Basic Aftercare

wahlrab

This is only my second post on this part of boards but I read it regularily so I know that people get tired of reading the same old topic over and over. I do not think though that there has been a "proper" thread about aftercare of one's tattoo/s. Well in my search I couldn't find anything really that good.

I know advice conflicts over this matter and that I can find out a lot of information on websites but I am interested in what you guys do. What is your routine just after getting a tat, eg how long do you keep it covered, how often do you wash it etc. Maybe there is a thread like this already but as I said i couldn't find it and sure if there is i am sure someone will supply a link and a tut tut:D

The reason I ask these questions is that I just got a tattoo yesterday (its in the i'll show....) and I got it over here in Budapest, where I am on erasmus, and the lady who did it didn't have too much english and my hungarian is not so good, also I didn't have my translator that day. SO anyway I got the gist of what she was saying but I wasn't sure about how often I should keep it bandaged, but really i'm interested in your post tattoo rituals???

garthv

It all depends really....there was an aftercare thread floating about somewhere!

I used Bepanthen Cream and cling film, changing twice a day for the first 3 days..I've heard other people use preparation H and some people said they just used toilet paper!

Anyway, Bepanthen Cream and clingfilm worked perfect for me!

wahlrab

Did you have it covered with cling film for pretty much the first 3 days

its just i'm confused about this as i thought the "wound" might need to see some air if you know what i mean, cheers dude for such a rapid response

garthv

Yup, kept it completly covered for the first 3 days

Ive only had the one tattoo done and its what my tattoo artist told me to do so I wasnt going to disagree

Star Lord

Same here. You just don't want clothing/bedding sticking to it.
I found this to be a great way of doing it, as I got no scabbing or anything at all! Only thing I found is it's pretty difficult washing and creaming and sticking the clingfilm to a tattoo on the back of my shoulder

Prezatch

Face it wahlrab, you're going to end up with pubic warts no matter what, all because of this...

Where exactly did you get it done?

wahlrab

joey d joey d, i got it done in budapest in dark art the place was called its on my lower upper left arm, just below my tricep, its in the i'll show you mine etc thread, but have you an aftercare tips, thanks everyone else who has posted

Scramble

Nice one, wahlrab- Dark Art is a pretty well-known tattoo shop. Zsolt Sarkozi is a top artist, I'm sure anyone he works with is top notch as well. For the curious: http://www.darkart.hu

The aftercare approach I would take at the moment is:-

If you get your tattoo done in the middle of the day or so then I'd be inclined to leave it covered up until before bedtime, and then remove the covering and clean it gently with fingertips and warm water. Pat dry then reapply clingfilm overnight.

The following day I'd clean it again probably three times, reapplying clingfilm each time and applying Bepanthen, which seems to strike a good balance between promoting healing and keeping the tattoo moist.

Personally I'd remove the clingfilm the following day, and continue to keep the tattoo clean and with Bepanthen applied. Bepanthen is quite heavy, so you don't need to use much and should rub it in until you can just about make out that it has been applied.

Bepanthen is susprisingly good at keeping the tattoo moist so whereas in the past I would have transitioned after the first four or five days to a moisturiser like Lubriderm or Vaseline Intensive Care, now I'm inclined to just stick with the Bep.

I try and keep any sunlight off the tattoo for the first three to four weeks, and after that I think if you really want to keep your tattoos in good condition you've got to get into the mentality of applying sunblock to them every time you're going to go around with them exposed.

Some obvious things: Don't scratch when it itches, don't soak it in water for the first while and if you think it's getting infected then take immediate action. Ordinarily I'd say that means going back to your tattooist (and probably then a doctor), but if your tattooist doesn't speak the english so good then that changes things a bit obviously.

wahlrab

yeah dark art is a really cool place although if anyone visits their website which scrambles linked above they may see an artist named Odi, well he died last weekend in a motorcycle crash, so I thought it might be worth mentioning. If you do go there to get a tattoo, the artists don't really have great english but the girl there eszter will help translate, she's the new apprentice