Tattoo Donts..... that you did

[Endoh]

!

 

Hey guys, I've always looked at things with an open eye. Questioned the 'rules'. Not just with tattoos. But, how much of that tattoo dos and don'ts is just old school thought?  Like antibacterial soap. Do you really need it. I've never used antibacterial soap to wash a fresh tattoo. But I use gentle baby bath wash. Or get something fragrance free for sensitive skin. This time I've used Zanex zero for sensitive skin. Ironically this still has stuff that could irritate skin according to my wife. Either way, research seems to back up my theory that antibacterial hand wash etc doesn't really work much better then non antibacterial. Mine have certainly healed fine and looked great. All bar one. It I'll explain about that below! In the UK we've gone from being told Vaseline was the way to go, then Savlon, Bepanthen. I make my own stuff but to each their own. I scabbed more using Savlon but those tattoos healed fine in the end, and look good still. 

 

Anyway. I think it'd be good to hear people's tales of tattoo don'ts, that they did. What are the things you've done during the first few weeks during healing that you probably shouldn't have? How did your tattoo turn out. A few from me to kick things off:

 

First for me apart from the above (normal soap over antibacterial stuff, Savlon although it was a 'do' at the time I used it): Sparring (martial arts) three days after getting my tattoo. It was on my left arm. The upper half, shoulder to elbow. Middle of bicep to midway round my tricep. Just the inside arm left alone basically. Took numerous kicks and punches to the area. Inside of my gi was a black inky mess. Tattoo healed but had obviously suffered ink loss. The solid black looked faded already. Shaded areas looked too light and patchy. Simple touch ups to fix but there you go.

 

Second: Got a tattoo on idrive in Orlando. Next day I went to Wet N Wild. I shouldn't have. But I did. Tried a water proof plaster thing. Didn't stay on. Thought sod it and spent the day dunking myself in the pools/slides etc. In the sun no less. Tattoo healed fine. Solid colours etc. Still looks good all these years later which really surprises me considering the general rule is not to submerge it/go swimming etc.  

 

Otherwise I generally baby my tattoos from the get go. Once healed it's: Factor 50 sunscreen all the time, UV blocking sleeves in the car just in case I'm caught out. I moisturise them specifically once or twice a week. Wife hates it as she has to do my back lol.

 

Maybe we'll dispel some myths, maybe not. I'm sure it'll be a fun read either way.

[pidjones]

Don't get "tattoo fever" and approve a stencil you don't like because the artist says he'll fix it when he tattoos you. I did. It cost me a grand to get it lasered to the point it could be corrected (by another artist).

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[Jkeith]

On 9/25/2017 at 5:33 PM, pidjones said:

Don't get "tattoo fever" and approve a stencil you don't like because the artist says he'll fix it when he tattoos you. I did. It cost me a grand to get it lasered to the point it could be corrected (by another artist).

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Man, that sucks. What did he say he would fix?

[pidjones]

Man, that sucks. What did he say he would fix?

A line (what landlubbers would call a rope) that was supposed to look realistic that he made look like a 3 year-old's cartoon. On the top of my right forearm. His "correction" just made it worse. I'm finally happy with it, after four laser treatments and two correction sessions with a great artist that cared about the satisfaction of the customer.

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[ChoWai]

I use Dr Bronners liquid soap in Tea Tree oil to wash my tattoos. Its very gentle and basic so no antibacterial soap.

I don't wrap at night, I tend not to get very gooey however for my 3rd tattoo i followed my artist's recommendation to wrap my tattoo for the first night. 

For my first tattoo from another artist I was told do not wrap, as that creates moisture which can lead to harbouring bacteria and infection. 

So for my first tattoo there was no wrapping at all after I took off the intial wrap from finishing the tattoo. Just loose clothing and mainly keeping the area clean and dry. Washing twice a day and moisturize 2 -3 times a day. 

 

[xaila13]

For healing all my artists use second skin/saniderm, and if they didn't I would buy some myself because of the difference it has made in the speed of healing. If it's more than just line work or I lymph a lot, I pop in the next day to change and clean up the initial weeping. Leave the second round on for as long as possible, usually a week. 

After removal

Wash (no preference but unscented), let it air dry and apply squalene if it feels tight.

If it is still in the flaky stage (only stage I need to deal with, I've never had scabbing including dry healing) I will actually apply a thick layer of moisturizer (tattoo goo because I'm trying to use it up) let that soak in for a minute and wipe off the excess. With the excess the dried dead skin that was going to peel rolls off and my tattoo looks and feels amazing for hours. Before I used to do that, my tattoo's would stay raised for weeks afterward, the one on my thigh is still sensitive to shaving after 5 years. 

I'm 2 days after my last piece of saniderm, it's flat, vibrant and almost done flaking. 

[BastaDi]

Thanks for don't rules, I want to make tattoo, so they are needed

[Torsie24]

A "tattoo do" that I will make a "don't" in future - moisturise right away. 

I did with my new tattoo (unwrapped after a couple of hours, washed and then put a small amount of bepanthen on it. Repeated the process the next morning too. 

It went too gross and moist and I'm worried I'm going to have a patchy tattoo because of that. 

Future tattoos I'm going to keep clean and wash them, but not start to moisturise until they being to dry out a bit. 

Edited April 3, 2019 by Torsie24

[Demed3]

dont cover the tattoo with bepanthen so its sitting on thick think i destroyed my first tattoo by doing that heard it pulls ink out the tattoo is now bumpy in places and loads of spots on it thats hard not to pick at lol got 2 others done in same place nad treated them correctly no issues with either of other two

[Tribaldude]

I rushed into my first couple of tattoos. Kind of regret it now but oh well