Best post tattoo care?

[Graeme]

Thanks @Graeme, will definitely give that a go for my next appointment! Looking forward to the day when I've worked out the best after care for myself as it's very much trail and error for me at the moment!

I think the important thing with the arnica is that you start taking it around a day before getting tattooed because it needs to already be in your system to be effective.

[Jessica08]

It has been almost a week since my tattoo, and it is still sore. Is this normal? It is in my wrist and covered some scar tissue so that may still be giving me problems.

[Dan S]

It has been almost a week since my tattoo, and it is still sore. Is this normal? It is in my wrist and covered some scar tissue so that may still be giving me problems.

Jessica, give it a solid month to heal. Even then the skin will be sensitive...remember, you basically wiped-out a whole big chunk of fairly tender skin, so it's gonna take a bit to heal.

[username1]

@username1 looking forward to seeing what you've had done! sounds really interesting!

Posted what work was done today on my profile....

[ailsa]

Wow I love the perspective of it! The colour of that sky is so nice!

[fourtotheflush]

Ok I put a little moisturizer on as it's end of day 3

It really stung - stinging subsided but I'm worried about re moisturizing too soon

[else]

try not to worry. I'm sure it's ok...

[reverend1]

Ok I put a little moisturizer on as it's end of day 3

It really stung - stinging subsided but I'm worried about re moisturizing too soon

A thin coat of moisturizer after a shower should be plenty.

[Brock Varty]

When in doubt...go dryer. Your body can heal a tattoo "dry" completely fine.

[thesandmanisme]

Personaly, where I live in the high desert, the air is very dry. Add that to dry skin and you get a less than desirable 'canvas' to apply artwork to. "Bag Balm". I swear by this stuff. What I do is use it a few days prior to the tat work. Farmers use this stuff on cow udders. It conditions and removes dry skin. My skin is 57 yrs old, and when its dry, good luck gettin ink past the surface. I use "Bag Balm" after ink as well. It works for me, and several other people around me as well.

[David Flores]

When in doubt...go dryer. Your body can heal a tattoo "dry" completely fine.

I have had two sessions done on my back in the last two weeks in fact three days apart, and the only after care I have used is washing the tattoo twice the first two days with soap and water and then just showering normally, and I have had no scabs and the tattoos are basically healed. I also got from the back of my knee to bottom of butt cheek outlined and background done, used same method and seems to be healing fine and this is day 4.

[fourtotheflush]

Im on day 5 from a Saturday Tattoo - and I am healing up nicely, but the fish flakes that are coming off are pretty funny looking!

[tatB]

Im on day 5 from a Saturday Tattoo - and I am healing up nicely, but the fish flakes that are coming off are pretty funny looking!

they taste even funnier than they look

[Brock Varty]

I have had two sessions done on my back in the last two weeks in fact three days apart, and the only after care I have used is washing the tattoo twice the first two days with soap and water and then just showering normally, and I have had no scabs and the tattoos are basically healed. I also got from the back of my knee to bottom of butt cheek outlined and background done, used same method and seems to be healing fine and this is day 4.

Yup dude. I am on 1 week of the first 9 hours on my back. Completely dry heal and it is perfect right now.

[fourtotheflush]

Yup dude. I am on 1 week of the first 9 hours on my back. Completely dry heal and it is perfect right now.

You guys aren't itchy at all?

I'm itchy as all get out!

I'm sure partly because of the hair growing back

[Brock Varty]

You guys aren't itchy at all?

I'm itchy as all get out!

I'm sure partly because of the hair growing back

For me, when healing pretty much dry, I accept that the itching will be much more extreme. In MY PERSONAL OPINION, the only reason to apply any kind of lotion after the initial 48-72 hours post-tattoo, is to help keep you comfotable while healing. You body knows what to do and can take healing a tattoo in stride. It doesn't "need" any additioanl stuff to help heal. I think in some cases, the added lotions and such do have a place though. Unless you are experienced with healing tattoos, my shop always recommends a specific set of aftercare instructions that includes lotion. In all cases, you should listen closely and even ask your tattoo if there is a certain way they want you to heal their work.

[Dennis]

Last time I dry healed my flaking didn't go stop for like 3 weeks. I healed my sleeve by keeping it wrapped with saran wrap and polysporin ointment which only took about 6 days for the whole thing to flake. Maybe it was because the dry healing was on my legs? Who knows!

[Brock Varty]

Last time I dry healed my flaking didn't go stop for like 3 weeks. I healed my sleeve by keeping it wrapped with saran wrap and polysporin ointment which only took about 6 days for the whole thing to flake. Maybe it was because the dry healing was on my legs? Who knows!

My back was wrapped the entire time between sessions. So about 5 hours of tattooing, wrap for 24 hours, 5 hours of tattooing and then wrap for another 20 hours. That may be part of why it is healing so well.

[reverend1]

For me healing wasn't at all like I expected. I remove the plastic the morning after the session, shower and let it dry out with nothing on it for the first day. Then Just a very light application of Aveeno after a shower in the morning. I have very little itching, no scabbing, and in three or four days it kind of flakes off and that's it.

[Dennis]

For me healing wasn't at all like I expected. I remove the plastic the morning after the session, shower and let it dry out with nothing on it for the first day. Then Just a very light application of Aveeno after a shower in the morning. I have very little itching, no scabbing, and in three or four days it kind of flakes off and that's it.

Living the dream!!!!!!

[reverend1]

Living the dream!!!!!!

I guess, I expected the healing to be worse than the tattoo.

[Graeme]

You guys aren't itchy at all?

I'm itchy as all get out!

I'm sure partly because of the hair growing back

When I've had tattoos on my chest one of the worst parts of healing was the hair growing back.

[Delicious]

My tattoos on my upper body, which are the front of my shoulder going onto my chest, and the back of my shoulder, healed with 5 days. Each started peeling by day 3, done peeling 2 days later. All I use is hot water, dove unscented soap, and a pea sized amount of aquaphor when it gets dry.

However, tried the same method on my ankle, and no dice. I still kind of have a scab on it, still looks odd, and still itches. and it was done in november. Never getting red ink on my ankles again.

[Maidenfan]

Hope I can get some advice here. About three days after my last tattoo session, I scraped the hell out of it!! I guess it was just bad luck but I scraped it up against the underside of a laminate counter top. The light layer of skin / scab was just starting to form and of course right after I scraped it she started to bleed pretty good. I put a warm compress on it to get the blood off of it without getting it too wet but it scabbed pretty hard anyway. It's been just over a week now and the scabs are pretty much gone but just wondering if there is anything I should do to help it heal quicker. It's still healing underneath and I can feel it's kinda lumpy under the surface. Really upset me as it was the third session of a half sleeve and I am supposed to go back in a few days to finish it.

Like to add that I have been getting tattoos for 25 years and giving them for over 20 years but I've never run into an injury on a tattoo on anyone much less my own. Generally I'd just say leave it alone but this was more than a normal heavy scab on a tattoo. This would have been a pretty good scrape had there been no tattoo there at all. Luckily it was only over about two square inches spread out over about four square inches of the tattoo and not the whole thing.

[Iwar]

Look what I found:

There's more, but I can't post more than three videos at a time due to forum rules...