Is it Dangerous?

A famous saying is that when you get a tattoo – you get “hooked” and keep getting more and more tattoos… But that’s only true if you thoroughly have read the article “How do I pick a tattoo artist?” and implemented it. A tattoo artist, which isn’t professional enough, will endanger your health. Countless viruses and germs may penetrate your body while getting tattooed, if it is done in an unprofessional way! Don’t play games with your body, if you care about it!

If you chose a professional tattoo artist and treated the tattoo correctly – you can relax. The tattoo will heal easily and with no problems.

The inks we use are made from only natural ingredients, and have been thoroughly examined by the health department in the country of their manufacture.

Up till now we’ve discussed what happens before and during the tattooing. Now let’s discuss what happened after you leave the studio with your new tattoo, covered in a bandage.

You got the treatment instructions from your tattoo artist (if you were really excited and you don’t remember them, you can find them here, in the article “Care instructions”). These instructions are not recommendations, they are instructions! A tattoo is a wound for all intents and purposes, and a wound that isn’t treated – can get infected.

The healing time for a tattoo is individual, and also differs with the type of tattoo you did. There are people with stronger bodies, there are tattoos that cause a smaller trauma to the body (such as line tattoos), but everyone has to treat the tattoo!

Don’t take off the bandage before it’s time! The body needs an hour or two (again, it depends on your individual body-strength, and the type of tattoo you did) for the little holes we’ve made in your skin to close. Till then, the bandage keeps the germs in the air and from your clothing from entering the body. So, don’t take the bandage off even for a second (“…just to show someone…”) Apart from that, usually the tattoo slightly bleeds in the beginning, and so the second purpose for the bandage is to absorb the blood.

Make sure to apply the cream! The cream contains antiseptic substances, i.e. prevent infection. It helps the body fight the germs that managed to penetrate the skin through the tattoo and which may cause infection. Additionally, the cream softens the skin at the measure, and helps it coagulate the wound. The cream also contains vitamins that help the skin rebuilt itself. Don’t spread a very thick layer of the cream as to not soften the skin too much and to not block it from oxygen. For the same reason, it’s not recommended to bandage the tattoo, and is recommended to air it out frequently.

Don’t expose the tattoo to the sun! The area is sensitive. The sun rays can harm the area of the tattoo faster than the rest of the body. It hurts, it will cause irreversible damage to the tattoo, and worse – it’s dangerous! In addition, the sun changes the pigmentation of the skin (therefore we get tanned in the sun). A new tattoo, which in the colors are not completely settled in – might change its tones due to that.

Don’t go into water or a swimming pool! This includes all still water reserves, such as a bath, a jacuzzi and so on. If you soak the tattoo in water which isn’t flowing, you will cause the skin to soften a lot, and then the ink (which hasn’t fully imbedded in the skin yet) will start to spread around its borders. It looks terrible, and it can’t be fixed! So have only regular showers in running water, and it’s better if the water isn’t too hot.

Keep the tattoo clean! It is obligatory to wash the tattoo gently with mild soap and water, at least once a day, and is recommended to wash it a few times a day. Straight after, apply cream again.

Change your cloths frequently, especially in the summer when you sweat more.

Don’t bring your tattoo in contact with any other substances apart from the cream, soap and water. Under no circumstance should you use body lotion, make-up etc.

Avoid any friction with the tattoo! Any kind of rubbing or scratching may harm the tattoo and take out parts of the ink. It may reopen the wound, and cause infection and scars. Therefore, don’t wear very tight clothing, or jewelry that may rub against the tattoo. Don’t shave the hair over it (girls, go around!), and in the shower don’t use a sponge over it.

If you do feel that the clothes rub your tattoo, or absorb the cream out of it – wrap it in a plastic wrap (rather than a bandage, that might get stuck to the tattoo and also absorb the cream out of it). The disadvantage of the plastic wrap is that it prevents fresh air from the tattoo. Therefore, in every opportunity – take the wrap off and air the tattoo.

During the recovery, like with every other wound, the tattoo scabs and peels a several times. Don’t “help” it peel under any circumstance! The coagulation may be very itchy. Don’t scratch!!

And one extra remark: Lately a rumor has spread, that women with a tattoo on their lower back won’t be able to get the epidural shot before giving birth. The rumor has caused a great disturbance in the tattoo world, but has been immediately revoked by some of the best doctors in the world. The explanation is that after the tattoo has healed it becomes an inseparable part of your skin, just in a different color. It doesn’t contain any additional or toxic substance that might penetrate into your spinal cord while getting the shot, as the rumor claimed. I hope that you’ll be lucky enough to get a doctor who’ve checked the issue tremendously, and knows the facts.