How Long To Keep Tattoo Covered?
⏳ How long should I keep my tattoo covered with cling film? – After you leave the salon or your tattoo artist, you need to keep the tattoo wrapped for 2-4 hours if you use simple cling wrap (plastic foil). If you have a protective tattoo film, then keep it for 3-5 days.
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How long should you keep new tattoos covered in cling wrap?
What does cling wrap do for tattoos ? – Cling film prevents the tattoo from drying out. It also holds moisture, which is needed to keep it fresh. The cling film also adds a layer of protection against bacteria, dirt, and grime that could find its way onto your new tattoo.
Cling film can also stop your clothes rubbing up against your fresh body art, which could lead to irritation or abrasion of the freshly inked skin. Tattoo artists normally apply plastic wrap or saran wrap on the fresh body art to ensure that their tattoos stay moist after getting done.
At times they will even cover it with cling film during the tattooing process to stop air reaching the skin so as to help promote faster healing without scarring or scabbing.
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 do you leave the tattoo on after getting done?
Tattoo Aftercare Tips, How Should I Look After My New Tattoo? –
- Tattoo Aftercare Tips, How Should I Look After My New Tattoo? Practical and tested tattoo aftercare Instructions. Why do you need to do it, and how effective aftercare is done.
This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional. Anne (author) from Hobart, Tasmania ~ Australia. (The little bit broken off the bottom of AUS) on June 01, 2019: ALL COMMENTS WITH SELF PROMOTION LINKS WILL BE REMOVED Mark on April 02, 2019: So I got a tattoo on my foot & decided to read on the aftercare after I got my tattoo.
- pretty stupid of me;
- Anyways I have to go to work & i’m wearing dress shoes for 8 hours at a time;
- So I’m wondering what the maximum amount of hours I can have my tattoo wrapped? JR on March 22, 2019: I’ve been tattooing for years;
I never covered my tattoos. The best healing process is to wash your tattoo twice a day, morning and night or between if needed. Hustle butter is good for the healing process. Just do what’s best for you and always keep your tattoo clean. Holkska on January 13, 2019: MAN i really hate when i hear about “reputable” tattoo artists telling their clients to leave a tattoo wrapped/covered :'( I am in no means covered in tattoos, but i have just had my 16th and so i do have some limited experience.
my 1st one (young and about 16 years ago) i was told to keep it covered – so i did, i didnt know any better, and it was a mess. A total mess. The lines bled out, ink was lost, it was truly awful, luckily it was relatively small.
But the point is, the artist is meant to be giving proper help and advice, a lot of people do not know what to do and thr artist is supposed to be trustworthy – and telling clients to leave a piece of work covered for a week (even a day is bad enough) is just bad form.
Really bad form. They shouldnt be doing it (i wonder if some “artists” do this to ensure the person returns for a touch up. If so thats even worse!!) So Thanks for this article, it will inform people of the caring and healing process, and avoid some ruined tattoos and unhappy people (which is awful, a tattoo is exciting!!) Libby on December 27, 2018: Got my 2nd tattoo recently from a different artist who said to keep it covered with cling film for the 2 weeks it’s healing, unlike my first artist.
Must say, thanks to this, I realised how bad his advice was and began letting the air get to it so it’s finally healing – altho there’s very small gaps from the confused healing process. Emiljano on December 05, 2018: Hi I have a question. 8 days ago I got a tattoo in Germany Berlin.
- First look after getting done was exactly as I wanted it to look;
- He wrapped it with a tattoo plastic wrap and said me to leave it on for 6-7 days;
- After 6 days I removed it cozz it was very dry and itchy and a lot of ink and skin came out with the plastic papper;
It was like a copy of my tattoo in the plastic wrap. I did the process slowly and washing with warm water. But the tattoo looks nicht top as in the beginning when it was done. The tattoo is a cross with hands that pray and up is a writting in latin language Fide Nemini.
But the cross details look blurry the lines look a little fadded and I dont know if its normal or not becouse its my first tattoo. Do you think my tattoo artist had fake instruction given? I have read many tattoo artists instructions and there is nowhere said that the plastic wrapp must 6-7 days on skin stay.
How to PROPERLY take care of your new TATTOO || Advice from an experienced TATTOOER
Thanks for your answer! Sherry on June 23, 2017: My son just got his first tattoo all we need to know does he need to keep it wrapped up the next day? 6/23/17 Terri Marshall on April 16, 2017: I just had my first tattoo done on my back, I went to a very pronoun shop, very clean and professional.
They also put a air tight film over my tat and told me I could shower but leave the wrap on for seven days. On the 7th day remove wrap and wash lightly and then several times a day put Palmers Coconut Butter on my tattoo.
I am now on my third day and I have no pain at all and tattoo looks good even though it still is wrapped with that air tight wrap. Hope all goes well and can’t wait till Friday when I can remove the air tight wrap. james on April 09, 2017: hey Raul I’m a nurse and I’m planning on getting my first tattoo next month.
I’ve done a lot of research and I’m planning on using Saniderm on my healing tat. It’s the same type of tech that hospitals use to allow wounds to heal while being able to breath. I’ve used dressing like this on prior patients and it just makes scene to me to use it on healing tattoos.
The only negative thing I’ve read if you are sensitive/ allergic to adhesive it shouldn’t be used Raul on April 01, 2017: My Tatto guy did a Tat on my leg. He put a medical plastic wrap on it. Its air tight. He informed me too leave it on for 5 days and it will heal itself.
- Im a lil sceptical;
- Is this something new or a bad idea? Fellow on January 28, 2017: Hey gal, nice post! I’m probably quite late to the party,but the info was still nice;
- Just one little thing, tho, you said wrapping protects from “bacteria and other antibodies”, while I think you meant pathogens;
Antibodies are what we make to fight off diseases, aren’t they? Anyways, thanks and cya!.
How long does it take for a bandage to heal after tattoo?
Depends on the ‘bandage’. If you mean a regular bandage or wrap that artists tend to apply immediately after finishing the tattoo – then (as per the standard aftercare instructions) only a few hours.
