what to expect: tattoo aftercare

before i start, this is your sign to go get a tatt ✨ the idea is to book first and think of a design later HAHA. okay i’m joking (maybe). but are some aftercare tips and tricks i’ve learnt after getting a few tatts myself. also s/o to @honestbobtattoos for the olive branch such a nice guy and makes a great conversationalist.

as a disclaimer, i’m not a professional/ expert in any way, i am just relaying my experiences to help anyone that wants to get a tattoo to have a better idea!!!

1️⃣ what is second skin:

basically it’s the clear plaster the stick over the tattoo to make sure it’s infection free and so that the nasty ink and plasma from your tattoo doesn’t get on your clothes straight after the tattoo is done. yes some swelling and redness is to be expected. yes it’s perfectly normal to have an “ink sac” and tbh i find it both straight up nasty and oddly fascinating- poking it (don’t learn from me pls minimise touching your tattoo even with the second skin) is always a highlight of my “aftercare”.

2️⃣ how long do i keep the second skin on for:

usually tattoo artist will advise how long to keep on the second skin: in my experience, i’ve ever heard someone tell me that i could rip it off the moment i got home… but (speaking from experience) i wouldn’t recommend that because i think it messed up the healing process for me but anyways… i would recommend keeping it on for about 24 hrs, up to 2 days! and when you take it off, pls don’t rip it off dry cus the adhesive is mega strong so do it when you’re in the shower and do it SLOWLY. been there done that… felt like i was waxing myself…

3️⃣ how are the first 3 weeks post tattoo like:

mine were relatively uneventful, just the normal itching you would expect from healing from a normal open cut (which is exactly what a tattoo is). it scabs sometimes and starts peeling somewhere along the line but DONT. SCRATCH. DONT. PEEL. must resist, if not you’ll be risking breaks in the ink and you have to go for touch up (which may or may not be free depending on which artist you approach). for my first tatt they gave me anti itch cream but i found out that caking on aloe vera gel works just as well- super hydrating and amazing for the healing process (judging from the tatts i think it makes a diff!) - 2 birds with one stone!

⭐️ bonus: was it painful on the ribs??

wah this question i get a lot and is subjective to 1. your pain tolerance and 2. your build ie distance between needle and bone. for me i thought it was ok like 6/10- there are sensitive areas but for the most part it just feels like someone is using their fingernails and dragging it on your skin. not the most comfortable but not crying shaking dying kind of bad!

ok thanks for reading hope it helps bye! #tattoo #tattoodesign #dontbesad #aftercare