Education is a key factor in the body art business. The more you know the more you can converse with a shop/tattooer of choice and make sound decisions regarding to whom you are entrusting your health. This is the goal I strive for each month.
I have been delighted in the last few months to receive feedback from people who have read these columns and understood the importance of knowing what is right and what is wrong….and how that ‘wrong’ is serious business! Thank you for your input and comments! I think a few of them warrant posting for anyone who may have similar questions.
I received an email from a reader who received a tattoo and the uneducated practioner (I refuse to call him a tattooer or an artist) wrapped his new piece with…gasp! plastic wrap!! One of my first columns extolled the problems with plastic wrap bandaging. The reader said he left the shop and whipped that stuff right off!! Good for him! I can only hope he passed his knowledge on to the perpetrator!
In other conversation I was asked about pigments used in tattooing. Seems the young lady had called around asking about permanent cosmetics. One shop told her they used food dye and the process would have to be repeated four or five times! Yikes! Food dye? Four or Five times?? Oh my! Fortunately this gal knew something was hinky with that concept and kept seeking information! I just wonder how many people fall for that because it was a terribly cheap price quoted. (Guess food dye doesn’t cost a whole lot at the grocery store, huh?) Like any business you get what you pay for….and in this one that may be more than you bargained for! (more on pigments in another column…devoted to pigments only!)
People have sent me inquiries about tattoos gone wrong and what could be the reasons why. One fellow didn’t understand why his tribal piece was raised and grey within the lines. Scar tissue can form even in the best of tattoos but he had been worked over hard by an unskilled person. He was left with resulting scar tissue that not only raised his skin but had blown pigment and all that showed was gray skin within the edges of the tattoo. Unfortunately this problem has a very low correction rate. Again, cheap got him a nasty, for life, image.
Some people may keloid—the body forms excess scar tissue. Often seen in piercings or in surgical scars (both are deeper body penetration) but I have seen it in tattoos. If you have developed keloids in the past you want to consult with a tattooer/piercer about the possibility of this happening.
Covering existing scars can be tricky. The scar must be 'aged' and stable. It's a good idea to wait a year or better before tackling this issue. Scar tissue is not in the nice layers as in normal skin. Pigment may travel where it shouldn't be...it may not remain at all. Sensation can be numbed or it can be excruciating! Make sure your tattooer has experience in this field. Photos should be readily available.
Covering up an old injury scar on ankle. Isn't it nice
how your eye looks at the tattoo instead?
After care for a tattoo is another topic of much discussion. I’ve received a dozen emails on this subject!
Let’s start with a basic for our islands. The ocean is NOT good for healing…EVER. Do we have enough space to list the bacteria, the viruses, the parasites that might be present not only in the water but in the sand? Open wounds amount to an open invitation for those little buggahs to come where they have not been invited. Then the battle begins and it can develop to life threatening!
Swimming pools are cleaned with harsh chemicals to keep algae and bacteria from growing. The open wound of a tattoo allows those chems to leech in your skin….ugh!! Hot tubs not only have the same chems but now let’s add hot water which opens our pores even more. Talk about an open avenue! Give yourself at least a week to heal before resuming any swimming, beaches or pools.
Sun exposure to new tattoos is another road to disappointment. That open skin doesn’t take kindly to harsh sun rays and the line work can actually blow out and become soft and fuzzy….fine on a teddy bear but not fine on your tattoo! Keep a fresh piece out of the sun for that first week and get to know your sun block products thereafter. Hey, if you are gonna have this tattoo for life shouldn’t it look good?
Ointments and any petroleum products should be avoided during the healing process. The tattoo and the skin around it need to breath! Don’t suffocate your tattoo!! Quality hand lotions such as Curel, Lubriderm or Intensive Care are recommended by Dr. Kris Sperry, Chief Pathologist for the state of Georgia. He worked with a number of tattooers in researching the physiology of a healing tattoo and his conclusion is one of gentle tissue moisturization. Hey, what Doc says is good enough for me! (go ahead, Google him, I dare ya!)
Once again I want to thank my readers and those who have contacted me with their encouragement and enthusiasm for the topics I have covered. If there is something you haven’t seen here and are curious about, please email me!!
