When Should You Start Using Lotion On The Newly-Inked Tattoo?

Tattoos are meant to be flaunted, but before you can flaunt your new ink, you must properly care for its proper healing. The aftercare for tattoos can be difficult and complicated. Understanding when to use specific items on the fresh tattoo might be challenging. Learn why you should use lotion on the newly-inked tattoo.

According to tattoo artists, selecting a lotion that will keep your new design hydrated, free of infection, and without discomfort is among the most crucial aftercare procedures.

Since a tattoo is really a wound, tattoo lotions are crucial for both maintaining the aesthetic quality of your ink and speeding up the recovery process.

Lotion application to the new tattoo is essential in the tattoo aftercare procedure. It prevents your fresh ink from becoming infected and distorted. It’s crucial to understand what kind of lotion to use, when to apply it, and how.

If you research tattoo aftercare, you’ll find that a lot of people discuss handling the “wound.” The procedure of cutting and inserting ink into the topmost layer of the skin is known as tattooing. Your brand-new tattoo is, therefore, essentially a new wound. That is why it is crucial to take good care of it.

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Here are some tips on how to take care of the new tattoo when using tattoo lotion. What sorts of lotion/moisturizer to utilize and how to apply them, and another tattoo recovery process is known as “dry healing.”

How soon can you start putting lotion on your fresh tattoo? Please wait until your tattoo has absolutely dried before proceeding. At this point, you must apply a proper lotion that will not harm your fresh ink.

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Never Moisturize The Skin Until It Is Completely Dry

Waiting is actually the first stage in the aftercare process for a tattoo. Ink will probably be misty for the initial few days after receiving the tattoo. It’s vital to wait until your tattoo is completely dried before moisturizing it with lotion.

This might take one to three days. The bandaging should be changed at least two times a day, and the tattoo should be concealed until it has dried. Before changing the bandage:

• Wash the wound with a fragrance-free, antiseptic solution.
• Use a moist cloth with a little bit of soap on it to gently dab your tattoo.
• Put the tattoo back in the bandage after washing.

When the wound starts to itch, and you see that the ink is starting to scab over, it’s time to put on moisturizer. Keep your hands off the scabs. This is how the body’s natural healing mechanism operates. Your tattoo is a scar, after all. Your tattoo may distort or contract if the natural process of scarring is disturbed.

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When Should A Tattoo Be Moisturized?

Typically, the lotion should be applied to your tattoo three times a day—in the morning, afternoon, and evening. This will keep your tattoo hydrated, well-moisturized, and in good shape and hasten the recovery process. Here is when you should use

Morning

Your tattoo will be stiff and dry when you wake up. It’s because your body dehydrates when you sleep. Thus, it is essential to apply lotion early in the morning. Therefore, clean your tattoo after waking up while taking a bath, wipe the area dry, and then put in lotion. The region will start to feel more relaxed right away.

Afternoon

Your tattoo will start to dry up again as the day goes on. As a result, another layer of lotion must be applied to the region. But before applying the ointment each time, make sure the tattoo is clean. It is possible to clog the skin’s pores by layering on more cream than is necessary. In turn, this raises the possibility of infection.

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Evening

When you have a new tattoo, moisturizing should become a part of your evening regimen. Apply some lotion to the tattoo as you settle in and prepare for bed. This will prevent it from becoming very dry at night.

What Effects Does Using Tattoo Lotion Have?

After you apply lotion, your tattoo can feel a little bit burnt. If your tattooing session lasted longer than an hour, this is typical. After applying lotion, the burning should go away in 20 to 40 seconds.

However, after using moisturizer, your tattoo shouldn’t itch. The presence of additional vitamins or minerals in the lotion you are applying is indicated by a stinging sensation. Although these vitamins and minerals are excellent for the skin, they could have a negative impact on how quickly your tattoo heals.

The most popular moisturizing lotion for tattoos is After Inked Moisturizer and Tattoo Aftercare Lotion. This or a comparable product will most likely be available at your local tattoo parlor. The likelihood that tattoo-specific lotions won’t include any ingredients that hurt the tattoo makes them a safe option. Please inquire with your tattoo artist about the brand and product they prefer.

What Precautions Should You Take During Moisturizing?

Avoid Using Moisture Too Soon

You should remove the bandage and wash it with antibacterial soap, as recommended by your artist. But don’t touch it with anything. You should apply moisturizer to your tattoo no earlier than when it begins to dry out.

Identifying Dry Skin

Pulling at your skin until it becomes taut is an excellent technique to check to see whether your tattoo is dry. Pay close attention to how tight it feels and whether or not it is about to fracture slightly.

Avoid Picking At Scabs

You’ll be soft and flaky – like a fish — as soon as you get home. Furthermore, you’ll begin to scab. Keep your hands off those scabs at any cost.

Your recovery process will take longer if you pick at a scab. Picking at a scab effectively damages the newly developing skin that is under it. Additionally, avoid tight clothing since your tattoo requires room to breathe.

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Avoid Saturation

Never oversaturate your skin with lotion, regardless of how dry your tattoo may appear to be. Anything you apply should be immediately absorbed; if you notice a coating of white on the skin, remove part of the moisturizer. Although the cream is on top, your tattoo still needs to breathe.

Other Factors To Avoid

Avoid exposure to sunlight and anything that can expose your tattoo to water, including showers, hot tubs, and swimming. Long-term contact with water will remove the ink from your tattoo and harm it. The bacteria in public water also increases your chance of contracting an illness.

Steps For Moisturizing Tattoos

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to apply lotion to your tattoo, along with information on when to apply it and which lotions to use. After your appointment, be sure to acquire the exact detailed advice from the tattoo artist.

Step 1: Unwrap And Clean

Unwrapping your tattoo carefully is the starting step. Verify that the ink is completely dry. Only a little quantity of ink should flow from your tattoo, which will already be beginning to scab over with dry ink. Additionally, you can tug at the skin’s edges near the tattoo. Your tattoo is dry if it feels brittle and is about to shatter.

As previously indicated, carefully wash your tattoo with a moist towel and antibacterial soap without fragrance.

Step 2: Let The Tattoo Dry

After washing the tattoo, wipe it dry with a dry cotton or paper towel. Avoid rubbing your tattoo dry, as this might damage the scabs that are forming as part of the natural healing process. Additionally, rubbing might result in towel fibers becoming embedded in the tattoo. That removal procedure is not enjoyable. When drying your tattoo, exercise extreme caution.

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Step 3: Utilize Lotion On The Tattoo

Put a light coating of colorless, odorless lotion on the tattoo. The amount of lotion you apply should quickly spread into your tattoo and not leave any excess. Your pores may clog if you use too much lotion. Your tattoo may get irritated or even infected as a result of this.

Even after using moisturizer, your tattoo can continue to feel dry, scratchy, and potentially painful. It could also start to peel and flake. This is common. You should avoid removing any of the tattoo’s flaking edges. They will naturally fall off as your tattoo recovers.

How Can I Clean My Tattoo?

After removing the bandage, you should first wash your tattoo. Make sure to clean your tattoo with a bar of gentle antibacterial soap. Newly-inked tattoos need to be washed three times every day, as was previously stated. Here are some cleaning instructions for the tattoo:

• Clean your hands thoroughly.
• Apply foam cleanser or soap made with natural ingredients to the freshly tattooed region; after that, use clean hands.
• After that, carefully apply soap or cleaner to the tattoo and the surrounding region.
• Use a fresh paper towel to wipe the cleaner away from the area gently.
• Dry the area by patting it (do not rub at all)
• Apply the lotion or ointment after some time has passed.

What Dangers Are Associated With Over-Moisturizing A Tattoo?

Applying thicker layers of lotion or ointment multiple times a day (or every hour or two, as some people do) risks over-moisturizing a tattoo. You can harm a tattoo by over-moisturizing it by doing any of the following:

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• The tattoo won’t be able to dry out and heal because of too much moisture.
• An atmosphere with too much moisture might be ideal for the growth of bacteria and germs.
• Over-moisturizing can cause infection and inflammation in tattoos.
• Since the moisturizer keeps the skin from breathing, excessive moisture might result in closed pores.
• The skin with tattoos may get inflamed if there is too much moisture.

Make sure to adhere to the previously suggested moisturizing guidelines to avoid such issues. However, don’t forget to moisturize your tattoo as well.

Some people avoid hydrating their tattoo because they are worried they might over-moisturize it, which causes heavy scabbing. Apply lotion or ointment twice daily in a thin layer, and remain in the middle of the spectrum.

What Is Dry Healing Of Tattoos?

A specific group of tattoo enthusiasts supports the dry tattoo healing method. This entails leaving your tattoo to air dry and using no lotion at all. Among the most terrible ways for a tattoo to heal is in this fashion, yet many tattoo purists swear by it since they believe the final (healing process) result is of the highest quality.

It would be best if you still cleaned your tattoo before Dry Healing. This is accomplished in the same manner as previously stated. Using a fresh towel and unscented, antibacterial soap.

Your tattoo will most certainly burn, itch, and maybe even hurt while you dry-heal it. If you choose to air dry it, you’ll have to resist the impulse to itch your tattoo. It will also itch.

Some tattoo artists prefer air drying since many lotions have additional minerals and vitamins that are helpful for skin health but bad for a wound that is healing. When these active lotion chemicals come into contact with a brand-new tattoo, they may result in an infection, tattoo warping, or both.

The chance of your tattoo becoming irritated, infected, or warped is entirely eliminated with dry healing. Considering that the lotion element is altogether eliminated.

It is crucial to remember that if you are careful about the lotion you use on your tattoo, you won’t have to be concerned about it becoming infected or warping. The most acceptable advice comes from professionals, so ask your tattooist what they recommend for tattoo recovery.

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How Frequently Should I Apply Lotion To An Older Or Healed Tattoo?

You may believe that once your tattoo has healed, it no longer needs lotion to be put to it. However, this mindset is entirely false. Because the skin’s quality will always determine how nice it looks, you should keep your skin moisturized and nourished at all times to keep your tattoo looking as fresh as possible.

You may achieve this by using a nice, hydrating, moisturizing lotion on your tattoo once a day or every other day. By doing this, you contribute to the hydration, suppleness, and renewal of your skin. The colors of your tattoo will stay as deep and vibrant as possible if you have healthy, well-hydrated skin.

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Conclusion

The moisturizing camp and the dry healing camp both have advantages and disadvantages in the end. Ultimately, you have to make a decision. It would be best if you trusted your tattooist above all things since you’re allowing them to ink your body forever.

Find out their advice by asking. Ask any queries you might have about the best lotion brands and types to use. It’s conceivable that they’ll provide ointments explicitly designed for tattoos. Ask them questions regarding dry healing and then adhere to their advice.