To the modern tattoo, high demands are placed on artistic performance, paint quality, and safety. And, of course, having decided on a tattoo, first of all the search for a suitable master begins, the work of which meets the requirements. But as it turns out, the appearance of the tattoo depends not only on the professionalism of the tattoo artist. Even if the drawing is irreproachable, not following the rules of tattoo care, you can eventually get blurred outlines, uneven, fading with the years of color. Therefore, it is very important to know how to properly care for a tattoo, and follow simple recommendations.
How to take care of a fresh tattoo?
First of all it is worth noting that each tattoo artist, after completing the work, explains in detail the client how to care for the tattoo. And if the professionalism of the master does not cause any doubts, and in his collection there are many quality works, then it is necessary to strictly implement the recommendations. But there are different cases. A tattoo artist can be a great artist, but because of a lack of understanding of medical intricacies, the master can give outdated recommendations. The main problem is that the rules for taking care of a fresh tattoo have undergone significant changes, due to a deeper understanding of the tattooing process. Previously, care after the tattoo was to treat the wound surface with disinfectants and moisten the crust. And the quality of the healed work greatly suffered. But thanks to the accumulated experience of masters of different countries of the world, the following rules of tattoo care have been derived, allowing to preserve the quality of tattoos:
1. Compress. After the work is completed, the wizard processes the wound surface and closes it with a film. First of all, the compress is necessary in order to prevent infection, as well as to improve the healing process. It should be borne in mind that the compress is applied for 3-4 hours, after which it must be removed. Compress is done only once by a master, after that, in no case can you tattoo yourself or apply bandages on your own.
2. Prevention of crusting. The resulting crust may fall out along with the paint, leaving unevenly colored areas as a result. Therefore, the most important step in the proper care for a fresh tattoo is to prevent the formation of a crust on the wound surface. During the application of the tattoo, the uppermost layer of the skin is damaged, which is accompanied by the appearance of lymph. The dried lymph and forms a crust. Therefore, after removing the compress, as well as the first 2-3 days, it is necessary 3-5 times a day to wash out the lymph. As a rule, liquid antibacterial Soap Protex-Ultra is used for this. Wound surface is washed off with the help of warm water, but not hot, without a washcloth. After washing off the tattoo should be soaked with a napkin and apply "Bepanten" ointment. The composition of this ointment is most suitable for healing the wound surface, preserving the color of the tattoo and restoring the skin. Other healing preparations can promote the excretion of pigment, increased release of lymph, formation of undesirable crusts. Since caring for a tattoo the first few days is problematic, it is necessary to calculate the application time so that 2-3 days stay at home and be able to properly handle the tattoo.
3. Restoring the skin. The healing process can last 1-2 weeks. At this time, it is necessary to ensure that the wound surface does not dry out and especially does not crack. In the morning, several times during the day and at night should be applied a thin layer of ointment, but so that the surface does not soak, but was slightly moistened. To wet a tattoo after the first 2-3 days, and the more so continue to wash with soap it is impossible. At first, the tattoo may seem a little pale, but over time, the color is restored. On the surface can appear film, which then come off. Until complete recovery, the skin may shine a little.
4. Additional recommendations for tattoo care:
- clothes. In the first week after applying the tattoo, it is recommended to wear loose clothing made of cotton fabric. Synthetic and tight clothes should be avoided. If the clothing is stuck to the wound surface, you should wet the place of adhesion and only after that carefully detach the tissue from the skin and treat the tattoo with ointment. But one should not allow such situations;
- bathing. Tattooing can not be steamed or allowed to soak. Lymph flushing with tattoos in the early days is also not worth combining with bathing. During the healing of tattoos, you can not take a bath, as well as swim in public water. You can take a shower when the wound surface heals, if it needs to be done earlier, make sure that the tattoo does not get wet. At the time of taking a shower, you can wrap a tattoo with food film, and after the shower, apply a thin layer of ointment. Within a month after the healing, you should not injure the skin with a washcloth, scrubs and peeling;
- active lifestyle. It is highly unsuitable during the healing of tattoos, and especially the first 3-4 days of doing active work. Just do not abuse alcohol, and for several days before and after applying tattoos from alcohol it is better to abstain completely. Tattooing should be protected from infection, sun rays and mechanical damage.
How to properly care for a tattoo after healing?
When the tattoo is fully healed and the skin on the wound surface is restored, no special care is needed. To avoid tarnishing the paint, you should protect the tattoo from sunlight. For this purpose, it is recommended to use sunscreen with a level of protection from ultraviolet from 45 and above. When rashes or allergic reactions occur, you should immediately contact your master.
Do not seek advice on how to properly care for a tattoo in medical professionals who do not have experience with working with a tattoo. Care for the tattoo is significantly different from the care of wounds, and, consequently, the means for care are selected taking into account these differences.