Looking closer, I saw that the shoe-polish-style tins actually contained Rocco’s Old School Tattoo Healing Balm! I was delighted to find such a useful product in such a tempting position in the store. This just reinforced my feeling that tattoos are becoming so popular that the products one uses to help heal them aren’t just a niche item any more.

I’ve never used this product and I have no link to the manufacturers. I was just happy to see a tattoo product right out where people could grab it on their way through the Walgreens checkout. I need to go back in there one of these days and see what other tattoo related products I can find.  I’ve already mentioned that Burt’s Bees Hand Salve contains almost the same ingredients as Tattoo Goo–maybe the Tattoo Goo is there on the shelf as well.

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One of my Twitter friends (someone I have met offline as well) is thinking about getting a tattoo.   Naturally, I leaped at the opportunity to plug this blog.   (I’ve also handed out a few of my new spiffy MOO MiniCards this past week–yes, I’d love to have more readers).   My friend asked me about whether aloe is used in tattoos, since he’s allergic to it.

Which gives me the perfect opportunity to talk about skin care and tattoos.   I’ve talked about this in the past (see the sidebar on the right? Scroll down to the Tags section and click on “aftercare” or “skin care”) but it’s always a subject for discussion because once you’re multicolored you have to take better care of your skin if you don’t want your

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investment to fade or flake away.   Today I’m going to talk about natural (and more-natural) remedies.

Aloe vera juice is a favorite natural skin-problem remedy for many people.   I’ve had aloe vera plants for many years, starting when my kids got diaper rash.   Using it is simple–you just clip off a segment of leaf, squeeze it gently to press out the juice, and apply it to your skin.   It’s a clear gel that smooths on easily and protects your skin for quite a while.   If you don’t have plants, you can buy aloe vera juice products in most of the places where you’d buy other skin care products, but read the ingredients carefully so you don’t get a bunch of extra chemicals you don’t want.   Some of the aloe vera products sold in stores are designed to soothe sunburn and contain a mild topical anaesthetic.   You may not want to apply this to newly tattooed skin.   The idea is to keep as many possible irritants off the tattoo until it’s well healed.   After it’s healed it’s not so critical.

It’s also a good idea to keep the skin protected and moisturized during and after the healing process.   A lot of tattoo artists warn against applying petroleum products to the tattoo as it heals–but I’ve seen some of those people turn right around and recommend A&D Ointment, which is petroleum based.   Go figure.   Petroleum jelly (Vaseline) is not a moisturizer, per se, but once you’ve got the skin well hydrated it helps keep the moisture inside.   Judging by how many “don’t use petroleum products” warnings I’ve seen, I would not advise putting Vaseline on a new tattoo, but once the healing is complete, you could put a very thin layer on after you bathe.   The down side to that, of course, is that petroleum jelly forms a coating on the skin rather than sinking into it and you may end up getting it on your clothes or on your bed.

As for commercial skin care products, there are zillions of them out there.   Today I’m only going to talk about the ones I have personally used and liked.   I am not a fan of putting layers of glop on my skin, tattooed or not, so I look for products that are light, contain as few noxious chemicals as possible, and are not tested on animals.

Burt’s Bees has several really good skin care formulas.   I have mentioned their Hand Salve before, because it contains almost the same ingredients as some of the products designed specifically for use on tattoos, and is more readily available.   It’s light, not greasy, and has what is to me a pleasant scent.   I know some people are sensitive to scents, though, and this one does have eucalyptus oil in it, so you might want to see if you can sniff it before you buy it.

LUSH Cosmetics has stores all over the world and a mail order catalog.   Their products use natural ingredients and are processed in small batches, and each comes with a “best used by” date.   A little LUSH goes a long way, too.   If you’re anywhere close to one of their retail outlets I recommend going in and talking to their super helpful salespeople, who will happily give you a generous sample of anything you’d like to try.   I’ve tried their skin creams, shampoo, soap, and powder and have liked them all.   One caveat:   These products tend to be strongly scented, although the scents do fade after application.   If you’re not sure, definitely get a sample and see how it “wears” for a few hours before you buy.

Avalon Organics and Kiss My Face, which you can find in health food stores and in chains like Whole Foods, also make skin care products with natural ingredients, and their formulas are designed to be kind to skin.   I currently use a lavender-citrus skin lotion from Kiss My Face, and lavender-citrus face wash and toner from Avalon.   I happen to like that combination of scents, but once again, it’d be a good idea to sniff before you buy.

I have no recommendations for more natural sunscreen products and I’d sure like to find one.   Do any of you have any experience with those that you’d like to share?

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All of which got me to thinking about how one cares for tattoos in hot weather and abundant sunshine. Since I don’t have any new ink and I don’t spend a lot of time in the sun (I am a melanoma survivor) I don’t have to do much out of the ordinary. But for those of you who are in different situations, here are some suggestions.

If your ink is new and is in an area usually covered by clothing, be sure to wear lightweight fabric and loosely fitting clothes. Find some clothes at the thrift store that have a fairly busy pattern so that any weeping ink or stains won’t be so noticeable–and that you won’t mind discarding and replacing if need be. If your ink is new and it’s usually visible, do your best to stay out of the sun till it heals. The chemicals in sunscreen are not good for injured skin.

If you sweat on newly inked skin, it will sting.   You might want to keep some soft cotton handkerchiefs on hand to blot away sweat without hurting your ink.   Once again, the thrift store is a great place to look, and you can just toss the handkerchiefs when you no longer need them.

Sun has been known to fade the colors in tattoos (red is especially susceptible) and to make the ink change color (most noticeably, some black ink turns a murky dark blue or dark green). Once your tat has healed, obviously it’s important to protect it from the sun. Make sure you wear sunscreen and keep the ink out of direct sunlight as much as possible. If you go swimming, you need to be aware of the power of sunlight reflected off the water as well. The worst sunburn I ever got was when I thought I was safe because I was in the water.

What happens when tattooed skin gets sunburned? You need to be extra careful not to pick at it if it starts to peel, and you need to be extra careful not to let it get burned again. You paid a lot of money and put a lot of creativity into your ink, and it would be a shame to have it turn into a murky mess because you didn’t take simple precautions.

Do you have a sun-vs-ink tale to tell? Let me know.
photo credit: island home

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How do I get a good tattoo?

It’s not a simple or instant process, so don’t go thinking you can just walk into the nearest shop and come out with something fantastic. You’ll need to do research. Go to as many tattoo parlors as you can and look carefully at the artists’ portfolios. Never mind the flash on the walls. Concentrate on what the artist puts out as examples of his or her work. Also, when you’re out and about, if you see someone with tattoos that appeal to you, don’t be shy. Most multicolored people are delighted to hear you like their artwork. Ask where they got it. Carry something you can write on so you can make a note of where to look.

How much does it cost?

This is something each artist determines for him/herself. Most charge by the hour, and many have a one hour minimum. You should get an estimate from the artist when you discuss your design. The final price may or not be the same as the estimate, but it should give you an idea of what to expect. And be sure to bring extra money to tip the artist. Good work should be rewarded.

Can’t I just find something on the wall in the tattoo parlor I like and go with that?

Absolutely, if what you want is something that’s on the tattoo parlor wall.

What do I need to do to prepare to get tattooed?

Bathe or shower that morning. Wear clothing that you can adjust or remove without flashing the neighborhood. Eat a light meal shortly before your appointment but don’t stuff yourself. Don’t drink a lot of water or soda, because you don’t want to interrupt the artist repeatedly to go to the bathroom. Do not, under any circumstances, get drunk. If you’re nervous, have a good friend or family member go with you for support.

What do I do after I get tattooed?

Besides pay the artist and tip him or her, you mean? Be sure your artist gives you aftercare instructions. Don’t let him/her put plastic wrap over your new ink. You may want to keep the bandage on overnight so you don’t stick to your bedsheets. Wash your tattoo according to the instructions and keep it moisturized with the product your artist recommends, or with Burt’s Bees Hand Salve, which contains just about the same ingredients as proprietary after-tat products and is much more widely available. Do not pick the scabs off, do not scratch no matter how much it itches (and it will) and don’t be in a hurry to get out in the sun. Healing takes time and your body is unique, so don’t go by someone else’s timetable.

And the #1 frequently asked question: Does it hurt?

You betcha. But getting it removed hurts worse. So be very sure of what you want, where you want it, and whom you want to apply it before you start!

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The Art of Tattoo
National Geographic on the history of tattoos
British Tattoo History Museum
World Wide Tattoo Designs
About.com on plastic wrap
Alliance of Professional Tattoists: Advice for tattoo artist wannabees
Pat Fish, Celtic tattoo artist
Tattoo history sourcebook

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I had heard about a company called Lush from a good friend who has been ecstatically using their products for quite a while now. She has without a doubt the most beautiful hair I’ve ever seen–long, thick, curly and shining. She credits Lush’s shampoo for a lot of that.

When Ifirst heard about the company, it sounded great, but there were no stores within a convenient travel distance of where I live. The web site does a great job of describing the products, but I wanted to see them for myself before I took the plunge.

My daughter got ahead of me, though, and bought me some shampoo, soap, and hand and foot cream for Mother’s Day (and what a glorious present that was, too!) And now I can say that it’s well worth the effort to seek out a Lush store and check out what they’ve got.

I think their Helping Hands cream would do fine for tattoo aftercare. It’s not greasy, absorbs quickly and leaves a very light protective film on your skin. Lush is an international company (the link above is to the main page, where you can tell the web site where you live). It’s worth seeking out one of their stores, though, if there is one within a reasonable distance, because the staff there knows their products thoroughly and will be happy to give you a sample of anything in the store to try before you buy.

Have you tried Lush? What did you think of it?
photo credit: incurable_hippie

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While the simple passage of time alters tattoo ink (as anyone who’s seen an elderly man with a tattoo he
got decades ago while in the military can attest) sunlight can cause the brigher colors to fade faster than they otherwise would have. Red ink, which seems to be in a class by itself already, fades most noticeably.

I’ve been able to see this in my “swoosh” of seven stars over my collarbone, which is the tattoo that I most often display in public and which has gotten a lot more sun exposure than my others. The red stars have faded more noticeably than the others (although all of them show signs of fading, and I need to go get them touched up one of these days).

Wearing sunscreen over a new tattoo is advice nearly all of us get from the artist along with other aftercare instructions, but those of us who don’t automatically reach for the sunscreen when we’re going to be out in the sun for any length of time may slack off on using it after a while. Even a little bit of sun exposure adds up over time.

Now that summer weather is beginning (it sure is hot here in Los Angeles today!) we all need to start thinking about taking better care of our decorations. Wearing sunscreen is a good idea anyway, and while it won’t completely protect a tattoo from fading (there really isn’t any magic potion that will do that) it can help. And it can also help prevent skin cancer that might really damage your decorations.

Consumer Reports magazine posted a link to a web site called Skin Deep that offers a lot of useful advice about cosmetics in general and sunscreen in particular. That link will land you on a “splash page” that asks you to give them your email address, but if you look closely you will see a link that says “no thanks” and you can click on that to get access to the site without giving them any personal information.

Taking good care of your ink is good for the rest of your body, too.

photo credit: James Jordan

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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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On the plus side, those were designed by people who really know about tattoo aftercare, and they contain all-natural ingredients and are far less likely to cause any kind of skin problems. They are not greasy, and easy to apply to the skin. They have a pleasant scent and come in smaller containers that hold more than enough to care for one tattoo while it’s healing. You can find both salve for immediately-after care, and lotion for long-term application. You can buy the products from many tattoo artists so you can just pick up what you need before you leave the shop.

On the minus side, those products aren’t drugstore items and they are a little on the expensive side compared to more readily available products. Since they are made from fragrant herbs (such as lavender) the scent is noticeable and everyone’s preferences in scents are different so there’s no guarantee that any one individual will like the smell. (For the record, I happen to think they smell pleasant and have used both products with no problems.) The salves are not readily absorbed into the skin so it might get on your clothing (although it doesn’t stain).

But here’s a hint for anyone who wants to try those specialized products: The ingredients in Burt’s Bees Hand Salve are almost identical, and that product can be found in almost any drugstore these days. Burt’s Bees is also all-natural, smells pleasant and is easy to apply. So if you’re not sure you want to shell out for special tattoo aftercare, it might well be worth buying a tin of Burt’s Bees. I’ve also used that and it worked great on my ankle tattoo.

So in the end what you try is up to you. It helps if you do your research ahead of time so you’re not standing in line at the drugstore with your new tattoo weeping into its covering while you sniff bottles of this and that and try to figure out what chemicals are what.

The more you do before you sit in the chair, the happier you’ll be afterwards!

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So you need to keep the healing epidermis moisturized so that your new ink doesn’t peel off along with the skin. (When the skin peels off it may look like the color is going with it, but it’s nothing to be alarmed about.)

What to use to keep the skin moist is a matter of debate. Some artists suggest using some kind of antibacterial ointment. However, most of those are petroleum based and will not only keep your skin from breathing, but might well contribute to future sensitivities. In general, one should avoid antibacterials–you run the risk of irritating your skin with the chemicals, plus any bacteria on your skin may develop resistance to the medication and cause way more trouble in the future. If you’re worried about germs, washing gently with regular soap and water should do the job. Just don’t scrub your skin–in fact, don’t even use a washcloth, just your hand. Rinse it off under gently running warm water and pat (don’t rub) dry with a clean towel. Put the towel in the wash afterwards, because it may well have ink on it.

Some artists advise using a specific brand of lotion on your skin. If the artist’s clients have had good luck with that brand, there’s generally no harm in using it, but be aware that lotions contain all kinds of possibly-sensitizing ingredients as well. And even a brand that you’ve used successfully on your hands before (for regular dry skin) might cause a different reaction when put on injured skin because more of it would be absorbed into the bloodstream. However, the tattoo artists who recommend a particular brand generally have a lot of client experience to base their recommendations on, so that brand should generally be safe.

And then there are the proprietary after-tattoo products like Black Cat and Tattoo Goo. I’ll talk a bit more about those in the next installment.

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