Best post tattoo care?

[Benjamin King]

The getting stared at in the store for being 25 and buying 3 tubes of prep h thing has happened to me.

[else]

I'm picturing tattooed people going to pharmacies, swiping a bunch of prep H tubes into a basket and checking out at the register while receiving some odd stares... Excellent.

Oh! You remind me of being young!! Soon enough you won't give a damn about what the checkers think about what you're buying. ;)

[deadsp0t]

I'm picturing tattooed people going to pharmacies' date=' swiping a bunch of prep H tubes into a basket and checking out at the register while receiving some odd stares... Excellent.[/quote']

Hahaha that's too funny!

[MsCandyPants]

Im using H2Ocean this time around and it's freaking amazing. I'm on day 6 and little to no scabbing. It was suggested to a friend a couple of years back and I figured being in a dryer climate I need a little extra to seal all the moisture in. Last tatt I was getting up at 3am because I woke up feeling like my surrounding skin was going to tear open but My feet are going great. I was expecting my feet to be way scabbier as I'm always running around after my kids.

[HaydenRose]

Oh! You remind me of being young!! Soon enough you won't give a damn about what the checkers think about what you're buying. ;)

Haha I actually don't care, I just thought the image was hilarious!

[beez]

I think letting it do its own thing as long as possible is great, but for me with dry healing I could see that it was cracking (sometimes very subtly) and it was the same as if I picked a scab real quick. So I'm soooo glad I found a lotion that doesn't irritate the tattoo because it keeps it moisturized just enough to avoid any cracking, but not so moisturized that it can't breathe and heal. Trust me, I'm a huge proponent of letting the body take control and not using anything. For ex: I refuse to take pain meds for my constant migraines, my fiance thinks I'm crazy but NSAIDs and shit give you ulcers and can give you more headaches on the rebound! So even though I use lotion, I use it only in the morning after showering and that's it. I keep it clean and open to the air, so I don't see any need to scrub it with soap more than once a day.

Re healing: I dry heal unless it feels really tight, at which point I will pop a little aquaphor on it. Haven't had to do that for the last few tattoos though, my body is taking care of stuff nicely! (Prob helps that I prep the area to be tattooed for weeks previous to the tattoo).

I usually get tattooed, leave the wrap on for up to 6 hours, shower without direct water pressure on the tattoo, clean it in the shower, leave it alone. (I like the H2Ocean foam cleanser a lot). I'll take a couple of showers a day for the first few days to keep it clean, but that's just because it's easiest for me and I like to be warm ;-p. Pat the tattoo dry with a clean towel and leave it be.

@HaydenRose I get very bad migraines, and have for the past 18 years, though they have certainly gotten better over the years! The pre-migraine migraines usually only respond to excedrin or tylenol 3, but I have recently discovered this lavender/peppermint roll on stick that works really, really, really well, much to my surprise and amazement and stokedness! I picked this up as an incidental item to another purchase, thinking I would just like to have it to smell or whatever. Weeks later, didn't have any excedrin on me but this was in my bag - at that point I would have tried anything - rolled it on at the base of my skull and waited. It really works, it's amazing. Also - tiger balm on the back of my neck/skull has worked before, but this is better. As a fellow headache sufferer who also tries to avoid NSAIDs etc, this was a really good find and I'm passing it along to everyone I know. It is amazingly effective.

Here's a link: Lavender Peppermint Headache Stick

Anyway, check it out. It looks super hippy whatever, but I wouldn't aggressively promote it if it didn't work very very well.

[HaydenRose]

@beez thanks! I may try this. It reminds me of those strange, obnoxious commercials for head-on that were on TV constantly a few years ago haha

[nickhayestattoos]

yeah when i first started tattooing id tell people not to put anything on their tattoo after the hot compress for a few days and then just use regular non scented lotion because it was the only full proof way of getting first-timers not to do something stupid with their aftercare. i had a handful of clients coming back with their tattoos healed in a week or less and i finally asked what they did and they ALL said the same thing you just did. needless to say ive had a change of heart and recommend only aquaphor.

[GrayCatLove]

Dry healing with the ointment from the shop after my shower where I normally get tattooed until it heals works well - I know it has tea tree oil and no petroleum, but works well. Everything has healed bright. No crazy plastic wrap, no nothing, unless there's a risk of exposing a fresh tattoo to something icky... Then I scotch tape a chuck with the ointment to keep it from sticking.

I really am sensitive with lotion and have sensitive skin. (Thanks for the genes, Pop.) My favorite maintenance lotion is Aveeno baby lotion.

[lasereast]

Immediately following treatment, an ice pack is applied to soothe the treated area. The patient will then be asked to apply a topical antibiotic cream or ointment. A bandage or patch will be used to protect the site and it should likewise be covered with a sun block when out in the sun.

[Colored Guy]

The getting stared at in the store for being 25 and buying 3 tubes of prep h thing has happened to me.

Meh... just tell anyone in the vicinity.. "I just buy what my wife puts on the list.". While you're out shopping, put odd things in other people's carts when they're not looking. Condoms, depends, sanitary napkins, etc.

Rob

[bigdrummerboy]

I must say i love H2Ocean. Healed up my first couple of tattoos real nice. But since then I would just wash the tattoo the next morning real good to get all of the blood and goo off. Then let it air dry a little bit and then apply A+D ointment very lightly for the first 3 days about 4 times per day. Then would switch to Eucirin lotion for the remainder of the healing process.

This time around something didnt go right. My new tattoo has a lot of black spots and i used the same aftercare techniques i have always used but this time the tattoo kept oozing after every wash and now the ooze has dried up leaving thick scabs. I'm so pissed because these scabs better not affect my tattoo once they fall off. I dont know what to do now....let it completely dry out or use lotion to keep it moist since it is very dry and scaly. SO PISSED!!

[Graeme]

This time around something didnt go right. My new tattoo has a lot of black spots and i used the same aftercare techniques i have always used but this time the tattoo kept oozing after every wash and now the ooze has dried up leaving thick scabs. I'm so pissed because these scabs better not affect my tattoo once they fall off. I dont know what to do now....let it completely dry out or use lotion to keep it moist since it is very dry and scaly. SO PISSED!!

In my experience it's best to just let it dry out completely and give it time. When I've moisturised scabs they've sometimes fallen off and left a kind of "cloudy" appearance underneath instead of solid tattoo. Worst case scenario, you get it touched up. If you're going to get a lot of tattoos, having some tattoos heal up kind of shitty is part of it.

[bigdrummerboy]

In my experience it's best to just let it dry out completely and give it time. When I've moisturised scabs they've sometimes fallen off and left a kind of "cloudy" appearance underneath instead of solid tattoo. Worst case scenario, you get it touched up. If you're going to get a lot of tattoos, having some tattoos heal up kind of shitty is part of it.

Yea that's what i thought i should do however there are just so many contradictions out there that it has my brain going "what the f***!!" lol. People saying "DONT EVER LET IT DRY OUT!!" And others saying do not apply any lotion or anything. It's like what the heck to do?!? My artist said stop using A+D and just use a good lotion which i did. But the lotion barely moisturizes it. At least from what i can see it still looks dry and scaly immediatley after lotion is rubbed in. And i'm also afraid the lotion my get lodged under and between the scabs resulting in an infection.

You can check out the pics i just posted in the introduction section.

Thanks Graeme!!

[GrayCatLove]

It's never made a lot of sense to me to put moisturizer on something that's healing. You moisturize to MAINTAIN healthy, unbroken skin, not to heal it. Using a little tea tree oil and just washing it with either antibacterial soap or vaginal wash has always worked fine and left bright, nice tattoos for me.

[scatterbrain92]

OK so on my half sleeve after shading, I scabbed in some areas and it pulled out some ink. What I did was wear the saran wrap for 3 hours, washed gently with dove free soap, allowed to dry and used curel unscented lotion 2-3 times a day. Not sure what I am gonna try with the color appt in 2 weeks. Any advice? I heard of folks using tegaderm, should I go that route. I used tattoo goo on a small tattoo 12 years ago with no issues but I heard they changed formulas. Also 90 percent healed fine, just a few areas on each of the new 5 tattoos scabbed with one area pulling ink.

Picture below shows where scabs were.

Sent from my LG-E980 using Tapatalk 2

I've used Tegaderm and Tatu-derm and they're both perfect, tattoos heal faster and better, besides it's waaay more convinient

[bigdrummerboy]

OK so on my half sleeve after shading, I scabbed in some areas and it pulled out some ink. What I did was wear the saran wrap for 3 hours, washed gently with dove free soap, allowed to dry and used curel unscented lotion 2-3 times a day. Not sure what I am gonna try with the color appt in 2 weeks. Any advice? I heard of folks using tegaderm, should I go that route. I used tattoo goo on a small tattoo 12 years ago with no issues but I heard they changed formulas. Also 90 percent healed fine, just a few areas on each of the new 5 tattoos scabbed with one area pulling ink.

Picture below shows where scabs were.

Sent from my LG-E980 using Tapatalk 2

How many weeks has it been since you got the tattoo? And are you sure the scabbed spots "pulled" ink? It might just be cloudy underneath with an extra layer of dead skin giving it the appearance of not so solid ink. I would give it a few more weeks let it completely heal and lotioning it up a few times a day to keep the skin nice and hydrated (as long as all the scabs are off) and then see how it looks. My last tattoo scabbed heavily, i let all the scabs fall off naturally and underneath looked cloudy. Gave it a few more weeks and now the tattoo is nice and solid. Maybe a touch up here and there but way better then i initially expected.

[Amok]

Well I've done lots of reading on all the after care products but I've only ever used Bepanthen. I know it does contain a petroleum product but every one of my tattoos has healed brilliantly and only one had a very small scar (due to the artist going over a spot too many times).

I'd like to try Aquaphor but just don't want to risk it, if it ain't broke don't fix it, I guess.

[Gregor]

Dinnae worry, I have scabbed like that and immediately shat myself when it bubbled up , looks way worse than it it's. It should heal fine . Don't hit with too much cream though. You'll probably need a wee touch up but nothing too bad

[tatB]

@petes67bird

Same thing has happened to me a few times. Stay positive, chances are most of it will heal fine. Try not to drive yourself crazy inspecting it every 5 minutes. :)

[Killercook76]

Thanks guys. Couldn't sleep last night. I kept looking at it and thinking I should of used the tegaderm like I planned. I go back for filler on the 19th so if any touch ups are needed I can do it then. Looks like I will use tegaderm from here on out to prevent this mess. I still have no idea why I scabbed so terribly when the other 5 remained smooth and just have peeled with no scabbing. I am keeping my fingers crossed cause right now it looks like everything is mush.

Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk HD

Actually on my side piece I didn't use Tegaderm and it did heal decent. I did need several touch ups between session.. no big deal. On my panther I didn't use it and did develop scabs so I decided to go with Tegaderm again and it went super well! As long as you follow some simple rules. Anyway @peters67bird I wouldn't worry too much as long as you don't pick at the scabs.

That was another problem when I didn't use the tegaderm. Tegaderm makes your peelings super soft like a sunburn peels. When I didn't use it I peeled super rough . The peelings would catch on my pants or boxers and couple of scabs fell off unnaturally..

Anyways I know many old school tattooers will be like nah don't use it but that is because this product isn't widely used yet. Just an update on my last session healing super smooth again.. Absolutely no scabs and I peeled completely after 7 days. Now I'm in the onion peel stage . I usually heal a couple of days past two weeks.

- - - Updated - - -

Actually on my side piece I didn't use Tegaderm and it did heal decent. I did need several touch ups between session.. no big deal. On my panther I didn't use it and did develop scabs so I decided to go with Tegaderm again and it went super well! As long as you follow some simple rules. Anyway @peters67bird I wouldn't worry too much as long as you don't pick at the scabs.

That was another problem when I didn't use the tegaderm. Tegaderm makes your peelings super soft like a sunburn peels. When I didn't use it I peeled super rough . The peelings would catch on my pants or boxers and couple of scabs fell off unnaturally..

Anyways I know many old school tattooers will be like nah don't use it but that is because this product isn't widely used yet. Just an update on my last session healing super smooth again.. Absolutely no scabs and I peeled completely after 7 days. Now I'm in the onion peel stage . I usually heal a couple of days past two weeks.

oh I found out that if you are super hairy and shaving irritates your skin this product may suck for those super hairy areas! Then again I guess it depends how thick your hair is etc..

[Gregor]

@Killercook76 are you sponsored by 3M ? ;)

[Killercook76]

@Killercook76 are you sponsored by 3M ? ;)

Yup!! Haha!! No just spreading the word! Just trying to help .. I wish they would hook me up with some kickback for all this P.R!! Haha

[Nuts and Bolts]

I used organic, eucalyptus soap from Nature's Emporium to wash and calendula cream to moisturize. My tattoo healed beautifully.

Calendula is a perennial flower known for it's anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and healing properties. I don't have a specific product to share because my cream came from a family friend's basement (a retired pharmacist now herbalist), but I'm sure it can be found in creams elsewhere.

[SeeSea]

I'm picturing tattooed people going to pharmacies, swiping a bunch of prep H tubes into a basket and checking out at the register while receiving some odd stares... Excellent.

For my first tattoo (a little thing) I was told to use A&D, so I went to the drug store and bought just that one item. I didn't say a thing, but the guy at the register looked at me and said, "Just got a tattoo? I love the smell of that stuff - makes me want to get more!" LOL!

- - - Updated - - -

I haven't seen it mentioned, so I'll ask. My artist has me using Redemption Tattoo Aftercare - a very thin later after washing 2-3x/day. Anyone familiar with this product? It seems to be working well for me and I don't plan to change anything, just wondered if anyone else had experience with it.

This is the ingredient list. It includes some of the stuff I've seen mentioned here like Calendula and Arnica.

Organic Castor Oil, Organic Sunflower Oil, Organic Beeswax, Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Vegetable Glycerin, Organic Arrowroot Powder, Organic Calendula Oil, Organic Arnica, Organic Chamomile Extract, Organic Rosemary Extract, Mixed Tocopherols