TATTOO AFTERCARE – WHAT TO DO:
Keep it Clean
After you carefully remove the protective coating or bandage (if one has been applied by your tattoo artist), gently wash your tattooed skin with soap and cool to warm water. [7]
Keep it Moist
Doctors now recommend that you keep a wound moist to aid healing. Studies have shown that wounds healing under moist conditions healed 50% faster than wounds healing under dry conditions. At one time, doctors recommended that wounds should be exposed to air and kept dry, but recent scientific evidence and clinical research has shown this advice to be incorrect. Surgeons keep post-operative wounds moist and so should you. Moist healing protects the delicate tissue and encourages new cell growth. [8] [9]
Apply an Ointment
Use an ointment that helps retain your skin’s natural moisture, while protecting it. Look for an ointment that contains petrolatum, white petrolatum, mineral oil, olive oil or zinc oxide. These ingredients form a protective barrier on the outside of your skin and help prevent infection. [10] Of these ingredients, petrolatum is the wound dressing of choice of doctors following many surgical procedures because it reduces water loss in your skin by 99%. [11] Petrolatum works well for tattooed skin because it stays on the very top layer of your skin and is not absorbed into the lower layers of your skin where the tattoo ink has been deposited. [12]
Treat for Pain and Itch
If your wound is painful and itchy, the temptation to rub and scratch it could damage your skin. Apply an ointment with medicinal ingredients that provide temporary relieve from pain and itch. Look for the Health Canada NPN number on the packaging to ensure you are purchasing a product with scientifically proven ingredients.
Maintain a Healthy Diet and Lifestyle
Your skin is your body’s largest organ. Did you know that stress and nutrition can affect the body’s healing process? [13]
TATTOO AFTERCARE – WHAT NOT TO DO:
DO NOT let your tattooed skin dry out.
Keeping your skin moist will help it heal more quickly [8]
DO NOT scratch or rub your tattooed skin.
Scratching or rubbing may further damage your skin.
DO NOT allow scabs to dry out.
Wounds heal much better under moist conditions. [8] [14]
DO NOT allow bandages to ‘stick’ to the wound.
Do not use a bandage unless your tattooed skin will be exposed to dirty environments. [15] If a bandage or dressing becomes stuck on a wound, tearing it off will further damage the skin and prolong healing. [8]
DO NOT apply an antibiotic ointment unless your wound is infected.
Antibiotic ointments should only be used if you have an infection. If infection is suspected, visit your doctor. [8]
DO NOT expose your tattooed skin to direct sunlight.
UV rays and radiation from natural and artificial light can, over time, break down the pigments in the ink and cause the colours to fade. Always apply sunscreen or cover your tattoo when out in the sun for prolonged periods of time [16]
DO NOT swim in chlorinated or salt water until your wound has healed.
Swimming with open wounds can let harmful bacteria and other germs into your skin, increasing the risk of infection. [17] [18]
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Keep it Clean
After you carefully remove the protective coating or bandage (if one has been applied by your tattoo artist), gently wash your tattooed skin with soap and cool to warm water. [7]
Keep it Moist
Doctors now recommend that you keep a wound moist to aid healing. Studies have shown that wounds healing under moist conditions healed 50% faster than wounds healing under dry conditions. At one time, doctors recommended that wounds should be exposed to air and kept dry, but recent scientific evidence and clinical research has shown this advice to be incorrect. Surgeons keep post-operative wounds moist and so should you. Moist healing protects the delicate tissue and encourages new cell growth. [8] [9]
Apply an Ointment
Use an ointment that helps retain your skin’s natural moisture, while protecting it. Look for an ointment that contains petrolatum, white petrolatum, mineral oil, olive oil or zinc oxide. These ingredients form a protective barrier on the outside of your skin and help prevent infection. [10] Of these ingredients, petrolatum is the wound dressing of choice of doctors following many surgical procedures because it reduces water loss in your skin by 99%. [11] Petrolatum works well for tattooed skin because it stays on the very top layer of your skin and is not absorbed into the lower layers of your skin where the tattoo ink has been deposited. [12]
Treat for Pain and Itch
If your wound is painful and itchy, the temptation to rub and scratch it could damage your skin. Apply an ointment with medicinal ingredients that provide temporary relieve from pain and itch. Look for the Health Canada NPN number on the packaging to ensure you are purchasing a product with scientifically proven ingredients.
Maintain a Healthy Diet and Lifestyle
Your skin is your body’s largest organ. Did you know that stress and nutrition can affect the body’s healing process? [13]
TATTOO AFTERCARE – WHAT NOT TO DO:
DO NOT let your tattooed skin dry out.
Keeping your skin moist will help it heal more quickly [8]
DO NOT scratch or rub your tattooed skin.
Scratching or rubbing may further damage your skin.
DO NOT allow scabs to dry out.
Wounds heal much better under moist conditions. [8] [14]
DO NOT allow bandages to ‘stick’ to the wound.
Do not use a bandage unless your tattooed skin will be exposed to dirty environments. [15] If a bandage or dressing becomes stuck on a wound, tearing it off will further damage the skin and prolong healing. [8]
DO NOT apply an antibiotic ointment unless your wound is infected.
Antibiotic ointments should only be used if you have an infection. If infection is suspected, visit your doctor. [8]
DO NOT expose your tattooed skin to direct sunlight.
UV rays and radiation from natural and artificial light can, over time, break down the pigments in the ink and cause the colours to fade. Always apply sunscreen or cover your tattoo when out in the sun for prolonged periods of time [16]
DO NOT swim in chlorinated or salt water until your wound has healed.
Swimming with open wounds can let harmful bacteria and other germs into your skin, increasing the risk of infection. [17] [18]
BIBLIOGRAPHY
