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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, October 27, 2008 6:47 pm

The other day, I saw a man with a rude, crude tattoo.  Not only was the design not up to junior high art class standards, it was a drawing of a hand making an obscene gesture usually referred to as flipping someone the bird.

I had to wonder why someone would mark himself permanently that way. I’m sure he thought it was a good idea at the time, but now he’s stuck with it, and does he really want to maintain that attitude forever?  I have no idea.  I certainly didn’t put myself at risk by asking.

Of course, I have wondered many times why people marked themselves the way they did.  Blurry ink lines, wretched art work, people’s names that later had to be crossed out or

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covered up, gang symbols, you name it. There’s artwork done by people who look like they could have flunked coloring in kindergarten, designs that leave the viewer wondering what on earth the wearer was thinking, and what the artist must have ingested before picking up the needle.

Don’t these people check the artists out?  Or do they just not care?

And it’s not just bad artwork that leaves me wondering, sometimes.  Some of the calligraphy on gang tattoos is outstanding–why waste talent like that on art that only serves to make its wearer a target for trouble?  Come to think of it, why is the lower-back tattoo called a tramp stamp?

We multicolored people each have our own ideas of what’s appropriate and what’s artistic.  Have you seen anything that made you think someone’s doing his or her best to give multicolored people a bad name?

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By infmom, March 5, 2008 11:55 am

It pretty much goes without saying that you’ll be a lot happier with your tattoo if you’ve done a bit of “homework” in advance. After you’ve decided on your artist, go visit the shop.

Don’t just look at the flash on the walls or the artist’s portfolio and walk out after picking a design. There are more important things to look at, believe it or not.

• Is the shop clean? Do the floors look like they’re washed, and is the furniture in good shape? What does the artist’s work area look like? Can you see debris lying around? What does the waiting area look like?
• Is smoking allowed in the shop? In some states smoking is prohibited in all places of business, but if your state isn’t among them, and there are smokers in the shop, you might be better off going somewhere else. Tobacco smoke puts all kinds of noxious chemicals and particulates into the air and it’s impossible to keep them from spreading throughout the whole interior. You don’t want that stuff being imbedded in your skin along with the ink.
• Are the inks dispensed into single-use containers that are discarded after each tattoo? Are the needles used on one person only, and discarded in a proper “sharps” container after use?
• Does the shop have proper sterilization equipment, especially an autoclave? No reputable tattoo artist will object if you ask about sanitary procedures.
• Is the tattoo equipment covered with plastic during the procedure and is that discarded afterwards? Blood is shed during tattooing, and you don’t want the artist using equipment that has been used unprotected on someone else.
• If possible, stick around long enough to see how the artist cleans up his or her work area after the tattoo is finished. All surfaces should be wiped down with disinfectant and all materials should be put away and ink cups discarded. An extra half hour watching the artist might save you a lifetime of grief afterwards.

If you’re sure you’re in good shape and the shop is clean, you’ve taken the most important steps toward getting a safe tattoo. But sometimes, things happen that you can’t prepare for. I’ll talk about those in the next posts.

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By infmom, December 28, 2007 12:49 pm

When I got my most recent tattoo, I certainly didn’t expect it to be the last one I ever got. However, the healing process was unusually slow, and it’s only now (more than two years after the fact) that the swelling and itching under the red ink has finally subsided.

I had pretty much made up my mind that it would be a bad idea to get more ink, since I had (and have) no way of knowing what exactly I reacted to. And that was dismaying. Because tattoos are addictive. (The photo at left shows my dragon, which also remained itchy under the red parts for quite a while after application).

But since it seems that I do evetually heal, I’m thinking about getting a visible tattoo this time around. My other three are usually concealed by my clothes. I’m proud of being a multicolored person and I’d like to show off my ink on a more regular basis, but really, the only practical way to do that is to get another tattoo.

To show or not to show?

I’m considering a sleeve, an armband or a bracelet. My daughter has an armband that she designed herself, and I’ve always admired it. I wouldn’t get something quite as elaborate as hers (which includes a picture of her great-grandmother’s totem animal, the red-tailed hawk) but I would definitely have a talented artist design it (and, of course, pay her for her skills). That would be a reasonable compromise between visibility, size, and price.

But on the other hand, the idea of a bracelet appeals to me too. I never wore “real” bracelets much till fairly recently, but now I find myself picking one out nearly every day. Would I do as well with a permanent one? The older I get, the fewer real constraints there are on visible ink placement, and a bracelet would certainly be visible.

I suppose I’ll have to come up with a design with no red ink in it, just to be safe. Oh, and find a local artist. That’s going to be the fun part.

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By infmom, November 23, 2007 12:03 pm

I know, I know, this is old news. But it seems important during this “holiday shopping season” to mention the “act in haste, repent at leisure” problem in tattoo art. Using a few brain cells while picking your design is vitally important!
This guy made the news recently, with a series of Zune-logo tattoos. It made me wonder how a person who got, say, a Commodore logo tattooed on him/herself 25 years ago would feel about it today.

I don’t think the “here today, gone tomorrow” principle applies to any field of endeavor more than it does to trendy consumer electronics. Well, maybe trendy pop stars come in a close second (anyone for a Shaun Cassidy tattoo?)

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By infmom, August 10, 2007 8:09 pm

Today I’m going to talk about a somewhat different approach to tattoos that honor one’s spiritual beliefs.

A lot of people want designs that represent some aspect of their religion or spirituality. From crosses and Stars of David, to
pentagrams and crescent moons, to stylized representations of all kinds of deities, it’s often important to have a symbol of something that plays a major role in one’s life.

But there’s nothing that says one has to settle for the same-old-same-old in this area. I know that religious beliefs are kind of a touchy subject, so I’m going to try to take a somewhat general approach to this.

There are fairly common symbols of most major religions, like the Christian cross or the Jewish Star of David or the Muslim crescent. Many people find those symbols to be profound representations of their beliefs and that’s all they want or need when it comes to picking a design. But almost all world religions have ancient roots, and perhaps it would be better to look at designs that are less common but still profoundly representative.

Great art on canvas, great art on skin

Start by looking in books about religious art. There are wonderful pictures and designs from illuminated manuscripts from the past. There are photos of temples, churches, and mosques with glorious artwork incorporated into their interiors and exteriors, any of which could be adapted into a tattoo design. How about something from the Book of Kells? Here is a link to a site that will sell you the whole thing on DVD, and you can browse the text and illuminations to your heart’s content.

Or, how about some of the glorious Islamic decorations from the Taj Mahal? Most of us have only seen the standard pictures from a distance that show the entire building, but when one looks closer, one can truly appreciate the brilliance of the artists who created it.

Likewise, the Torah has been illuminated by countless artists and can be a rich source of inspiration. Here is a link to a modern illuminated Torah that should be a great source for unique religious designs.

Architectural inspiration

And of course that’s only the beginning. Try to think of buildings, art, and other representations of your beliefs that could be adapted for your design and I’m sure you’ll find a wide world full of inspiration.

One caution, though. If you find photos of other people with tattoos or painted designs, please, don’t copy those designs exactly. Those designs have personal and religious meaning to the person who wears them–think how you’d feel if someone who knew nothing about your religion copied something from your tradition for purely decorative purposes without knowing what it meant. Be as respectful to those people as you would wish them to be to you.

Which, come to think of it, is an appropriate way to think about spiritual design.

photo credit: mockstar
photo credit: Ya Susanne

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By infmom, June 23, 2007 11:10 am

OK, so now you’ve chosen your design, chosen your artist, gone through with the tattoo process and you’re home again and enough time has passed that you can peel off the bandage, wash your new ink and admire it.

Now what?

Well, as with any healing skin wound, it’s going to weep. It’s going to itch. And later on, it’s going to peel. All of which are good reasons to grit your teeth and vow to keep your cotton-pickin’ hands OFF it. Do not scratch, rub, or try to peel yourself. What it boils down to is that you’re going to have to leave that new ink strictly alone if you want it to last.

The problem is that a new tattoo (again, like any other skin wound) is going to form a scab of sorts. (Show me one person who survived childhood without ever wanting to pick off a scab.) Scabs, being far less flexible than the underlying skin, tend to pull at their borders and break in the middle. That may lead to further scab formation. The scabs that form are likely to be colored the same as the underlying ink and it’s all the more tempting to pick at them to get rid of them once and for all.

In a word: DON’T.

If you pick those scabs off before they fall off naturally, you run the very real risk of pulling the ink off with them. Your tattoo will end up with holes in it and will look terrible. Why go to all the trouble and expense to get inked if you’re going to pick the thing to pieces afterwards? Grit your teeth. Keep your mitts off.

Keep using whatever aftercare product you chose. They will usually keep the scabs reasonably soft and less irritating. Wash the area gently with warm water at least once a day and gently pat it dry. You could follow that up with something like Bactine Hurt-Free Antiseptic Wash, which kills germs and also contains a mild topical anaesthetic that may dull the itch and prickle of healing skin. Once that’s dry, reapply your chosen aftercare product with a gentle hand.

The length of time it takes a new tattoo to heal depends entirely on the individual. Some people have smooth, irritation-free skin in a week. For some people the process takes longer, sometimes much longer. And in some cases, which I’ll address more fully in a future post, the skin may never properly heal at all.

Stay out of the sun while your skin is healing, and if your new tattoo is someplace that is normally visible when you’re outside, be sure to apply sunscreen forever after lest the sun fade the ink. (Most ink does fade and sometimes change color over time, which I’ll also talk about in more detail later on.)

The healing process is like getting the tattoo in the first place–endure a little discomfort now, enjoy your ink for a lifetime afterwards.

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By infmom, February 11, 2007 1:31 pm

It’s always best, as the old saw goes, to begin at the beginning.

When it comes to getting a tattoo, though, there’s a lot more to be done than just sitting down in the chair and waiting to be decorated.

Which comes first, choosing the design or choosing the artist? Obviously, neither should be done on the spur of the moment or because all your friends are doing it. This seems like a no-brainer, but cyberspace is full of stories of people who ended up with ink that they really didn’t want. That’s why tattoo removal is such big business these days.

When I was 16 I wanted a green flower on the inside of my left ankle. So much so that I carefully re-drew it every day, for years. If I’d been able to go ahead and make it permanent at that time, you bet I would have. I’d undoubtedly view it as a cute exercise in nostalgia if it were there today, and I could always hide it under a sock or a pair of black nylons if I wanted to. (I have a much more elaborate tattoo in the same general area today and I’ve hidden it under dark nylons a time or two. You usually don’t want to go to a job interview displaying your art unless you’re going to work for an artist.)

I’d personally answer the artist-or-design question by saying “Pick the artist first.” You can get a really good idea of whether you want this person doing something permanent to your body by visiting the shop, making it clear to the receptionist that you’re in the market for a tattoo, but not today, and taking your time to look at the flash on the walls (if any) and the artist’s portfolio, which should be available. No portfolio? Uh… try another shop. You’re making a lifetime commitment to this body art and if the artist doesn’t want to show off his or her work, you don’t want to be the sacrificial lamb.

You should also pay attention to how the artist interacts with the people he or she is decorating, and the general ambience of the shop, and the customers. Now, I freely admit that when I got my first tattoo, I did it on the basis of having seen a newspaper article about the artist and having decided that I really liked his attitude. When I finally went into the shop, I looked a bit out of place–a 46-year-old mom amongst bikers, truckers, kids, and eager candidates for World’s Most Tattooed Person. But looks aren’t everything. The artist understood better than I did what I wanted, adapted my original idea, and gave me something way better than what I would have gotten if I’d been left to my own devices.

As for the design, ideally, you would have one of your own, one that’s meaningful to you, something unique. But that’s not always practical or necessary. Picking flash off the artist’s wall or out of his/her portfolio is certainly the path of least resistance. And certainly one can get a spectacular tattoo that way. Just do yourself a favor and don’t be getting the world’s ten billionth copy of the Tasmanian Devil or Yosemite Sam on your butt, OK? As in all fashion, timeless design is the key.

I’ll talk more about coming up with my own designs in future posts.

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