How to take care of your tattoo?

It is important to take care of your tattoo to keep all its shine for many years. Here are my tips for taking good care of your tattoo.

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Tattoos are very trendy at the moment, moreover, among the younger generations, almost half of the people have been tattooed. Whether it's a small tattoo or a bigger tattoo. There are trends of course, the fingers are becoming more and more tattooed with small symbols. But a tattoo deserves your full attention to keep its shine.

Here are my tips for taking good care of your tattoo, in all circumstances.

What to do before getting a tattoo

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Pay attention to your skin before getting a tattoo

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In any case, before getting a tattoo, take good care of your skin the days before. So, do not go out in direct sunlight at the risk of getting a sunburn. Similarly, do not do aggressive care for the skin, which may weaken it. Thus, it is not recommended to exfoliate the skin the day before your tattoo session. Although it may seem like a good idea, to have perfectly clear skin without dead cells.

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Moisturize your skin well before getting a tattoo

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In the days preceding the tattoo, remember to keep your skin well hydrated. Well hydrated skin is indeed skin that recovers very quickly. This will be important for the healing period.

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When the day comes to get a tattoo, remember to wear loose, loose clothing, preferably cotton. This will limit the friction of the garment with your newly tattooed skin (and thus damage the dressing or the protective film of your tattoo). And don't take aspirin or any other medication that has the effect of thinning the blood !

Take care of your tattoo while it heals

It is important to take good care of your new tattoo as soon as it is finished for two reasons :

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• the first so that the healing takes place in the best conditions, so that your tattoo heals quickly.

• but also so that your tattoo keeps its color well.

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Also, in the hours following the exit from the tattoo artist :

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The bandage to take care of your tattoo

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Keep the dressing (or film) put on by your tattoo artist for at least a few hours before gently removing it. Normally it is advisable to keep it for about 6 hours, ask your tattoo artist for advice. This protection aims to prevent any external aggression to your skin, such as bacteria, pollution, fine particles, etc. Indeed, when you leave the tattoo artist, your tattooed skin is actually a wound.

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Rinse with water to take care of your tattoo

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Rinse the newly tattooed skin with lukewarm water. To wash gently and without hurting yourself, just wash with a trickle of water, letting the water slide over the tattoo (don't rub it). Once your skin has been washed, dry gently by patting the skin with a clean towel, or even with a compress. This step will allow you to rinse off, in particular, small traces of blood.

Finally, leave your newly tattooed skin exposed to the skin to heal naturally.

Manage scarring well to take care of the tattoo

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In general, the final healing occurs after an average of two weeks. This of course depends on the ability of your skin to heal, its speed. During this phase of healing, you will notice the formation of small scabs, it is a natural process linked to the healing of the skin. Don't worry, leave them even if they itch. Don't bother removing them as it may damage your tattoo and you risk creating holes in the tattoo.

You should know that in the days following the creation of your tattoo, it is possible to observe an inflammatory reaction on the tattooed skin. This reaction can be characterized in the form of redness or swelling. But don't worry, these inflammatory reactions will disappear in less than a week. If the inflammatory reaction persists, do not hesitate to consult your doctor or pharmacy.

In any case, during the healing phase, and even up to 15 days after the creation of your tattoo, it is not recommended to leave your tattoo in contact with water. Thus, it will be necessary to avoid any bath at home and any bathing.

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Take care of your tattoo with the sun

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Tattoos and the sun don't mix ! And all the more so if you have a tattoo that features certain colors. Indeed, the sun can have several consequences on your tattoo :

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• not only can it interfere with the healing of tattoos

• but the sun can also cause post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation which will generate dark and unsightly spots on the skin.

• the sun can finally attenuate certain colors. It would be a shame to lose the luster of your tattoo due to sun exposure.

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Moreover, you should know that seawater and the chlorine present in swimming pool water can also delay healing. This is the reason why it is not advisable to get a skin tattoo before the summer.

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In any case, the general rule for taking care of your tattoo with the sun is the following :

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Cover the skin to take care of his tattoo

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If you have just made your tattoo and the skin is not yet healed, it is not advisable to expose your tattoo to the sun. It will then be advisable to wear clothing to cover your tattoo or to apply a bandage, if the tattooed area allows it of course. Do not just apply a scarf for example to protect it, especially if you have your tattoo done on your arm or shoulders : the scarf will be too thin and will allow UV filters to pass through.

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Sunscreen to take care of your tattoo

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If you have a tattoo that is more than 8 weeks old, i.e. as soon as the skin is healed, all you have to do is apply a sunscreen product with a maximum protection factor, i.e. 50, on your tattoo. Like any sunscreen product, it will be applied approximately every 2 hours, and as soon as you get out of the water (seawater or swimming pool, even if the sunscreen product is considered water resistant).

Also, if you are athletic and you have made your tattoo on a part of the body exposed by your outfit (mainly arms, hands and legs), it will be necessary to cover the skin well just after making your tattoo. Or even stop your training so as not to disturb the healing of the tattoo with certain movements related to your sport.

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Take care of your tattoo on a daily basis

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The main wish when you have a tattoo is that it retains its shine as long as possible. This will be particularly the case if you have a tattoo with one or more colors. For this, there is a simple rule  to follow on a daily basis: that of hydrating your tattooed skin well. Indeed, if you moisturize your tattoo regularly, the rendering and its shine will be maintained much longer than if you do not. To do this, you have different possibilities :

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• or you use your classic moisturizer. Be careful not to use moisturizers that contain chemicals or petrochemicals. Also do not apply moisturizers that contain alcohol or perfume. Always favor natural products.

• either you use moisturizing creams specially created for tattooed skin.

In any case, as soon as you expose yourself to the sun, take care to apply high factor sun protection to your tattoo, even if you have tanned skin.

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Here is my selection of products to take care of your tattoo.