Skin Care Tips After A Tattoo

Skin care after you get a tattoo is a concern for many people who get a new tattoo or are thinking of getting one. The pigment colour becomes faded if the skin is not taken proper care of. The skin might get irritated, dry, flaky and red because of the tattoo ink.

In this article, we will discuss some skin care tips that will prevent any skin infection after getting a tattoo. Before starting with the post tattoo skin care tips, you must know a few pre-tattoo care tips. Be careful you get your tattoo from a hygienic tattoo parlour.

Skin Care Tips After A Tattoo

The needle used should be new and the ink used should be of good quality. After getting the tattoo, follow these tips for skin care after tattoo.

Use an ointment – As soon as there is ink on your skin, it needs to be cared for. Tattoo is equivalent to a wound. Therefore, when the artist is done with making a tattoo on your skin, apply an ointment on the skin to help relieve the pain and swelling. The ointment cleans the skin around the tattoo and keeps bacteria and infections away. Ointments are necessary to avoid skin infections. This is the first and foremost skin care after tattoo.

Keep covered in sun – The area around the tattoo becomes delicate and sensitive. Therefore, do not expose the skin directly in the sun. Sometimes this is okay, but be careful. At least apply sun screen lotion or gel on the skin before going out in the sun. This is another important post tattoo skin care tips.

Moisturise – The skin around the tattoo tends to peel off with time. Therefore, keep it moisturised and hydrated always. Use a good moisturiser and apply it on the skin at equal intervals of time. The tattoo ink also does not fade easily with appropriate skin care after tattoo. Moisturising is important for skin care after tattoo. In the long term, moisturising prevents any further damage to the skin.

No scrubbing – After getting a tattoo done, do not scrub your skin area. You might lose some ink in doing so. When going for a shower, use a mild soap on the tattoo. Also, for women, a post tattoo skin care tip is to avoid waxing that area for at least 45 days or till the tattoo is healed.

Doctor Help – If your skin around the tattoo remains dry and swollen even after the healing period is over, you must visit a doctor. The wound also may not heal completely and can cause skin damage. Tattoo is an external ink which may cause infections if not cared for properly. Therefore, skin care after tattoo is important.

Story first published: Friday, February 28, 2014, 17:53 [IST]
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