is why winter tattoo sessions are great. Under no circumstances should you use sunbeds during the healing process and they also should be avoided once your tattoo is healed, this is to improve the longevity of your tattoo by keeping your skin healthy. UV exposure makes your tattoos fade and blur over time due to the way UV affects your skin and the particles within the ink.
When using aftercare products such as balms and creams you should use it sparingly, only use small amounts to create a thin coating, too much moisture could soften any scabs and make them lift prematurely. These products will help your skin feel more comfortable during the healing and keep your skin hydrated, once healed continue to use these products to keep your tattoos looking crisp with deeper pigmentation. However these products aren’t essential and some people prefer to ‘dry’ heal, this is where that tattoo is kept dry as possible, there are pros and cons to this method. Pro; dry environments aren’t favoured by bacteria so limits chances of infection which in turn makes it safer to wear loose clothing without the use of clingfilm. Con; dry skin is irritable and can promote scabbing, can make itching worse.
Tattoo itching during healing is common, as is itching with all wound healing. the itching is a sign on regrowth. This itching can be very intense and almost demands a good scratch, but never scratch a tattoo! you could damage the tattoo or cause in infection as the under finger nails are filled with bacteria. If the itch is driving you crazy, there are a few things you can do, use icepacks to cool down the tattoo, cold temperature can numb your nerve endings, use cling film around the ice pack or kitchen towel to keep your tattoo bacteria free. You can also take an antihistamine.
