Time for antibiotic cream or not?

[poopsiekittens]

Hey, guys! So recently got two tattoos from the same person but one of them is having a bit of a tough time healing. I know it's super early, it's just the fourth day, but the skin around it is still quite red and warm. The whole area of the yellow hair is a big raised bumpy scab and the little star is not having a better time either. By this time I was expecting it to calm down. As you can see the moon looks fine and also the back tattoo she's given me is healing nicely. So I am worried maybe there is some intolerance of this yellow ink for me. Should I start applying antibiotic cream? So far I have been washing it with antibacterial soap and putting on Cicaplast and Bepanthen Ointment every 3-4 hours on rotation.  

I also asked the artist and they said antibiotic cream is a bad idea as it can cause the immune system to react to the ink and to give it more time, it will just heal slower :)) 

Edited December 21, 2017 by poopsiekittens

[Horus]

I read that antibiotic ointment is similar to petroleum jelly, i.e. it doesn't let the tattoo breathe and can pull ink from it so I avoided it like the plague. 

[byzantine]

I'm not sure what Cicaplast but it sounds like the Bepanthen might not be helping ya - they changed the ingredients in January and it's no longer good for healing tattoos. My boyfriend had a similar reaction when healing his latest tattoo - around an area of red - it caused some ink fallout - we figure it was cause by that. This article is helpful https://inkluded.co.uk/2017/01/18/never-use-bepanthen-new-tattoo/ . Could be something totally different - but either way I'd cut the Bepanthen -  I hear Hustle Butter is a good alternative. 

[poopsiekittens]

9 hours ago, byzantine said:

I'm not sure what Cicaplast but it sounds like the Bepanthen might not be helping ya - they changed the ingredients in January and it's no longer good for healing tattoos. My boyfriend had a similar reaction when healing his latest tattoo - around an area of red - it caused some ink fallout - we figure it was cause by that. This article is helpful https://inkluded.co.uk/2017/01/18/never-use-bepanthen-new-tattoo/ . Could be something totally different - but either way I'd cut the Bepanthen -  I hear Hustle Butter is a good alternative. 

Oh, no! Thanks for letting me know. I did feel it behaves differently than I remembered. Cicaplast is something to help epidermal repair from La Roche Posay but not so sure if this didn't dry up my tattoo as well. I have the one without SPF protection  http://www.laroche-posay.com/products-treatments/Cicaplast/CICAPLAST-BAUME-B5-p5636.aspx .Too late for Hustle Butter for me...would take too long until it arrives. 

It is a wonder though how two different areas of my skin reacted totally different to the same treatment. Back is all nicely dried with minimal scabbing (did not have any coloring on my back, just lines) and my arm is still reddish with these thick scabs on top of the yellow ink. Either way, they are both healing. I will drop the Bepanthen and check for an alternative.

[el twe]

Any old non-scented moisturizer will do.  I use Aveeno myself, available at pretty much any drug store.  Go easy with whatever lotion you choose, your tattoo needs to breathe!  Too little is better than too much.

[Hogrider]

Ointment every three or four hours???? Waaaaaaay too much. Once or twice a day with just a touch of cocoa butter should be adequate. And for a tattoo that small, a dot should be adequate.

As for antibiotic cream, the only rough heal I've ever had in 30+ sessions was when I used antibiotic cream.