By Emma Sarran Webster, Teen Vogue
Getting your first tattoo
is a big deal: Whether you spent tons of time carefully deciding what
to get (and where) or took a spontaneous leap of inked faith, we’re
willing to bet you want to keep your new ink looking as good as possible
for as long as possible. And not only that, but it’s also important to
make sure you avoid infection as a result of the bodily addition. For
both reasons, it’s important you know what exactly to do once you leave
the parlor. “Having a new tattoo is nice, but maintaining the quality is
determined by the aftercare,” tattoo artist Hongdam tells Teen Vogue. So what does that entail? We spoke with Hongdam, as well as a couple other experts, to find out.
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Consult the artist about your allergies.
Before
you even get the tattoo, make sure you’re setting yourself up by
success. “Most of the time, there aren’t that many reactions for people
who get tattoos,” Evan Tattoo (Donghwan Kim), tells Teen Vogue.
“However, some of the common skin irritations usually have to do with
latex — if you’re allergic to latex, definitely let your artist know!”
And mention other allergies, too: Evan says allergies to certain metals,
which are in
tattoo inks, can cause reactions. “Red is the one color that we see a
lot of people getting reactions to,” he says. “You might just have
to...refrain from using the red ink.”
Ask about the covering your artist uses.
Different
artists use different materials to cover the fresh ink; and what your
artist uses will dictate how long you should leave it on. “For plastic
wrap or dri-loc pads,
you keep it on for a short period of time,” Evan says. For those, he
says you can leave the cover on for 3-5 hours, or a full day. But if
your artist uses Tegaderm (“which is kind of like a fancy bandaid”) like
Evan does, that can stay on for 3-5 days. Rather than make assumptions,
ask your artist what they’re using, how long you should leave it on,
and if you should keep your tattoo wrapped at all times or only in
certain circumstances (like in the shower).
[post_ads_2]Keep it moisturized.
It’s super
important to keep a fresh tattoo good and moisturized right from the
start. “A tattoo takes approximately 4-6 weeks to completely heal,” Shari Marchbein, MD, board-certified dermatologist and Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology at NYU Langone, tells Teen Vogue. “One of the biggest mistakes you can make after getting a tattoo is to let it dry up.”
To keep that from happening, Hongdam says to apply Vitamin A&D ointment
(which you should be able to find at most drugstores) every two hours
for the first three days, and three or four times a day from the fourth
to the 14th day, and before you go to sleep. “It is important to apply a
thin layer of it in order to keep it moisturized,” he says. “You want
to make sure that the skin does not scab. A tattoo is essentially a
wound and the nature of the skin is to scab in the healing process.”
If
you do see any scabs, resist the temptation to mess with them. “Care
must be taken to not pick off the scabs, or you can be left with light
spots or scars throughout the tattoo,” Dr. Marchbein says. And pass on
antibiotic ointments, like bacitracin or Neosporin, which she notes
aren’t necessary and may cause some people to have an allergic rash.
Just make sure to care for your tattoo and apply the A&D ointment
with clean hands each time.
After two weeks, he says you can
continue to moisturize with lotion for two more months. “I’ve noticed
clients who’ve done so showed better results,” he says.
Clean it regularly.
As
Hongdam noted, new tattoos are fresh wounds, which means you have to be
extra careful to prevent infection. “Tattoos create thousands of
microscopic holes in the skin in order to deposit the tattoo pigment,”
Dr. Marchbein says. “In doing so, the skin is now open and is
predisposed to various infections, including bacterial infection such as
Staphylococcus aureus.
The most important thing is to make sure the tattoo site is being
properly cleaned by gently washing with soapy water twice daily.” Always
make sure your hands are clean before you start cleaning your tattoo,
and be gentle on your skin (no scrubbing!) to keep it from scabbing.
[post_ads_2]Avoid water and other activities that’ll increase your body temperature.
Dr.
Marchbein notes that water can also lead to infection in a new tattoo,
so avoid fully submersing it in water (AKA, swimming or sitting in a
bath) until it is fully healed. You don’t have to wait quite that long
before you shower with a new tattoo, but Hongdam says to wrap it with
clean wrap or a waterproof band when you do and keep water completely
out for the first seven days.
Keep the strenuous activity to a
minimum in the beginning, too. “It is good to avoid any activities that
can increase the body temperature, as it can increase inflammation,”
Hongdam says.
Keep an eye out for possible infections.
Aside
from proper aftercare, one of the best things you can do to avoid
infection is to make sure you get your tattoo at a clean, reputable
parlor where you can verify everything they’re using is sterilized. But
even if you do, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the signs
of a possible infection, just in case. Hongdam says your skin may
temporarily swell and feel itchy as the tattoo is healing (and slight
scabbing, as previously noted, may also occur), though if any such
symptoms look or feel concerning to you, it can’t hurt to visit a
dermatologist.
Dr. Marchbein says typical signs of an infection
typically include redness, swelling, pain (at the tattoo site), pus or
drainage, and fevers or chills. And “some people can develop lumps or
bumps at the site of the tattoo as a reaction to the color/pigment in
the tattoo (known as foreign body reaction),” she says. “There have also
been outbreaks [of] atypical mycobacterium,
a potentially aggressive bacterial infection, following tattooing. This
presents are large lumps or bumps within the tattoo, skin breakdown,
fevers, chills, and redness, among other symptoms. This can be seen
immediately or delayed for months and warrants aggressive medical care
to prevent its spread and further complications.” If you experience any
of these symptoms or think you might have an infection of any type, call
your doctor immediately to determine the best course of action (which
may include prescription antibiotics).
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Know some fading may happen.
Ideally,
your tattoo will remain as vibrant as it was the day you got it, but a
bit of fading can happen. “Fading may be due to the depth at which the
pigment was deposited during the tattoo placement (if placed too close
to the top layer of skin, some of the pigment may shed and not look as
concentrated),” Dr. Marchbein says.
That's certainly the case with dainty tattoos.
"Due to the nature of a fine line tattoo, there's a higher chance of
fading compared to that of a bold line tattoo," Evan says. "This is
because the thin needle doesn't penetrate the tissues as it would with a
bold needle." If you do want a dainty tattoo, he recommends finding an
artist who is experienced with fine line work for the best possible
results.
Some fading, on dainty or bold tattoos, can also be
attributed to nature. “Tattoos are on your skin, and skin changes,” Evan
says. “Good work doesn’t fade that much, but there could be some lines
or spots that are missing ink, as well as fading that comes with time."
To help minimize fading, Evan says to make sure you keep your new tattoo
moisturized and use SPF when you're out in the sun. If you do want to
get touch-ups to minimize any fading down the line, he recommends going
to the same artist who did the original work.
