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losing allot of ink? I was washing it in the shower and then i looked down and there were black flakes every where from my tattoo
@parktanman 22881 wrote:
losing allot of ink? I was washing it in the shower and then i looked down and there were black flakes every where from my tattoo
yeah…your not supposed to wash it. Matter of fact, your not really supposed to get it wet. You have to let it scab over and flake off on it’s own. Where is it at? I got one on Nov 9th on my right bicep. It scabbed over in a few days, and while I let it get wet in the shower, I didn’t let the water hit it directly. It rubbed off on its own on my shirt.
You should also be putting lotion, like fragant free lubriderm, on it a couple times a day. Some black flakes are normal when you have a lot of black. Just don’t rub it, and get it wet as little as possible. Pat it dry with paper towels and apply lotion soon. When you apply lotion, work it in good. It shouldn’t look greasy or wet when you are done.
In a few weeks, it will be done. I still apply lotion to mine 4 -5 times a week, even after having it since early November. It still looks as good as the day I got it.
It is totally normal for your tattoo to flake off some color, or black in your case. I read the other posts and I have never heard of not getting your tattoo wet. I am covered in tats and I was always told to wash them 2-3 times per day, let them air dry and then apply A&D ointment in a thin layer. They are not supposed to scab although they should get dry and shed or peel some. If they scab, then the artist went too deep. Do not scrub or wash vigorously but wash gently with soap and water and it doesn’t matter if the water hits it directly as long as it is a gentle spray. It is gross to not wash a new tattoo, infection could set in. After the tattoo sheds, then start applying a mild fragrance free lotion to the area. I use palmers cocoa butter lotion on mine, but if your pores clog easily, then use a different kind. Best of luck.
Wow, reading those replies you may become quite confused. I’ve never come across advice not to wash it or get it wet (any advice like that may have been literally imediately after being done while it cools down), in my experience the odd soak in the bath helps and speeds up the heeling process, as long as not for too long or instantly after its been done. Gentle patting and no really hot water for the first 24 hours, (although the first thing I do after a session is enjoy a good soak in the bath, allow the soak to take the excess ink off without actually touching it, but I know it doesn’t effect my skin/tatt now so…Once you’ve figgered out how your skin mends you’ll have your own process, I’m sure). I wash every day, morning and night with savlon wound wash spray and held dry, bit of cocoa butter formula with vitamin E rubbed right in.
I also wrap mine in cling film for the first 2 nights as well, I find this speeds up the heeling process, I’m down to end of first peeland heeled to a certain degree in 5 days now, obviously usually get a second comming after that.
Using the shower on it is fine as long as its not a big industrial power shower, anything that comes off in freeflowing water of a light sprinkle is good, but don’t force anything, let it drop off itself.
If you’ve rubbed it when cleaning it might be different, I dunno.
@scrubmuncher 22899 wrote:
Wow, reading those replies you may become quite confused. I’ve never come across advice not to wash it or get it wet (any advice like that may have been literally imediately after being done while it cools down), in my experience the odd soak in the bath helps and speeds up the heeling process, as long as not for too long or instantly after its been done. Gentle patting and no really hot water for the first 24 hours, (although the first thing I do after a session is enjoy a good soak in the bath, allow the soak to take the excess ink off without actually touching it, but I know it doesn’t effect my skin/tatt now so…Once you’ve figgered out how your skin mends you’ll have your own process, I’m sure). I wash every day, morning and night with savlon wound wash spray and held dry, bit of cocoa butter formula with vitamin E rubbed right in.
I also wrap mine in cling film for the first 2 nights as well, I find this speeds up the heeling process, I’m down to end of first peeland heeled to a certain degree in 5 days now, obviously usually get a second comming after that.
Using the shower on it is fine as long as its not a big industrial power shower, anything that comes off in freeflowing water of a light sprinkle is good, but don’t force anything, let it drop off itself.
If you’ve rubbed it when cleaning it might be different, I dunno.
Yeah, sorry…I guess I should have said it was not to wash it right after getting it for the first 24 hours. I didn’t mean to imply never wash it. After 10 days or so, I have been able to wash mine like normal.
I wondered about the cling film, because I was scared I would turn over in the night and yank a small scab off or something. Do you just put the cling on by itself after lotioning, or do you do anything special?
@Jamal 22900 wrote:
I wondered about the cling film, because I was scared I would turn over in the night and yank a small scab off or something. Do you just put the cling on by itself after lotioning, or do you do anything special?
I wouldn’t wrap it up straight after the lotion went on, that traps foreign bodies in an almost airtight environment. Say for example if I have a shower about 7pm, dry down for half an hour let it recover and dry out properly, then put the lotion on. Leave it for a good few hours to take the lotion in. Just before getting into bed (say midnight)I wrap it, timed right as its gunna begin to dry. I’ve tried allsorts of different time scales from 1 night to 4 nights. The idea behind wrapping it for the first 2 nights is purely speed of healing. 4 nights stops even flaking, being that if I don’t allow as much air to it it can’t dry and therefore can’t flake and keeps brighter colours that may have been shed slightly in the flaking, all you get is gentle pealing. Although this technique isn’t that great as it will dry to a certain degree during the day within this time and it’s not good to trap any unwanted elements in there, so a balance has worked out perfectly for me at 2 days, inbetween. I’m sure everyone is different and working out your own best healing solutions is gunna come with the more tatts you get:eek:
What I have found with this though is in comparison with others I’ve seen who heal conventionaly, lotion and leave, I’m slightly brighter in colour initialy and I do seem to keep colours well I seem to miss out the itching, and without flaking as much, nothing is lost in any that might want to be yanked off, as you say in bed or at work.
As said though, everyone heals differently and individualy.:cool:
are all of yours covered when you are outside.
So far, mine are covered all the time.
My first one I didn’t head the warnings as much as I should and wore sleeveless shirts. Now my pretty deep black is a dull blackish gray. I don’t mind it, as it is almost 12 years old, but I wish I would have paid more attention to it.
@Jamal 22908 wrote:
are all of yours covered when you are outside.
So far, mine are covered all the time.
QUOTE]I don’t see any need at all to keep them covered up when outside unless I’m gunna get dirty. Walking about etc is fine for me, clean air. I find material can dry them out, rubbing them etc isn’t great (not a big deal though). I just keep mine in the air as much as possible, no clothes in the house, well, over the part of my body tattooed anyway.
Rubbing, snagging etc etc, don’t like it and find if anything they will get more hassle from clothes on them so……………
Why do you keep them covered all the time?
covered because they are in places that are almost always under clothing.
I have been told and always read that we should keep them out of the sun as much as possible to retain color. On my latest, I did exactly what you were saying…left it open to air as much as I could and it seemed to do a whole heck of a lot better than my first. I am going to do the same with the next one, and if it works the same, I think I got my healing process down.
I have them on each bicep, and when I play basketball or something they are uncovered. I used to work outside or canoe or something and left it open, but like I said, it faded my first one. I was careful about using sunblock, but it still faded.
I just do my best to keep them out of the sun, but otherwise, they are open to air as much as possible.
I was asking if you kept them covered as much as possible outside, but you answered that.
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