Preparing for and looking after your tattoo

Before You Go

There’s more to getting a tattoo than turning up at a tattoo studio. Unless you’re well known for your spontaneity you’re likely to want to take your time thinking about the design of your body art. It’s worth remembering that a tattoo is something that you’ll have for the rest of your life (or spend a small fortune trying to remove) so it’s important to get it right.

So, how can you prepare for your first tattoo? There are things you can do to help make sure your left with a design you can be proud of. Read our 5 top tips to make sure you’re prepared:

=> Shop around and do your research. You’re looking for a reputable tattoo studio. It’s often true that “you get what you pay for” and this is one situation where going for the cheap option could be a huge false economy.

=> Visit your chosen studio BEFORE your appointment. You want to make sure that you feel comfortable and well looked after.

=> Eat before your appointment. Some people feel faint when getting a tattoo and eating something beforehand can help prevent this.

=> Tell your artist if you’re nervous! It’s perfectly normal; you aren’t the first to have misgivings and certainly won’t be the last. Let your tattooist put you at ease and you will have a much more positive experience.

=> Don’t drink beforehand. Alcohol thins the blood. This can make you bleed more, making your tattooist’s job much harder.

=> Stock up on the things you need to help your tattoo to heal afterwards.

In our next post we’ll look at what you can do to help your tattoo heal well. But in the meantime, as you prepare for your appointment, make sure you stock up on two important things: unscented moisturiser such as aqueous cream and also bepanthen. These two items will make a huge difference in the healing process.

Looking After Your New Tattoo

You’ve designed your body art, researched the best tattoo artist in town and sat through the painful process. You’d be forgiven for thinking you’ve done the hard bit and can now enjoy showing off your design. But you’d be wrong. To make sure your tattoo looks as good as it possibly can there are some important steps you need to take.

Firstly, don’t be tempted to remove the bandage early. It’s so tempting to take a peek but, as pretty as it may be, essentially a tattoo is a wound so it’s very important to give it time to start to heal. Most tattoo studios recommend that you keep it covered for 2-5 hours.

When you remove your dressing, the next thing to do is clean your tattoo. But before you touch it WASH YOUR HANDS! This can’t be overemphasised, it’s crucial that you keep bacteria at bay as much as possible. When you clean your tattoo you should use a mild, antibacterial liquid soap like Bacti-Kleen. It’s a gentle liquid soap with conditioning and protective agents so can help prevent your skin drying out.

After you’ve thoroughly cleaned your tattoo pat it dry – don’t rub it, then leave it to dry in the air for about 10 minutes. Once it’s thoroughly dry you can apply a thin layer of Bepanthen. This will aid the healing process because it contains Pro Vitamin B5 and it helps to seal in the skin's natural moisture, providing optimal conditions to allow gentle skin recovery. It also forms a long lasting, transparent layer that protects the skin from rubbing and irritants.

It’s important to repeat this process as often as your tattooist recommends. Most studios suggest 3 times a day for two weeks. If the skin starts to feel tight then an unscented moisturiser, such as aqueous cream, can be used.

What not to do!

There are certain things that you need to avoid for at least a couple of weeks after you’ve had your tattoo:

=> Firstly, avoid hot baths and swimming. Submerging your tattoo in hot water for long periods can loosen the ink and leave the design looking patchy.

=> Secondly, no matter how tempted you are, don’t scratch or pick at peeling skin or scabs. Like hot water, this could lead to a patchy tattoo.

=> Lastly, make sure you slap on sunscreen. Sun exposure can quickly fade a beautiful tattoo. To avoid this it’s best to use a good quality sunscreen like Riemann P20 whenever you’re catching some rays.

Article Source: http://www.compensationsecrets.co.uk/