Tattoo Aftercare, What You Need to Know

So you just stepped off the chair with some new ink and you’re dying to show it off to the world. After briefly hesitating you take off your bandages while your friends beg and plea to see your amazing new tattoo even though your tattoo artist explained proper tattoo aftercare right?

NO. WRONG.

Proper tattoo aftercare is extremely important to ensure that no infections or problems occur after tattooing and so that the tattoo is not damaged. It is very important to follow the guidelines laid out by the tattoo artist after leaving the shop. After leaving the tattoo parlor the tattoo artist is no longer responsible for any infections or problems that may occur after the procedure. If a new tattoo is not properly taken care of it can turn a beautiful piece of art into a hideous (and painful) disaster.

The Bandage:

The first step of proper tattoo aftercare is to NOT TOUCH THE BANDAGE. Though it may be frustrating to not immediately be able to take off the bandage, it is the only way to keep airborne bacteria from entering and invading your wound. A tattoo is considered a wound and raw flesh is a breeding ground for bacterial infections. To ensure positive results and keep your wound safe the bandage is to be left on the wound between 2-5 hours. The only exception to this rule is when a tattoo artist wraps the tattoo with saran wrap or some kind of plastic. Plastic wrap is detrimental to tattoos and must be removed immediately to ensure proper tattoo aftercare. Tattoos that are not properly taken care of can look like an oozing bacterial cesspool or like this.

Cleansing the Wound:

So now you have your tattoo and it’s been 2-5 hours since the bandage was placed on the wound. The next step of tattoo aftercare is to treat the wound and wish it gently. After removing the bandage use lukewarm water and mild antimicrobial soap to wash away the ointments, blood, and plasma from the area. If the wound is slippery then the wound is oozing plasma which must be gently removed to avoid scabbing. Use a clean tower or washcloth to pat, not rub, the area dry. Apply an antibacterial ointment to the tattoo are but make sure to AVOID NEOSPORIN. Neosporin is bad for tattoos because it causes an allergic reaction which forms red bubbles on the surface of the tattoos. When the red bubbles disappear, so does the ink. There are many commercial products such as Tattoo Goo that you can use but it is not necessary. Over the counter products are fine for tattoo aftercare as long as they are used for 3-5 days. After this period of time one can opt to use a lotion instead of an ointment but it must be dye and fragrant free.  Keep in mind that the future results of your new tattoo depend on you persistently following the guidelines of tattoo aftercare. It may be tedious but it is necessary.

Showering, Hot tubs, and Swimming

It is totally ok for you to get your tattoo wet and to shower with it. Submerging a tattoo in a bath or a hot tub can cause serious damage and can be detrimental to your tattoo. One must avoid submerging themselves in water and swimming for atleast 2-3 weeks. This is very crucial and many people often forget causing their entire tattoo aftercare to go to waste. If shampoo or soap get on the new tattoo then just quickly rinse it off with water.

Scabbing and Sun Damage

A few days after getting the tattoo peeling and a little scabbing is not uncommon. Excessive scabbing is usually the mark of poor tattoo but a little bit is normal. Just be sure to apply a moist warm compress to the scabs for a few minutes 3 times a day. DO NOT peel off the scabs by yourself. By peeling the scabs you are damaging the almost healed tattoo and no tattoo aftercare procedure will be able to help you. If the skin itches slap it and if it peels then put lotion on it but make sure to let the wound heal by itself. After the tattoo has healed it is vital to protect it from the sun’s harmful rays. Use a minimum of 30spf sun block to keep the tattoo vibrant and colorful for many years to come.

Innovative Tribal Tattoo Designs

In the world of tattoo designs there are thousands of potential tattoos to choose from. Each and every day, there are new designs added to studios and online tattoo websites. Tattoos are becoming more and more popular these days, making the designs all the more important. Although flowers and other designs are popular, tribal designs seem to be among the most common.

The one thing that sticks out with tribal tattoos is the innovation. Tribal tattoos feature unique artwork, with most being more or less solid black with no other colors. Tribal can have several different meanings as well, as it all depends on the image that the artist is trying to bring to life. Tribal can either be a design that the artist already had or the artist can take your feedback and do the entire tattoo freehand as he goes along. Experienced tattoo artists can normally do great work freehand, as it gives you the ability to make changes as he goes along.

Some of the most popular designs with tribal tattoos include skulls and letters. Unique designs are also very popular, especially those that wrap around the arms or the back. Tribal can be put virtually anywhere on the body, just like any other tattoo. Depending on the tattoo design you have in mind, it may take quite a few hours before the artist has finished. With the larger tattoos, you may need to come back to have the work finished.

Before you decide to get a tribal tattoo, you'll first need to decide on the design. If you don't have an idea in mind, this can take you quite a bit of time. You can look online for some ideas, or look at some of the already made designs at your local tattoo studio. If you see something that you like but you want to be a bit more creative, you can always add to the design. For example if you see a tribal skull design that you like, you can make it bigger or change just about anything in the tattoo design that would make it unique for you.

If you want the entire tattoo to be unique and creative, you can always have your tattoo artist draw the entire tattoo from scratch. You can give input as well if you want, to ensure that the design matches what you have in mind. Drawing a custom tattoo can take anywhere from an hour to several hours, depending on the size and detail of the tattoo. Tribal tattoos that have a lot of detail can be a bit complex, both to draw and to tattoo. No matter what you have in mind for your design, you can rest assured that it can be accomplished with tribal design tattoos.

Types of Tribal Tattoos

Borneo tattoos are from the islands of Indonesia/Malaysia. The tattoos of this tribe are believed to protect against diseases and pain. Most members of this particular tribe shared the same style of tattoo.

Maori Tattoos originated from the people of New Zealand. The tattoos of this tribe were call Ta Moko, and were used to carve family history into their skin

Native American tattoos were used for identification purposes as well as for protection. Tattoos were also believed to have magical powers in the Native American culture.

Chinese tribal tattoos were not as popular as many other tribal tattoos and tattoos were not really admired by society. Therefore only a small percentage of the Chinese culture was tatted. The most noted Chinese tribes were that of Drung, Dai and Li.

Tribal tattoos represent culture and history. Some people may actually be descendants of the actual tribes and feel that they need to represent and show pride and honor in their heritage, and the best way to do that is get a tattoo.

Tribal tattoos are also pleasant to look at, they have a lot of history and they are detailed in design. So one may opt to get a tribal tattoo primarily on the way it looks. There are hundreds to thousands of tribes throughout history; therefore if someone is very adamant about getting a tribal tattoo, he should not have a problem when choosing the tribal tattoo. Tribal tattoos have become very popular throughout the recent years.