Re-wrapping tattoos

[ILikePie]

Interesting info here. I have always removed the covering a few hours after the tattoo and go from there and most have healed just fine. But on my upcoming tattoo I have read the artists after care instructions and it says to rewrap it and keep it covered for 3 days. Im not sure about that but it is a well known artist.

[slayer9019]

Thinking about the "wrapping technique" got me to come up with a possible idea. (please tattooers jump in). What if you use no-rinse medical soap then wrap it. That I think would be the cleanest environment under the cling-wrap (as long as the cling wrap is sterile. Or instead of cling-wrap you can use trauma pads as they don't stick and should be sterile. I might go ask my doctor buddy and see what he says.

[Dustin Nowlin]

Years ago, I used to recommend wrapping but,

with the influx of newly unexprienced clientel...I find for the sake of my own business and their health, simple is best.

I too fear the 'warm bacteria death trap'. I want to avoid anything that could jepardize my patrons health and I find that allowing the new tattoo to ooze out all day in a vacuum seal doesnt change the fact that your body will scab even in the slightest, to protect itself from bacteria, MRSA, ect. while allowing the new skin cells form above and around the ink.

"Clean and Moist" is what I always say, and with that I've gotten the best results.

Keep wrapped for x amount of hours

(I use Dri-Locks, which find absorb the intial weeping of the tattoo, while not completely cutting off the oxygen -Oxygen is key to celluar regeneration)

Clean w/ a mild soap the 1st 3days, then apply non-scented lotion periodiacally and thinnly afterwards to keep the scab from compounding, drying out, getting hard, stubborn or cracking. And allowing it to come off in its own time...gently.

Time, heals all wounds. But only if we allow it. I believe like a lot of other tattooers before me, that our bodies are well equip with the capacity for healing tattoos (We have been for centuries), we just have to make sure we allow it to by keeping the area Clean and Moist, and allowing it to get oxygen.

Last...I say if its done right, it'll likely heal right. ( granted you keep it clean and out of harms way.) Thankx ;)

[Patriot Ink Tattoo]

Years ago, I used to recommend wrapping but,

with the influx of newly unexprienced clientel...I find for the sake of my own business and their health, simple is best.

I too fear the 'warm bacteria death trap'. I want to avoid anything that could jepardize my patrons health and I find that allowing the new tattoo to ooze out all day in a vacuum seal doesnt change the fact that your body will scab even in the slightest, to protect itself from bacteria, MRSA, ect. while allowing the new skin cells form above and around the ink.

"Clean and Moist" is what I always say, and with that I've gotten the best results.

Keep wrapped for x amount of hours

(I use Dri-Locks, which find absorb the intial weeping of the tattoo, while not completely cutting off the oxygen -Oxygen is key to celluar regeneration)

Clean w/ a mild soap the 1st 3days, then apply non-scented lotion periodiacally and thinnly afterwards to keep the scab from compounding, drying out, getting hard, stubborn or cracking. And allowing it to come off in its own time...gently.

Time, heals all wounds. But only if we allow it. I believe like a lot of other tattooers before me, that our bodies are well equip with the capacity for healing tattoos (We have been for centuries), we just have to make sure we allow it to by keeping the area Clean and Moist, and allowing it to get oxygen.

Last...I say if its done right, it'll likely heal right. ( granted you keep it clean and out of harms way.) Thankx ;)

100% with you! Pretty much what I was trying to say earlier, but after re-reading, I think I may have let the beer attitude type for me, lol. Thanks Dustin!

[tattooedjuliet]

I think the wrap method is good for an experienced tattoo collector. certainly not for the average one.

one of my artists recommended the method to me about 6 years ago and I have been using it since. I have never healed better. I have very sensitive skin in general, so many lotions can cause issue for me while healing. The wrap method allows my body to heal itself without any outside irritants. I love it.

[onaquesttoseeamoose]

It sounds like most of us have a common denominator....saran wrapping post tattooing, with the 1st variable being how long, and the second being what products to use once you take the 1st wrap off. I dont write this just from reading through the thread, but from many years in the business. So, with the respect I've built for my fellow artists over these years (20+), I now tell my clients this...,"While other artists might give you other aftercare advice, I would appreciate that you, the client, listen to my advice for healing my tattoo. My methods may work best for the way I apply a tattoo, as other artists instructions may work best for healing they work they do." And I may be opening myself up to a world of %$#@*, here are the care instructions I hand each and every client. These have been streamlined after so many years and trying so many aftercare methods....

[Tonexjets]

Ok I'm new here but not to getting tattoos.

Alright this topic about re-wrapping tattoos is maybe one of the best and quickest ways to a beautiful and non scabbing tattoo. I first started out with the regular ole" after a couple hours take off the wrap then after clean and moisturize". Then I was told of the re-wrapping method. My tattoo was fully healed within one week.

First off after you get your new tattoo leave the wrap on for a 4 hours. Then take off, clean thuroughly and re wrap. When you wake up take it off and repeat the process. Before you re wrap it, let it breathe for about 20-30 min. After you re wrap about every 3 hours take the wrap off and clean and pat dry. If you do that for 3 days the 4th day use no wrap and begin to only clean and moisturize your tattoo and within 3-4 days your tattoo will be just about done peeling.

[Dan S]

It sounds like most of us have a common denominator....saran wrapping post tattooing, with the 1st variable being how long, and the second being what products to use once you take the 1st wrap off. I dont write this just from reading through the thread, but from many years in the business. So, with the respect I've built for my fellow artists over these years (20+), I now tell my clients this...,"While other artists might give you other aftercare advice, I would appreciate that you, the client, listen to my advice for healing my tattoo. My methods may work best for the way I apply a tattoo, as other artists instructions may work best for healing they work they do." And I may be opening myself up to a world of %$#@*, here are the care instructions I hand each and every client. These have been streamlined after so many years and trying so many aftercare methods....

Sounds pretty much like the aftercare instructions that were handed out 40 years ago at CTC!

I'm not sure when the move to taking off the bandages after 3-4 hours happened, but when I started getting tattooed, 38 years ago, it was ALWAYS leave the bandage on at least overnight. I'll see, I think I may even have on eof the old instruction sheets around-if I can find it, I'll post it.

[Graeme]

Sounds pretty much like the aftercare instructions that were handed out 40 years ago at CTC!

I'm not sure when the move to taking off the bandages after 3-4 hours happened, but when I started getting tattooed, 38 years ago, it was ALWAYS leave the bandage on at least overnight. I'll see, I think I may even have on eof the old instruction sheets around-if I can find it, I'll post it.

I can't remember where I saw it, but I saw somewhere on the internet (could it even have been the Old Tattoo Photos thread here?) a picture of Sailor Jerry's aftercare card that says the same.

I go with what my tattoo artist recommends.

[Johannes]

i've tried a bunch of different methods but re-wrapping only happens on my legs so i don't have to care about fibres from the cloth getting stuck in the tattoo...thats what i would call a bacterial death trap!

but i think different methods for different people. no ones immune system is the same so no tattoo will heal the same.

i guess you have to find what suits you the best.

for me(except legs as mentioned), wrap....come home, change it for the night...off in the morning..wash, bepanthen...the usual. works everytime. i also drink alot of orange juice or similar since vitamin c helps your body heal faster. read somewhere that smoking weed will help the process with it's anti inflammatory effects but haven't tried that. a friend claims it to be amazing...but he thinks everything is amazing after smoking a fatty so...

[slayer9019]

It sounds like most of us have a common denominator....saran wrapping post tattooing, with the 1st variable being how long, and the second being what products to use once you take the 1st wrap off. I dont write this just from reading through the thread, but from many years in the business. So, with the respect I've built for my fellow artists over these years (20+), I now tell my clients this...,"While other artists might give you other aftercare advice, I would appreciate that you, the client, listen to my advice for healing my tattoo. My methods may work best for the way I apply a tattoo, as other artists instructions may work best for healing they work they do." And I may be opening myself up to a world of %$#@*, here are the care instructions I hand each and every client. These have been streamlined after so many years and trying so many aftercare methods....

Sounds close to what I do myself, except the re-wrapping. The wrapping I get from the shop usually is slippery with blood and usually I got a nice streak of blood down my leg/arm, so for me I gotta clean up anyway.

Also I gotta say those are the most complete hand-out aftercare instructions I have seen yet!

[Jyester]

This re-wrapping technique seems to defy the laws of healing but I suppose if it's working for people then go for it!

I dont like to wrap my tattoo at all and simply come straight home with an uncovered tattoo. I then gently wash it with warm water and an unscented soap. After that I get some cold water and give the tattoo a quick blast of that to close the pores. (Old Yakuza Trick). I then Leave it to air dry and apply a cream After Inked is the one I use currently. Its important to make sure you don't overdo the cream! I will then wash with the soap and apply the cream/anointment once maybe twice a day for the 1st week. I then start to use an unscented moisturizer to stop it drying out once per day

I always walk around the house naked after a tattoo session I say let the air get to it to help the healing not cover it up :)

[Dennis]

I'll take the initial wrapping off about 6 hours after the tattoo, then wash it with some unscented dove soap. Then for the next 5-6 days I'll rewrap once in the morning and once in the evening with a thin layer of polysporin ointment under the saran wrap. Made my sleeve heal super fast, same with my foot! I don't think I'll ever dry heal again.

[bongsau]

I tried the saran wrap method once. The result was a foliculitis infection on my entire lower leg.

[49531]

a dry heal with a re-wrap the first 2/3/4 nights (depending on the size of the tattoo) has always worked really well for me. stops the gunk from healing into raised scabs and it all washes off with ease in the morning, i also move a lot in my sleep so it stops the fresh tattoo from getting rubbed all over the sheets. then i let it breathe throughout the day time, washing 2/3 times during the day, sometimes i'll use a tinyy amount of bepanthen if its looking too dry/feels a bit tight. once its a week or so old i also start to use a bit of coco butter on it, seems to really help with the colours but it might just be me being biased caus i love the smell of it :rolleyes:

[ItsNewport]

I usually take the wrap off after 4 hours, have a hot shower (which always SUCKS), then pat dry and apply a thin layer of bepanthen (nappy rash cream). Wash morning and evening and keep a tube of e45 cream with me in case it dries out at all.

[Dustin Davis]

I've Done the re-wrap before with awesome results, I've also had some real problems as well... The best re-wrapping process that has worked for me goes like this

1 leave the original bandage on for a few hours

(at least long enough to allow for the thing to bleed out!)

2 wash it with a bar soap and water that is as hot as you can take comfortably

3 let the tattoo air out

4 before you go to sleep rebandage with enough dri-loc pads to cover

5 when you wake up clean the thing real well, same as before ( slimy = not clean)

6 keep it clean and only apply a basic lotion when it's dry

Seems like the first 24 hours are the most important, you're body is gonna do the work.

Saran wrap seems too sketchy to me at this point, so if re-wrapping is gonna be in the equation, I'd give this a shot and wouldnt mess with it too much.

Just eat well and leave it alone.

[Graeme]

I rewrapped my latest tattoo on my artist's advice and while I don't want to jump to any conclusions because the tattoo isn't healed yet, my first impressions are that it works extremely well. The recommendation was to leave the saran wrap on overnight, wash the tattoo in the morning, let it dry completely, then rewrap it with saran wrap. I was doing a 7-8 hour drive back home the day after the tattoo so he said to leave it on until I got home. I was really concerned about the rewrap because it felt gross throughout the drive and it smelled fucking horrible when I got home and took it off to wash it again...but I'm on day three now and the tattoo is peeling beautifully with no scabbing. He said that rewrapping it would cut the healing time in half. I am certain that the technical application of the tattoo played a huge part in this as well.

I would also never do this without it being specifically recommended by my artist, or at least discussed with him or her prior to doing it.

[ailsa]

I've been thinking of this technique for when I get the back of my thighs done because my calf tattoo I've let it breathe pretty much 24/7 and I've struggled with it, some bits I'm sure I've lost to heavy scabbing and it seems this is a good way to cut that down.

I will definitely discuss it with my tattooer on the day but it's definitely something I want to try one day.

[dirbab]

For my last few I've left the original wrap on for about 3 hours and then before bed I've been washing the tattoo, putting on some aquaphor and wrapping it again overnight. It seems to work well; they have healed nice and fast, but who knows.

[J4ck987]

For the first week of a new tattoo I use bepathen then wrap my tattoo in cling film. Has worked a treat for all of my tattoos and keeps it clean as I do a dirty job.

[tatB]

I rewrapped my latest tattoo on my artist's advice and while I don't want to jump to any conclusions because the tattoo isn't healed yet, my first impressions are that it works extremely well. The recommendation was to leave the saran wrap on overnight, wash the tattoo in the morning, let it dry completely, then rewrap it with saran wrap. I was doing a 7-8 hour drive back home the day after the tattoo so he said to leave it on until I got home. I was really concerned about the rewrap because it felt gross throughout the drive and it smelled fucking horrible when I got home and took it off to wash it again...but I'm on day three now and the tattoo is peeling beautifully with no scabbing. He said that rewrapping it would cut the healing time in half. I am certain that the technical application of the tattoo played a huge part in this as well.

I would also never do this without it being specifically recommended by my artist, or at least discussed with him or her prior to doing it.

I tried a similar method with the work I had done on Friday. Took the initial wrap off after my ~3 hour drive home, showered, air dry for 30 minutes, re-wrap with no ointments or lotions, drink a beer, and go to sleep. Wake up, shower, air dry for 30 minutes, re-wrap again, drink a beer, 8 hours later wash again, air dry for 30 minutes, re-wrap again until next morning then shower and let air dry and apply a little unscented lotion. Basically kept it wrapped up for the first 24 hours. Best healing experience of my life. Zero scabbing, just that super thin "sun burn" peel, and no worrying about sticking to sheets. Now I have significantly less tattoo healing anxiety.

photo evidence **warning graphic display of dry skin flakes**:

[Graeme]

I thought that it might be helpful to update my experiences with rewrapping tattoos. I've had mixed luck with healing my tattoos and need some touchups (I suspect my problem was likely that I babied my tattoos too much), but rewrapping plus a dry heal seems to give me great results. The first picture I attached here is of my elbow, healed about three and a half months after rewrapping, and I think it held the pigment really well. There was some light scabbing there that lasted a couple of weeks, but it kept the black and the greys healed, in Hooper's estimation, "beautifully". I'm also including a couple of pictures of my arm as it looks now, at three days after being tattooed, and four days, just to show the rate at which it's healing. Again, no scabbing, just that light flaky peeling.

[Delicious]

Ok I know this isnt relevant to the thread, but this is the only thread that will open up for me. Having major issues on all threads, saying that the page is redirecting in a way that will never complete. Help I havent been able to see anything all day, having withdrawals. @hogg @slayer9019 Please delete this after.

Sorry again for thread jacking

[blacksandtattoo]

I have tried wrapping a tattoo with saran wrap for 48 hours (cleaning and rewrapping it a couple times a day of course). The guys that told me this method of healing recommend it for color tattoos, but not for black and grey work. Apparently, since black and grey work isn't as traumatic as full-on color, so it isn't worth all the grossness that accompanies keeping your tattoo wrapped up that way.

One of the best benefits?! I was in Hong Kong at the time, and in a city full of germophobes, nobody wanted to bump into my arm because of the crazy looking bandage I had on!

The color came out bright as hell, and the healing after I stopped wrapping it was way more comfortable than the usual moisturizing technique. The skin that peeled off I felt was thicker than normal, but none-the-less a very effective way to heal a tattoo.