Hi everyone,
Just yesterday I got a tattoo on my upper back and another also behind my ear. I left the saran wrap on that they covered it with for a couple of hours and then I washed it with cold water and anti-bacterial soap like they said to do. I then patted dry and let air dry for 15mins before putting on my aftercare they gave me. It’s called “Tattoo Goo” ?
My problem is this:
I LOVE the location of my tattoo but the problem I’m having is that I can’t wear any clothes that cover it. I wore a t-shirt to bed last night to find that the excess ink had leaked onto the shirt.
The artist gave me leaflet type thing with their aftercare instructions on it and it says to not re-bandage.. but how can I wear clothes if the aftercare lotion is on it and it’s leaking ink without covering it? I hope this makes sense.
I’d really appreciate any help you can give me.
Thanks!
The ink is going to flake for a couple days. Don’t wear any light-colored clothes that could be stained by it and be sure to wear soft, loose-fitting fabric. Personally, I covered my last tat very loosely while sleeping at my artist’s instruction. I roll around like I’m on fire while I sleep (according to my wife), so this helped avoid any irritation at night. Generally speaking though, you really need to leave it uncovered as much as possible.
Thanks for your reply.
I made the mistake of wearing light-coloured clothes the first night, thankfully it wasn’t an item of clothing I was concerned about.
It’s only just over 24hrs old and for the most part it’s been completely uncovered. My biggest concern though is college on Tuesday. Due to the course I’m studying I have to wear a specific uniform, but I can’t have the tattoo uncovered when wearing it. The clothing isn’t too tight, however I also don’t want to risk keeping it uncovered due to it not being the softest material (and I can’t make it softer with fabric softener) would it be okay to just loosely cover it with gauze during college hours? Shame I can’t cut a hole in the back of the uniform, lol.
First, ditch that Tattoo Goo shit.
Second, I’m not sure I’m understanding your problem too well but as long as the clothing isn’t too tight causing alot of rubbing, friction, etc. there shouldn’t be a problem. Wear a cotton t shirt if you can, you want the tattoo to be able to breathe but it needs to be clean and protected, too. It’s normal to lose some ink the first day or so but by Tuesday you may not be oozing anymore. I like using warm water to wash and risne then splash cool to finish.
Thanks.
What would you suggest in replacement for the Tattoo Goo?
The problem is that I’m able to allow the tattoo to breathe however I have a specific uniform for college Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays which don’t allow me to wear a cotton shirt. The fabric isn’t soft and I worry it’ll cause friction so I wanted to know if it’s possible to put gauze over it during college hours? I’ve been using warm water to wash, anti-bacterial soap, rinse and then cool water to finish.
Instructions will vary depending on who you ask, but something like Aquaphor for the first few days followed by a fragrance-free lotion after that is fairly standard.
If you must cover the tat, use double gauze, which will allow it to breathe. Obviously, don’t put non-breathable tape over the gauze in the area where the tattoo is. 😉
p.s. I’d be surprised if you were still oozing ink by Tuesday.
I used tattoo goo one time and the artist said it clogs pores and to toss it. I use aquaphor ointment initially then switch to pure shea butter or unscented lotion. My recent tattoo I healed fairly dry with just shea butter occasionally and I healed really well.
I guess if you feel the need to use a barrier with the uniform just try to use something breathable and that won’t stick. You don’t want it too tight if possible and if you use gauze and it sticks remove it with water.
Thanks for all your replies, I really appreciate it!
I’ve managed to keep it uncovered 90% of the time since I got it done on Saturday evening.
I’ve gotten rid of the Tattoo Goo and looked for Aquaphor but unless I’m blind or an idiot (both are possible) I can’t find it in the UK. I went to my local pharmacy and spoke to them and the lady said she used Bepanthen on hers. I got a small tube because I couldn’t find anything else, so far it’s really moisturising but I hope it’s okay to use it.
I’m extremely nervous to be honest as it’s technically my “first” tattoo so I’m probably over-worrying. I just don’t want it to need touching up or anything. I say “first” in quotes because the very first one I had was a shitty job that I had covered the day I got my back done, and the first one due to hating it so much I didn’t take care of it at all.
My biggest concern now is managing to not get the cream on my clothes for college tomorrow as you guys were right, it has stopped leaking ink. 😀
I would love to see a picture of the tattoo by the way. And I believe many people in the UK use bepanthen so I guess that stuff is fine, just don’t use too much. The biggest mistake people make is over-moisturizing, technically you would heal fine if you didn’t put much of anything on it at all. Depending on your schedule, I’d clean the tattoo and air dry for a half hour or so. Apply a very small amount of the ointment/cream and rub in thoroughly and then get dressed. If you’re worrying about the cream getting on the clothes then you may be using too much. Even if you went a few hours without putting anything on it you’d be fine, just apply the bepanthen or lotion when you can.
Please post pics when you can.
Oh do they?! Phew! Okay, I don’t feel as worried knowing people here use it.
What will over-moisturising do? Cause the ink to come out? I’ll make sure not to apply too much. I applied quite a thick layer when I got it due to it feeling very stiff when I moved, I assumed it was because there wasn’t enough moisture but I’ll not apply anymore until I’ve showered in the morning and then only use a small amount.
I’ll post a photo now – I am a tad worried about peoples comments. After looking through this forum I realised that the lines aren’t as perfect as they could be, but I’m still over the moon with it anyway. 🙂
Over moisturizing can cause ink loss or rashes but mostly it can saturate the healing tattoo and cause thick scabbing which then can lead to ink loss. For me, I apply a very small amount after my morning shower and then once again before bed and sometimes one other time in between but err on the side of dryness.
Regarding the comments, expect honest feedback and be open minded to what you hear, it may help in your future tattoo plans if you have any.
Oh can it? Alright, I’ll be sure to not over do it from now on.
That’s roughly the routine I’ve been doing with the “Tattoo Goo”, but it didn’t seem to moisturise it enough which is why I put a little extra of the Bepanthen on just to kind of make up for it I guess.
How long until I should expect some scabbing?
As for the comments, I’m expecting some negative ones and what not, but at the end of the day I’ll take the constructive criticsm and just ignore the rude ones. I do definitely plan to have more though.. I’m addicted already.
Not all tattoos will scab during healing, you really don’t want any scabbing to occur, especially the thicker ones. Typically, a new tattoo will instead begin to peel like a sunburn after 3-5 days and this process can last a few days or more while the new layer of skin is developing. When you start to peel stop using the bepanthen and switch to using a small amount of an unscented (fragrance free) lotion. The tattoo will sort of shed while you shower and sleep, etc, which is normal but do not force the dry skin to peel, let it fall off naturally. The whole process can take 2-3 weeks or even slightly longer.
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