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By infmom, June 28, 2009 11:43 am

So, your new tattoo is finished, and you’ve looked at it in the mirror and you and the artist are both happy with it.   Now what?

It may help to remember that you’ve just created a wound in your skin.   It’s more attractive than falling down and skinning your knee, to be sure, but it’s still damage done to your epidermis by lots and lots of needle punctures, so you need to take care of it so that it will heal promptly and properly.

Do not let the artist slap plastic wrap over it.   This is the most essential thing to remember.   Your skin will be weeping fluid and ink and debris, and you do not want that stuff trapped next to the surface where it will provide prime real estate for germs.   Make sure you get a bandage or a large sterile gauze pad, and if possible, ask the artist to use paper tape to attach it to your skin.   Many people develop allergies to standard adhesive tape, and keeping it away from a fresh opening in your skin is a sensible precaution.

You will be tempted to peel off the bandaging as soon as possible so that you can look at your new ink, but don’t do it.   You will have plenty of time to look at it later, and you want it to heal properly so it will look good forever.   Many artists advise leaving the bandage on for several hours, then taking it off and washing the skin with a gentle soap or cleaner and warm water.   My own recommendation, based on my experiences, is that you want to leave the bandage on till the next morning.   Your skin will continue to weep overnight and you don’t want to get stuck to your sleeper or your sheets.

Once the bandage is off (you can soak it in warm water if it’s stuck) then wash the skin very, very gently.   Some people recommend liquid skin cleansers or body wash, but I’d go with soap that has the fewest extra ingredients in it.   You don’t want to cause any irritation at this point.   Pat the skin dry very, very gently with a soft towel.   Let it air dry for a few minutes after that.

Then, you will need to apply your artist’s protective coating of choice.   Many artists advise against using anything containing petroleum jelly (Vaseline).   Some artists take the alternate approach and advise using A&D Ointment.   Some recommend a particular brand of lotion.   Others call for tattoo-specific aftercare products like Tattoo Goo or Black Cat.   (Burt’s Bees Hand Salve contains almost the same ingredients as Tattoo Goo, and I’ve used that very successfully.)

Listen to your artist.   He or she has years of experience with the products he/she recommends.   Follow the artist’s instructions.   You are going to be applying some kind of protective coating to your skin for quite a while, so be sure that if your tattoo is under clothing, it’s clothing that won’t show stains.   I went to the thrift store and bought several lightweight, loose-fitting, front-buttoning blouses in highly patterned fabric before I got my back piece done.   They did not show ink stains and I could simply discard them when the healing process was complete.   This was important, because I had a job that involved meeting the public every day and I needed to look professional and still let my ink heal.

The tattoo will scab over (remember, it’s a wound in your skin).   All of us grew up picking scabs.   It’s a horrible temptation.   But don’t do it.   You just paid for all that lovely ink and you’ll be picking it right off.   Let the scabs flake off by themselves, difficult as it will be to keep your hands off.   The skin will itch as it heals.   Resist the urge to scratch.   I had some luck with slapping the itchy places lightly.   You may get some swelling and some places may be crustier or itchier than others.   (We all react to different ink colors differently.)   All of this is normal.   But if you are concerned about any of the healing process, talk with your artist.   He or she can give you plenty of practical suggestions.

Once the skin is healed, I’d recommend using a good quality lotion on it to keep the colors vibrant.   And always wear sunscreen when you go outside (good practice anyway, but it will help keep your colors from fading).   Show off your ink proudly.   You’re now part of the multicolored world!

Next time, I’ll talk about some uncommon reactions.

photo credit: XLShadow

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By infmom, June 17, 2009 12:34 pm

According to news reports, a young woman in Belgium is claiming she fell asleep while her face was being tattooed and woke up with a lot more than she bargained for.

Here is a link to the story on the BBC web site. You may not be able to see the video if you’re outside the UK.

You know what?   Her story is impossible.     Let’s talk about what goes on while you’re getting a tattoo, and you’ll see why.

Image via Wikipedia

First of all, your artist will wash the area where the tattoo is to be applied and will shave it if necessary.   Your chosen design will be applied either with a stencil or drawn freehand by the artist.   You’ll be asked to look at the design and approve of the way it looks.   If there are changes to be made, the artist will either make a new stencil, or, more likely, redraw the design freehand to meet your specifications.   You get to look at the changes and approve.

Once that’s done and you’re sure that what is on your skin temporarily is what you want to make permanent, the process of applying the tattoo begins.   You will sit or lie down in such a way that you and the artist are both comfortable.   Your chosen colors will be dispensed from large bottles into small disposable cups.   The artist will apply a bit of petroleum jelly to your skin, stretch the skin tight between his or her fingers, and start using the tattoo machine, which makes a buzzing noise while it’s in operation.   The ink is applied a little at a time, and the artist will wipe away ink residue as the design progresses and re-dip the needles into the color repeatedly.

This process hurts.   There is no getting around it.   Many people’s endorphins kick in after a little while and the pain becomes more bearable, but it does not stop hurting till the design is finished.   If the artist is working on an area that is already sensitive (like your face) or on an area close to the bone (ankle) it’s going to hurt more.   Having had stars tattooed over my collarbone and having had to sit still while my ankle was being tattooed twice, I simply can’t believe that anyone could possibly fall asleep while having anything tattooed on their face.   Vibration and pain are not conducive to sleep. (Nor, for that matter, is a reputable artist going to apply anything that wasn’t approved in advance.)

First, the artist will outline your design, following the lines of the stencil or the freehand drawing.   Usually the outline is done in black ink with fine needles.   This is most people’s introduction to the tattooing process and it might give a false impression of how painful the rest of it is going to be.     Many people (including me) say that the outline of a tattoo is the most painful part.   The artist is putting a lot of ink into a very small area and wants to keep going so that the outline is not too irregular.   It is OK if you need to ask to take a break while this is going on.   The tattoo looks pretty messy while the work is progressing because the artist will keep wiping residue off the work area and onto the surrounding skin.   Don’t worry about it, that will all get cleaned up.

After the outline is done, the artist will fill in the colors (if you have a colored design) or continue with the black ink.   Usually, larger needle clusters are used for this, and surprisingly, with more needles it hurts less.   Larger areas are filled in more quickly.   He or she will keep wiping away the excess and re-dipping the needles into the color until the design is finished.

Once it’s done, the artist will clean your skin once again to remove all residues, and to let you see your finished design.   The skin around your tattoo will be bright red.   This is normal.   Your tattoo might be oozing or bleeding just a little bit.   This is also normal.   You have just had your epidermis wounded and your body isn’t happy about it.   If there are any adjustments you want the artist to make, you’ll sit or lie back down and have that done.   Once you’re happy with what you’ve gotten, the artist will probably apply some kind of protective ointment and then put a bandage over the tattoo.   Some artists still use plastic wrap as a covering–please, don’t agree to this. Here is a previous post talking about bandages and plastic wrap and linking to a good article about why plastic is a very bad idea.

And that’s it, your first tattoo.   Not something you would or could sleep through, believe me.     In the next post I will take up the issue of aftercare.

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By infmom, June 11, 2009 11:59 am

Image by cjour via Flickr

Don’t you just hate people who say you have to begin at the beginning?  

In the matter of getting a tattoo for the first time, though, you’ll be much happier with the results if you know where the real beginning of the process lies.   A lot of people get an idea of what they want and where they want it, and then find a design that’s acceptable and tell the artist to go ahead.   That works, but it’s not the best approach.   Here is what I would recommend, based on my own experience.

1. Take your time.   Unless the best or only artist in town is closing up shop next week, there is no screaming hurry to go get inked.   You’re doing something that will last for years–do you want to make your decisions in minutes?
2. This may seem obvious, but think about what you want–and why you want it.   Does that butterfly or rose or dagger have deep personal meaning to you?   Is it something that is so important that you want it on your body for the rest of your life?   Or is it something that you just think is decorative right now this minute?   Why not take some time to think of what is meaningful to you and find a design that symbolizes that?   This goes along with taking your time.   You want a design that represents something that is uniquely you.   If your’e just getting a tattoo because someone told you you shouldn’t or couldn’t–this is not a time to prove how independent you are.     Let them talk.   You can outwait them.
3. Visit your artist and look at his/her portfolio.   Look at the kinds of custom designs that are available in addition to the flash on the walls.   If there’s more than one artist available, visit all of them.   If your friends have tattoos, talk about the artists with them.   Once you have decided which artist you want, you can visit the shop and discuss prices, but do not haggle.   There is a time for the culture of the marketplace, but getting uniquely created permanent art is not one of those times.
4. Get some clothing that will allow the art work to be done without flashing everything you’ve got to everyone in the shop.   If possible, buy it at the thrift store, so you won’t be worrying about damage or stains.   As an example, when I got my back piece done, I bought an opaque tube bra so I could remove my shirt completely and still be decently covered up while the artist worked over my shoulder blade.
5. Find out what products your artist recommends for aftercare.   Buy that ahead of time.   Some artists recommend antibacterial lotion or ointment, some just use regular hand or body lotion, some recommend specialized products like Tattoo Goo or Black Cat.   Many artists warn people not to put products based on petroleum jelly on new ink.   Be sure to read the ingredients on the item you plan to buy.   (I have found that Burt’s Bees Hand Salve has almost the same ingredients as Tattoo Goo and is a lot more widely available.)
6. Get an idea of how long the artist thinks your tattoo will take to apply, and allow extra time just in case.   You do not want to be anxiously watching the clock or trying to hurry up the process because you have to be somewhere else.   And of course you want to be sure you show up for your appointment on time or even a little early.   This is simple courtesy to the artist and it will make things better for all concerned.
7. Be sure to have money to tip the artist.   This too is common courtesy.   Good tattoo artists deserve to be supported.

OK?   Next time I will talk about the actual process of getting inked.

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By infmom, June 8, 2009 11:54 am

Not everyone waits 30 years to get their first tattoo like I did.  

Of course, my circumstances weren’t like many other people’s.   For one thing, I first decided I wanted to get a tattoo when I was 16 years old and living in a small town that barely had a grocery store, much less a tattoo parlor.   And it was 1967, a year in which no respectable 16-year-old would want a tattoo to begin with.   Or so I was led to believe.

I made do by drawing on my skin with a pen.   Behind my ankle, where it was much less likely to be seen by the eagle-eyed dress-code enforcers of the day.   (School dress codes, draconian and arbitrary, were something everyone had to deal with in those days.)   As time went on, I quit doing that, but the idea of getting a real tattoo never left.

Naturally, I had a lot of time to decide exactly what it was I wanted, but even so, I didn’t really think about an actual design.   All I knew was that I wanted seven small multicolored stars.   (It has personal meaning to me, too complex to explain.)   Fortunately, by the time I’d gotten together the money and the courage, I picked an artist who transformed my original barebones idea into something unique.

But although I’d read up on tattoos as best I could, there were still plenty of things I did not know in advance.   I didn’t know about ink sticking to everything, or about proper aftercare (my artist, good as he was, didn’t really tell me anything).   I didn’t realize that it would be a good idea to get some clothes that would be suitable for hiding weeping ink.   And I had no idea how long it would take the tattoo to heal.

I should have done my best to look all that up ahead of time.   But I sure wasn’t alone.   Several of my co-workers came to me for advice before or shortly after getting that first tattoo.   I don’t claim to be an expert, but at least I know how this tattoo process works, by now.  

I know I’ve gone over this subject before, but I’m going to update those articles this week with what I’ve learned in the last couple years, so stay tuned for more on the subject.

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