The Cost of Tattoo Care
For many first timers the idea of tattoo after care can be as confusing as deciding what tattoo to get. If proper advice to take care of the tattoo isn’t given, then
the cost of tattoo care
can go through the roof, even as much as the cost of the original tattoo itself.
Before the Tattoo
Tattoo care starts
before the tattoo
actually starts. Make sure before you go into the tattoo shop, make sure you have cleaned and dried the area thoroughly. Make sure you know the area and size of the tattoo you want, it may mean the difference between shaving an area and not. For some males and females getting a tattoo, shaving the area may be necessary. If the hair from the chosen area is not removed before the tattoo starts, ingrown hairs may be the end result. In-grown hairs will cause rashes and infections in and around the tat causing it to swell and itch with small infections, perhaps all across the tattooed area. Not doing this could have large repercussions on the cost of tattoo care.
At the Tattoo Shop
Once you’ve chosen a tattoo artist,
at the tattoo shop
they will clean and disinfect the area before he or she starts. Although, if the area isn’t clean before starting, the artist will send you home for the area to be cleaned properly. The tattoo artist will use latex free rubber gloves and needles that are fresh out of a package, if while at the tattoo shop you notice the tattoo artist doing anything less at the tattoo shop you choose, then another tattoo shop should opted for.
After the tattoo is finished, while still at the tattoo shop, the artist will apply a thin layer of lotion. Some artists recommend H2Ocean or Eucerin, but whatever is chosen it should be antibacterial and say “scentless” or “fragrantless” on the package. After a very thin layer of cream or lotion is applied, the tattoo artist will wrap the tattoo in clear wrap to seal the wounded skin. On top of that a sterile white bandage will be wrapped or tapped around the tattoo completely covering it from the light and protecting it from any air born viruses or bacteria that’s floating in the air. Removing this before the artist at the tattoo shop instructs could lead to additional damage to the tat and, in the end, raise the cost of tattoo care due to recoloring’s or even full blown cover-up jobs.
At home
At home tattoo care doesn’t stop, it actually increases. After removing you bandage, keep an eye on the tattoo. Plasma will leak from the skin, it is the water of our blood and it is trying to cover the wound in a thick scab. Dab this dry as often as necessary, the more the tattoo scabs, the more color that will come out. Every few hours, at home or wherever you are, rub a thin layer of lotion on the tattoo every few hours but make sure it’s a thin layer.
Drowning the skin in lotion, taking long baths, showers, and especially pools and hot tubs will water log the tattoo and cause the color to fade. For the first week keep showers quick and to the point or water logging may occur. After a few days the scab and the soreness, much like a sun burn, will be full on. At this stage, sitting at home, is when most people ruin their tattoo’s. Boredom and looking can lead to picking, DO NOT PICK your tattoo, do not water log your tattoo and use the creams and/or lotions recommended by your tattoo artist or color and scarring will be the result, causing the cost of tattoo care to sky rocket.
Peeling stage of a tattoo
After the scab has mostly fallen off and the soreness has faded, then the real fun begins… the itching and peeling stage of a tattoo. This the quickest, and last, stage of a healing tattoo. As said before, like a healing sunburn the tattoo will peel. Unlike a sunburn, these peeling areas must not be picked! At this stage the ink is not yet healed completely and can still be pulled out of the skin. If possible, it is best to simply apply a scentless healing lotion to the area to stop the dryness and combat itching as much as possible. Peeling the skin, itching, picking or waterlogging will drastically raise the cost of tattoo care and make the difference between proudly showing off your body art or hiding it in shame and embarrassment due to fading, discoloring, and even scarring.
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