Hey Guys,
I got my first tattoo on my shoulder area a few days ago on the 30th of december from a shop in london. The artist after completing it, covered it with cling film and gave me the following instructions on after care..
1) Take off bandage after 3 Hours.
2) Wash with mild anti-bacteriol soap
3) Apply bepanthen and cover back with cling film (plus tape)
He said to do this thrice a day. Its my 5th day today..the adhesive from the tape around the clingfilm makes my skin all red in that area since its on for so long.. I keep hearing different versions from people and on forums. Some say you dont need to cover up the tattoo once the initial bandage is off, others say to keep it bandaged for 5 days.. My artist said to keep bandaging up with cling film for at least a week, after which I just need to keep applying the ointment.
not a single scab so far but today in the morning the tattoo started peeling, I could see really tiny ‘folds’ of peel ..and in some portions the skin under is a bit duller than the rest of the tattoo.. I just applied ointment over it and covered it up again. I havent submerged the tattoo in water, I just wash it with my hands and avoid that shoulder in the shower even..
Should I be keeping it bandaged with cling film? are these the standard instructions for after care? any Idea as to how long the peeling and flaking takes? and Is bepanthen ok to apply or could anyone recommend something better?
heres a pic of the tattoo..
http://img218.imageshack.us/i/photo312.jpg/
the outlines dont seem sharp in the pic but most of that is tiny flakes around the edges giving it an irregular look.if you see to the left of the wing theres red portions of skin slightly inflamed..thats being caused by the adhesive on the tape i use to keep the cling film in place.
My shop tells me to leave the wrap on for an hour and then to just keep it moist with Aquaphor. It’s greasy but works well. Right now I’m getting lots of black filled in on my forearms and it looks similar to yours as far as the peeling and white spots. When parts heal it evens out for the most part, but I know I will have to go back for touch ups. You may have to do the same, but it looks (to me, and I am no pro) that it’s healing well.
your tattoo didnt want to be covered up again it needed as much fresh air to it as possible.
looks to me because you have kept it covered up its gone soggy and pulled some of the colour out and slowed down your healing time, although i can not fully tell because of the picture .
bepanthen is fine to use.
great..i’m guessing this amount of peeling isnt normal? took this pic just now, after removing the bandage, washing and pat drying with a towel.
I’ve heard of people reapplying the plastic wrap, but it’s really not necessary unless you have some health problem regarding healing. Seriously, my sister with the badass autoimmune disease and takes 6 months to heal from tattooing is the only one who ought to wear it that long.
If I were you though, I’d definitely discontinue it if the tape is making you break out. An allergic reaction like that could cause you some trouble. Typically speaking though, over night is the longest most artists will tell you to wear it. Besides, tattoos need air to breath in order to heal correctly.
Don’t worry about the parts that look dull. It takes a tattoo roughly two weeks to heal, and until it does you have no idea how it’s gonna look. The dull parts make come back in, or they just may look dull in comparison to the dead skin peeling off. If it still looks dull after two weeks, that’s when you’ll know you need a touchup.
Different lotions work with different levels of effectiveness for different people. Bepanthen is fine, though, personally, I usually just go with Curel unscented lotion, mostly because that’s what my artist uses for his own tattoos. As long as what your using moisturizes and doesn’t have any smelly ass perfumes in it, you’re fine. Trust me, I once used lavender scented lotion on a brand new tattoo and it stung like a BITCH.
Your peeling is fine man. Chill. From what I can tell from that pic, it looks healthy. Rule of thumb is unless you think it’s infected, don’t worry about what it looks like or how its peeling until the two weeks of healing clear up.
I think that covered all your questions, right?
Love. Peace. Metallica.
When I got mine they told me to leave the wrap on for 2-3 hrs and then wash it with semi-luke warm water and antibacterial soap, pat dry and then rub B & W ointment and let it air out. It look my foot about 2 weeks to stop hurting and then about a month to start peeling. It has been a little over a month and it is all the way done healing. 🙂
1. Every artist prefers a different method of aftercare.
2. While not unheard of, recovering will actually slow your healing and cause more ink lost.
3. The tattoo is straight tribal and should be very easy to get touched up.
4. Any small cut, scrape, etc. needs air to heal quickly. Uncover that bitch and give it a quick was 3-4 times a day.
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