Mega Bored
Tattoos are great forms of art. In the old days, our ancestors used tattoo as a mark of their bravery or kinship. Today it is considered to beautiful pieces of art and a lot of people are getting their ink done with no hesitations. Some do it for the sake of art while there are those that do it in remembrance of a loved one, an encouragement, a reminder or coming of age. But whatever your reasons are for getting a tattoo, it is important that you know how to take care of your tattoo once it’s done.
After care of your tattoo
After going through hours and hours of sessions, you finally got the tattoo piece that you like, now what? Taking care of your tattoo is an important process that you must do if you don’t want it to be infected. Keep in mind that tattoos are wounds deliberately placed on your skin so there is a risk in that since wounds are openings on your flesh.
In order to keep your skin free from infection, you need to make sure that your tattoo remains clean at all times. Make sure that you clean up your tattoo at least once a day. With the use of warm water, cleanse your tattoo and make sure that you keep it dry afterwards. An antibacterial ointment or cream must be applied on your tattoo at least once a day, preferably before you go to bed. This will help kill any bacteria growing in your wound.
As your tattoo heals, make sure to apply lotion on the scabs. This will keep it moistened and at the same time loosens that tug underneath your skin. It will also reduce the itching from the forming scabs. Don’t pick off the scabs on your healing tattoo, this will cause bleeding and possibly ruin the design on your tattoo. It can also cause scars especially if the scab runs deep. Now you really don’t want that scar to ruin your tattoo design, right?
In case of emergencies
In case you find your tattoo setting in an infection, it’s best that you take it immediately for checkup. Keep in mind that getting a tattoo means you are introducing foreign substances to your skin. The dye used in tattoos can cause allergic reactions. It’s usually itchy and can go on even after your tattoo has dried and healed.
Tattooing can also cause keloids or an overgrowth of scar tissue. It could also cause infection; so if your tattoo becomes painful, swelling, red and pus draining out your tattoo, it is positive that you are infected. There are some cases where people get infected with blood-borne diseases after getting a tattoo. This could be hepatitis B and C and tetanus. That is why it is important that you seek medical treatment immediately as soon as you feel sick, nauseated or vomiting after you have your tattoo. This could lead to early detection of an underlying condition.
The best advice
There is no harm in getting a tattoo and if you are brave enough to face your fears of needles then go ahead and do it. Just make sure that the tattoo shop and artist that you choose are licensed, follows sanitation protocols and practices sanitary procedures before anything else. It is important that all of their materials are clean, sterile and new so you can be sure that you won’t be getting any of the mentioned condition. Keep in mind that tattoos remain for a lifetime so it is best that you choose the ones who are trusted and expert in this field. You can never go wrong with that.
