after care

hungry hippo 4

I got a forearm tattoo yesterday and was wondering should I keep applying cling film after cleaning for a while?

Penny Tration

hungry hippo 4 wrote: »

I got a forearm tattoo yesterday and was wondering should I keep applying cling film after cleaning for a while?

No.

Cling film is a breeding ground for bacteria.

Just re-apply a thin layer of Bepanthen three times a day or so. Or, use Johnson's Baby Lotion, but apply that much more frequently.

If your arm has to be covered by clothing, and you're worried it'll irritate the tattoo while it's healing, keep it covered with a breathe-able bandage, because it will still let air in and keep bacteria away.

hungry hippo 4

green_screen wrote: »

No.

Cling film is a breeding ground for bacteria.

Just re-apply a thin layer of Bepanthen three times a day or so. Or, use Johnson's Baby Lotion, but apply that much more frequently.

If your arm has to be covered by clothing, and you're worried it'll irritate the tattoo while it's healing, keep it covered with a breathe-able bandage, because it will still let air in and keep bacteria away.

fantastic! thanks...

salacious crumb

E45 is great too.

hungry hippo 4

tattoo goo all the way!

Penny Tration

Wouldn't be a fan of tattoo goo. Nasty rash and dried out skin using it!

hungry hippo 4

green_screen wrote: »

Wouldn't be a fan of tattoo goo. Nasty rash and dried out skin using it!

did you not read the back?

it says, "Warning, only apply if you are mad cool!

Penny Tration

hungry hippo 4 wrote: »

did you not read the back?

it says, "Warning, only apply if you are mad cool!

:rolleyes: cause tattoo after care is a joking matter?

hungry hippo 4

green_screen wrote: »

:rolleyes: cause tattoo after care is a joking matter?

Forgive my attempt at humour! I have brought shame to tattoo aftercare!

Real Life

Why do some tattoo artists recommend putting on the cling film for a few days after and some say take it off after a couple of hours and dont use any more?

I had a tattoo done recently and just took it off after 2 hrs and started applying bepanthen a few times a day like my artist suggested but a friend got a tattoo the same day in another place and was told to keep wrapping it for 2 or 3 days.

Arawn

Real Life wrote: »

Why do some tattoo artists recommend putting on the cling film for a few days after and some say take it off after a couple of hours and dont use any more?

I had a tattoo done recently and just took it off after 2 hrs and started applying bepanthen a few times a day like my artist suggested but a friend got a tattoo the same day in another place and was told to keep wrapping it for 2 or 3 days.

Some artists are more up to date on cross contamination and all that jazz

osaurus

Real Life wrote: »

Why do some tattoo artists recommend putting on the cling film for a few days after and some say take it off after a couple of hours and dont use any more?

I had a tattoo done recently and just took it off after 2 hrs and started applying bepanthen a few times a day like my artist suggested but a friend got a tattoo the same day in another place and was told to keep wrapping it for 2 or 3 days.

I guess it's down to personal preference and experience. What works for other's may not work for you and this is shown in the wide variety of aftercare advice given to customers.

From a generalised 'wound' point of view if an area is dry the chances of infection is way higher. It's harder for bacteria to infiltrate if the wound is moist. So keeping a fresh tattoo covered in cling film creates a small barrier for the initial period until the preferred lotion or after care advice is adhered to. Bepanthen is ideal, from my experience as it coats the surface but also more importantly lets the skin breathe. So it protects the wound from infection, but lets the skin heal without a scab forming. No scab generally means better colour/pop from the tattoo in the long run.

Also, as seen here and other forums. The general public don't really research and seem to glaze over when tattoo artists explain after care as evidenced by the copious amounts of basic questioning all over the internets. Them's the breaks.

Penny Tration

osaurus wrote: »

I guess it's down to personal preference and experience. What works for other's may not work for you and this is shown in the wide variety of aftercare advice given to customers.

From a generalised 'wound' point of view if an area is dry the chances of infection is way higher. It's harder for bacteria to infiltrate if the wound is moist. So keeping a fresh tattoo covered in cling film creates a small barrier for the initial period until the preferred lotion or after care advice is adhered to. Bepanthen is ideal, from my experience as it coats the surface but also more importantly lets the skin breathe. So it protects the wound from infection, but lets the skin heal without a scab forming. No scab generally means better colour/pop from the tattoo in the long run.

Also, as seen here and other forums. The general public don't really research and seem to glaze over when tattoo artists explain after care as evidenced by the copious amounts of basic questioning all over the internets. Them's the breaks.

Actually, the cling film creates the perfect environment for bacteria to thrive. Bacteria can get in when you are re-applying cling film. The film then provides heat and fuel (from the wound), which can cause the bacteria to multiply.

Keeping bepanthen on it will act as a shield for bacteria, without providing the environment for the bacteria to grow, as cling film does.

As arawn said, the reason some people recommend film is because not all artists are 100% up to date with knowledge of cross contamination and blood-borne bacteria.

OkeyDoke12

Had a small tattoo which I got covered up on my leg tattoo. I kept the cling film on the tattoo for about 3 hours and I took it off and cleaned it with luke warm water and put on some nappy rash cream. I then went in for a shower and I just gently put water on it and afterwards just wiped it gently with kitchen roll and reapplied some nappy rash cream is this ok?

OkeyDoke12

Also what way will I sleep tonight will I leave the tattoo exposed??

Penny Tration

OkeyDoke12 wrote: »

Also what way will I sleep tonight will I leave the tattoo exposed??

What nappy rash cream are you using?


In bed, if you don't move about a lot, yeah, leave it exposed, with a decent layer of cream on it. If, like me, you thrash about all night in bed, put a thin crepe bandage over it (you can get them in chemists/tescos).

OkeyDoke12

Jenny Thalia wrote: »

What nappy rash cream are you using?


In bed, if you don't move about a lot, yeah, leave it exposed, with a decent layer of cream on it. If, like me, you thrash about all night in bed, put a thin crepe bandage over it (you can get them in chemists/tescos).

I'm using Bepanthen.

Ah ****,too late to be going to a chemist/tesco now looks like I will have to wait until tomorrow to get one of them bandages.

Dial Hard

Yeah, I was wondering about this myself. Got a new tatt in Wildcat yesterday and the aftercare leaflet said to keep wrapping it in clingfilm for 3-5 days.

It's a good few years since my last tattoo so I was wondering if the general consensus had just moved on since then as on all my previous tatts the advice was to remove the bandage after a few hours and then just clean and cream regularly . It seems not, though, from this thread and all the reading I've done online. So it's getting the same treatment as all my previous tatts - unwrapped and cleaned & Bepanthened thrice daily.

Orim

Dial Hard wrote: »

Yeah, I was wondering about this myself. Got a new tatt in Wildcat yesterday and the aftercare leaflet said to keep wrapping it in clingfilm for 3-5 days.

It's a good few years since my last tattoo so I was wondering if the general consensus had just moved on since then as on all my previous tatts the advice was to remove the bandage after a few hours and then just clean and cream regularly . It seems not, though, from this thread and all the reading I've done online. So it's getting the same treatment as all my previous tatts - unwrapped and cleaned & Bepanthened thrice daily.

No link to the thread but general consenus is to unwrap it after you get home and can clean it.

Maybe you could cover if you're tight clothes or it's in an awkward spot but even then a breathable bandage not cling film.

Viva La Gloria

I think it varies depending on the artist. I had tattoos done in WildCat and Spilled Ink, and the aftercare instructions said to re-wrap the tattoo with clingfilm at least twice more. But when I got my most recent tattoo in Florida, yer man said to just take it off when I washed it the first time...and to be honest, I've only had it two weeks but it's healing up way quicker than my other ones. That might just be coincidence, but I think whenever I get my next one, I'll be taking the clingfilm off for good as soon as I wash it.