How Long Do You Have To Cover A Tattoo?
Julia
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Day 1 – You’ll come home from the tattoo studio with a bandage or plastic wrap over your tattoo. After a few hours, you can remove it. You should ask your artist for specifics about how long to wait. Recommendations will vary and may be based on the type and size of your tattoo.
- Some tattoo artists suggest that you only keep your tattoo covered for 1 or 2 hours;
- Once the covering comes off, you’ll probably notice fluid oozing from the tattoo;
- This is blood, plasma (the clear part of blood), and some extra ink;
It’s normal. Your skin will also be red and sore. It might feel slightly warm to the touch. With clean hands, wash the tattoo with warm water and a fragrance-free soap. Apply a fragrance-free and alcohol-free moisturizer. Leave the covering off so the tattoo can heal.
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How long should you wrap a tattoo?
How Long To Keep Tattoo Covered In Cling Film – When you receive a tattoo it is usually covered by cling film in order to prevent infection and reduce bleeding. Most artists recommend wrapping tattoos for between one and three days but there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to how long to keep the wrap on tattoos before they are exposed.
Generally, tattoo artists suggest that after the tattoo has been wrapped in cling film it is essential that you do not remove the bandage or expose your tattoo to direct sunlight for at least 24 hours.
One of the biggest factors involved when deciding how long a tattoo will need to remain wrapped in cling film concerns the area on which the design was created. Generally speaking, tattoos that cover larger areas will require more time to heal than those covering smaller areas.
- Another important factor to consider is the age and general condition of the individual;
- Overall, young people heal faster than adults;
- People who are generally in good health recover from tattoos more quickly than those with a weakened immune system;
If you have a tattoo done at a parlour or professional studio, it can be helpful to inquire as to their wrapping policies. A parlor or artist should inform their clients for how long they should keep the bandages on after tattooing. In getting a tattoo done, it is important to make sure that you follow instructions from your parlor or artist, because they know the right time to take off the tattoo wrap – and don’t forget to thank them properly ! There may be particular factors that lead them to wrap tattoos for longer periods of time than usual.
- Make sure that your tattoo is wrapped securely in cling film. This helps prevent seepage as well as keeping the area moist as it heals;
- Keep one hand clean and use this hand when unwrapping your bandages so that you do not re-contaminate the tattoo;
- Follow aftercare instructions provided by your parlour or artist. If you are unsure about anything, ask questions;
- Do not ever soak your tattoo unless specifically advised to do so by a professional;
- Do not expose your tattoo to direct sunlight for the first few days after it has been wrapped in cling film, even if some time has elapsed since the bandage was removed.
Should I Cover my New Tattoo?
Tattoo: To Wrap or Not to Wrap? – Wrapping your tattoo in cling film or plastic wrap is believed to have developed from the ’60s and ’70s Biker gatherings. Freshly tattooed Bikers were brazenly ripping off their bandages repeatedly, showing off their new tattoos, blood and ink oozing everywhere.
- The “cling film” legend goes like this: one of those bike enthusiasts decided to wrap his new tattoo in see-through plastic, so he could show all his mates without taking off its cover;
- It worked;
- His mates could now see his new tattoo, and he didn’t flick blood and ooze around;
(This was at a time and age where concerns and knowledge about blood-borne viruses such as HIV and hepatitis were uncommon. ) Whether this journey back into Biker history has any merit, the message itself does: You need to protect your freshly inked tattoo from external infections for best results. The real questions are:
- What should you wrap your new tattoo with?
- When should you wrap your new tattoo?
- How long you wrap your new tattoo for?
A critical step for a naturally healing tattoo is air-drying it out. Only expose your fresh tattoo to a clean environment like your bathroom rather than the garage. Once the top layer of a tattoo has dried out and flaked off, it will reveal your tattoo underneath.
How long does it take for a tattoo to heal?
Aftercare – Once you’ve removed the bandage from your tattoo, it’s time to get to work. For the next 10 to 14 days, you’ll need to wash your tattoo multiple times each day, spread a thin layer of healing ointment on the tattoo and keep it out of the sun.
Should you keep your tattoo out of the Sun?
How to Protect Your Tattoo From the Sun – @ girlknewyork Wear sunscreen: Sunblock is the number one form of protection for your tattoo. Applying sunblock will help prevent skin cancer, wrinkles, blotchy complexions, and other skin-caused damage. Any sunblock is better than no sunblock when it comes to preparing your ink for the sun, but most artists will suggest using a fragrance-free sunscreen with 30-50 SPF (try to stick to natural ingredients if possible, too).
Whatever sunscreen you would normally use without a tattoo is fine — whether chemical or physical. According to Nussbaum, SPF is a critical part of protecting your tattoo against UV rays. “The most important thing when choosing a sunscreen is to make sure it is broad-spectrum, meaning it protects against both UVA, which penetrates deeper than UVB rays, causing free radical damage, and UVB rays, which damage the cell’s DNA and burn the skin,” she says.
“Sunburns and chronic UV exposure can damage the appearance of tattoos over time and lead to fading, wrinkles, and dullness/dryness. ” Nussbaum also says it’s safe to put sunscreen on a healed tattoo, but fresh ink will need to heal first (instead, cover it with a bandage or loose clothing).
Be sure to reapply your sunblock every two hours to ensure a continuous and solid layer of protection. Cover up: If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of reapplying sunscreen , the second-best option for sun protection is to ultimately keep your new ink out of the sun.
At the very least, make sure not to expose a new tattoo to direct sunlight for the first month of having it—especially the first two weeks. Not only will sun exposure cause the tattoo’s colors to fade, as previously mentioned, but it may also burn your skin and scar it from sun damage.
- Keeping your tattoo out of the sun doesn’t mean you have to stay inside all day, though;
- Maintain your ink’s vibrant colors and linework by always wearing at least one layer while in the sun;
- It can be light—as long as it covers the tattoo design completely;
Get your tattoo during the winter : One of the easiest ways to prevent sun damage to your tattoo is to consider what time of year you’ll be getting inked. Getting your tattoo in the winter will reduce your bare exposure to sun, as chilly weather means more clothing to cover up with.
- However, the winter season also means dry skin;
- If your skin tends to feel dry, flakey, and itchy during the colder weather months, load up on moisturizing lotions;
- To protect your new tattoo, we love the original, unscented Aquaphor formula;
Slather on day or night for intense moisture and protection. (Or, try one of these tattoo artist-approved lotions ). If you get the tattoo too close to a vacation or beach day, you’ll spend the whole time out of the water with your ink-covered. While saltwater may seem like it’ll help ( chlorine water —not so much), any kind of soaking during your initial healing period may cause infection and damage the design work you paid for.
- If you really want to get a tattoo during the summer, at least wait until you know you won’t be going on vacation for a month or so;
- And if you want to get tattooed while on vacation ? Just wait until the latter half of your trip, so you can still have fun in the sun and worry about aftercare once you’re home;
Moisturize often, inside and out: Nussbaum also suggests moisturizing often and drinking water every day. “Keep your skin well hydrated so that it can protect itself from external damage and maintain your skin’s natural moisture barrier,” says Nussbaum.
She also notes that hydration doesn’t mean more showers, though. “Skip the long, hot showers, which can strip the skin of its natural oils and lead to dry skin, and instead opt for a shorter shower (five minutes maximum) with lukewarm water.
” Check-in with your skin: Another essential thing to do if you expose your tattoo to the sun is to check your skin for any visible signs of damage. Aside from spot-checking regularly for any mole additions or changes (this should be a weekly thing, regardless of the season!), make sure to give your tattoo a good once over to ensure that the design hasn’t majorly warped.