Showering After a Tattoo

Showering After a Tattoo

Well, what a mess. You reach home after your last tattoo session, wait for a while, and take off your bandage to marvel at your new tattoo. Or, at least, you would…if not for all the plasma, blood, and ink that spills out! With a mess to clean, everyone naturally wants to jump into the shower and scrub away that extra stuff. Not so fast! Showering after a tattoo takes a little bit of thought, and this page walks you through everything you need to know!

How Long Should you Wait to Take a Shower After a Tattoo?

When your tattoo artist sends you home, they usually do so with a bandage and an amount of time to keep it on. Usually, it amounts to taking it off in the evening before you go to bed. Once off, it stays off, and keeping your tattoo open to air makes it heal faster. However, without a bandage, any direct water will damage your tattoo. Only certain soaps work on tattoos without damaging the ink, while special cleaning methods keep your tattoo safe from wear and tear.  You may shower at any point after you remove the tattoo bandage, but carefully clean around your tattooed area. Use the instructions on this page to learn about washing your tattoo, or read the whole run-down on tattoo after care here.

How Do I Clean my New Tattoo?

For starters, make sure your soaps all contain ink-safe ingredients. Although spectacular at killing germs, a lot of soaps also wash away tattoo ink. Petroleum, alcohol, lanolin, and several other common compounds prove hazardous to your tattoo. Alternatives—many with the same origins, but a different chemical structure—exist to aid you during the healing process. On top of that, organic, vegan, and allergen-free soaps work wonders and make up many of the best soaps for tattoos. For more details on those, check out our complete guide for tattoo aftercare.

Gather your good soap and some paper towels around a sink. Putting direct water onto your tattoo poses a risk, so spread your soap with your fingers and then dab it off with the paper towel. Scrubbing or scraping at the tattoo only damages your wound further, while using actual towels will stain and pull up ink.

But wait, how can you shower without affecting your tattoo, if direct water impacts the quality of your ink? Let’s explain that in more detail.

Tattoo Aftercare Instructions

Although we detail the tattoo healing process here, it helps to go over this anyways. While your tattoo heals, it leaves the deep layers of your skin exposed. The deepest layer contains all of your tattoo’s ink. When you pour water directly onto your tattoo, nothing stops it from seeping in and turning your crisp tattoo into a waterlogged image—albeit less dramatically than I put it here. However, gravity pulls water away from your tattoo while showering. Unless your tattoo takes up your back, neck, or chest area, then your tattoo weathers a shower. Covering it anyways makes sure it stays safe, though!

So, when can you stop washing your tattoo with antibacterial soap? We provide every last detail you need in our tattoo aftercare guide. Also, check it out for more tattoo aftercare tips!

Showering With Your New Tattoo

Rest easy, knowing how to clean off all of today’s gunk without harming your tattoo! Simply keep these tips in mind while cleaning and take extra care to only use the correct soaps on your tattoo. Keep your regular shampoo out of the tattoo, pat it lightly with a paper towel to dry it, and enjoy your squeaky-clean self! We provide more in-depth aftercare information—including what soaps work best, the do’s and don’ts of tattoo aftercare, when it’s safe to use sunscreen, and so on—at our main aftercare guide hub. Leave a comment if you have any questions about showering after a tattoo or to tell us of another tattoo-related worry of yours.

As always, thanks for reading!

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Tattoo Convention Warsaw Poland 2017

Tattoo Convention Warsaw, Poland 2017

The start of October marked the entrance of Autumn with one of the world’s biggest tattoo conventions! The Warsaw Tattoo Convention took place in its titular city, attracting people to Poland from across the globe. Over 250 artists from around the globe attended to display, with many more artists arriving as visitors to look over the latest fashions of our trade. With a plethora of concerts, panels, performances, workshops, and even activities for kids, Warsaw definitely fulfilled everyone’s desires this year.

In case you missed the big party, the amazing Kamila Burzymowska has you covered with these breathtaking images from the con. From quirky to intimate, wild to traditional, these tattoos show off the wide range of artistic movements in the tattoo industry. This glimpse into the ever-changing art of tattoo inking lets us all take something new home. Sit back, relax, and check out the amazing images and stories straight from the Oberon 3D Warsaw Tattoo Convention!

All-star Artists Journey to the Con

The call for artists resounded across the globe. Artists like Sandra Cunha and Fredao Oliveira flew in from Brazil—all the way across the globe! Ho Rikaka brought traditional Japanese Irezumi to the convention, while Saga Anderson brought her advanced coloring techniques all the way from Canada. Alongside artists from around the world, nearly every tattoo artist in Poland showed up—except, of course, whoever was left to tend to the shop. In all, more than 250 arrived at the scene for Warsaw’s biggest tattoo party!

Whole families went with a few of the artists, since the Warsaw Tattoo Convention boasts activities for kids! On top of that, everyone under 13 years old received free admission. This gave everyone an opportunity to expose their family to the wonderful world of tattoo art! On top of its accessibility for people of all ages, it also shows off tattoos from people of all cultures and locales. In sum, visiting Warsaw Tattoo Convention feels like taking a step into a foreign and exciting world where only art matters!

Amazing Convention Tattoos

As you see from these wonderful images by Kamila, the convention brought together all kinds of tattoo styles. Amazing realistic pieces happened right next to neo-traditional tattoos. Watercolor tattoos, black outlines, and traditional color pigment techniques created a huge variety of final pieces. One tattoo shows the hooded, one-eyed Odin with one of his ravens, while another shows the exchange of life and death during a tiger’s hunt. Surreal tattoos with impossible anatomy contrasted geometric and tribal tattoos.

My favorite among them all isn’t revolutionary, but it is neat-looking! A woman lit below by pink wears some sort of unicorn headdress—and said unicorn shows off the cosmos in its fur! With a limited color scheme, this artist combined surreal, geometrical, and watercolor techniques to make a fantastic tattoo. At the same time, I clearly show a bias: space is up there on my list of cool things.

Inspiring Exhibitions

Their most amazing exhibit focused on the tales of Maui, a Polynesian demigod that features in the Disney movie Moana. Of course, in Poland, it’s called Vaiana: The Treasure of the Ocean to avoid a few cultural issues. Known for his ability to hook the sun, pull up islands from the sea, and generally get up to mischief, this demigod also features a whole slew of tribal tattoos in the most traditional sense all over his body. Everyone at the shop created their own talisman to keep them safe and bring them closer to the living world around us, just like the one Moana received! On top of that, Banana-Ink provided an area where kids can practice tattooing on banana peels. Who would let a kid go crazy on real skin, after all?

On top of Maui, several other characters in the movie carried traditional tribal tattoos. Moana’s grandmother carried a manta ray on her back, while one poor soul underwent the painstaking tattoo process during the early part of the movie. Several artists used this traditional ethnic tattoo method—called hand tapping—throughout the convention. We cover traditional Polynesian tattoos in a few of our articles, including the technique, meaning, and history behind them.

The Future of the Warsaw Tattoo Convention

From October 6-8^th, tattoo lovers from around the world shared their awesome art and culture. People walked home with new insight of the world around them…and some new tattoos! Alongside performers, singers, and musicians, illusionists took over the stage and created an amazing show for everyone. Food trucks arrived en masse to feed everyone, jewelers showed up to expand the body modification scene, and Oberon 3D showed off their cool machines. After all, Oberon 3D sponsored the whole thing.

In the end, this con brought a whole new generation of people together to appreciate the wonderful Inked World of tattoo art. We can’t thank photographer Kamila Burzymowska enough for snapping these pictures and sharing her wonderful experience at the convention! Check out her Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or official website for more awesome pictures of the tattoo scene.

As always, thanks for reading! For more information on the convention itself, look at its official homepage!

~Sara

InkDoneRight

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Arm Tattoos

Arm Tattoos

A small wrist tattoo or ankle tattoo brings you into the tattoo world, but after you enter this realm of art, upgrading to a full-fledged arm tattoo looks appealing. And you know what? It’s totally worth it. Today, let’s talk about the awesome world of arm tattoos! The long and curved surface of arms poses a unique challenge of creativity to designers and artists. A sleeve needs to look good from every angle, after all! On top of that, you personally need to work around the pain associated with arm tattoos. Armpits and the pit of your elbow feel absolutely horrible to tattoo (Read: Best Tattoo Numbing Product). This article details some ways around that while offering some creative and unique design tips!

 

Simple Arm Tattoos

Small arm tattoos fit on the wrist, but you can easily extend them to half sleeves or full sleeves. Even for arm name tattoos, working to fit your old tattoos into the larger arm tattoos creates a fun challenge for your artist. Simple arm tattoos include Celtic tribal tattoos, Polynesian tattoos, symbols that represent your religion or creed, and quotes that you adore. Polynesian tattoos in particular use a special technique for their arm tattoos. For men, half sleeves show strength, respect, and maturity. The tribal markings carry deep meaning, and your artist selects ones that most match your personality. Whether you pick right or left arm tattoos, even simple designs show your dedication to the craft.

 

Sleeve Tattoos

As previously mentioned, artists need to create sleeve designs that look good from all angles. Experts utilize the curved space to create three dimensional images. Other curved objects, such as skulls, blooming roses, and spheres. Geometrical designs also look great, even if the design looks ‘flat.’ The curve simply adds depth to the design! Including three dimensional shading on top of that creates a picture that pops. Murals work perfectly for large sleeves, although remain wary of the painful areas. Many people stop with their sleeve halfway because of the pain. To mitigate this, consider asking your artist about numbing creams.

 

Best Arm Tattoos Ever

So, want the best arm tattoos ever? Arm tattoos for girls include flowers often, and for good reason! Flowers symbolize many different things, including beauty, love, and death. Religious symbols like crosses, angels, saints, and gods represent your inner self and certainly rank among the best tattoos. Traditional designs like Japanese tattoos and Polynesian tattoos hold deep significance to those who recognize the symbols. Lastly—and my personal favorite—colorful murals that wrap around the arm and display awesome scenes or characters look spectacular!

 

Arm Tattoos and You

In the end, arm tattoos provide a very visible way to express yourself. Whether you choose minimalist geometric designs, large black and white religious icons, or colorful wrap-around sleeves, all of them come to represent you. When people look to recognize you, they look for your tattoo in the crowd. So, what are you waiting for? Dive into the foray of arm tattoos and enjoy the wicked designs!

Related: Full Tattoo Aftercare Guide

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How Long After a Tattoo Can you Tan?

How Long After a Tattoo Can you Tan?

As someone intimately familiar with body modification, it’s no wonder you want to know how long after a tattoo can you tan. After all, tattoos spew extra ink, plasma, and gunk out for the first few days of healing. To top it off, once that’s done, it constantly peels and itches as if it received a horrible sunburn. Naturally, tanning seems like a strange thing to combine with a healing tattoo, but I know a few ways to play your cards right. Use this little guide to learn about the hazards of tanning with a tattoo, how to prevent them, and even how to keep your tattoo looking awesome for your entire life! For more general information—including how to heal your tattoo faster—our other guide may work better for you.

 

Tattoos can fade when exposed to the sun! Make sure you protect your skin and especially your ink when you enjoy the great days outside. Below is our favorite tattoo sunscreen product. Read our full reviews here!

H2Ocean SPF 45 Sea Life Sunscreen

H2Ocean has made it’s way to one of the top brands in the Tattoo Aftercare industry. Recommended by artists and users and the best tattoo sunscreen you can get. It does it’s job and it comes with a moderate price.

Buy on Amazon

 

New Tattoos and Sunlight

Can you put sunscreen on a new tattoo? Whenever you deal with any sort of wound—especially large and deep ones like a tattoo—your skin damage prevents any protection from the sun. Your skin exists to block out harmful UV rays and fierce sunlight, so when you take that away, you end up with colossal burns whenever you soak up the sun. With that said, let’s add tanning to the formula. Tanning in the sun causes the exact same sort of damage a sunburn would, except much faster. With tanning booths, it induces the same type of effect in your skin, and poses the same risk.

But wait, that’s not all! Tanning creates unique conditions for your tattoo ink. You know about laser tattoo removal, the miracle treatment that zaps tattoos away, right? Well, it works because high concentrations of light pierce through the skin and break down the ink molecules. At smaller sizes, the immune system disposes of the ink properly, and the tattoo disappears. With sunlight, it uses the exact same type of light—just at lower concentrations. When you remove the only thing protecting your body from a sun burn—your skin—you end up with a very faded tattoo and horrible burn. We provide detailed information on this and other risks during tattoo healing in our full guide. 

 

How to Use a Tanning Bed After a Tattoo

Okay, we know about how light and tattoos interact. So, how long after getting a tattoo can you fake tan? And can you tan with a new tattoo if you cover it? Let’s start with the basics. In order to tan at all, you need proper protection. Two different ways exist to keep your tattoo and body safe during a tan. I go over them both here.

First, directly covering a tattoo with some sort of cloth will keep it perfectly safe. Since not all fabric blocks UVB and UVA, I recommend applying sunscreen to the cloth itself. Make sure none of it goes onto your tattoo, as that would damage your ink and potentially cause illness for you. And yes, I promise putting sunscreen on top of clothing works. Just don’t do it on a regular basis.

 

The second method involves the use of tattoo-safe tanning lotion or sunscreen product. For tattoo tanning lotions, they provide nutrients for your skin that keep it nice and healthy. It also provides protection from a broad range of light—not just the ones we use to tan. Tattoo sunscreen, on the other hand, uses safe ingredients for consistent use on your tattoo. I recommend covering the area of your tattoo with as much precision as you can muster, unless you like a swath of light skin around your tattoo. Unfortunately, tattoos and suntan lotions never get along at the early stages of tattoo healing.

 

When Can I Expose my Tattoo to the Sun?

When can I put sunscreen on a new tattoo? Okay, nobody likes covering up their tattoo, but a lady’s gotta tan. So, when can you wear that tattoo with pride? Or, if that wait turns out to be too long, when can you use sunscreen? Your tattoo takes a while to heal, obviously. For the first stage of healing, you need to use special soaps to keep it constantly clean and dry without using too much water or clogging it up. It bleeds, oozes, and generally makes a mess of everything. Tanning during this time instantly ruins your tattoo and hurts like hell. No matter what, wait until after this stage.

During stage two, things slow down and your skin starts healing properly. Congratulations, with skin in place, you can finally tan! Well, if you’re alright with a poorly healed and faded tattoo. The skin barely forms a layer over the tattoo. Light takes a little extra time to burn it, but tanning still treats your skin too harshly. At this point, you already use moisturizers on your skin to keep flaking at bay and itchiness down. Once your skin stops ‘absorbing’ your thin treatments, it contains enough moisture to stand up to tanning. This page goes over some tattoo-safe tanning lotions and sunscreens. Nonetheless, I recommend waiting between six weeks to two months to start tanning.

 

Tattoo Tanning FAQ

I bet some little questions still haunt your mind, and I will try my best to answer them! If you see a missing question, go ahead and leave us a comment. We respond to all questions very quickly, I promise!

How long after getting a tattoo can you go swimming?

It takes exactly as long as it does to wait for a tan. Your healing tattoo opens your body up to all sorts of germs. With modern medicine and hygienic technology, we sometimes forget that improper care still poses the greatest risk to tattooing.

What happens to tattoos when I get a tan?

Your tattoo invariably fades with tanning. Not dramatically, of course, but enough to notice after a few years. The sun represents the greatest enemy of tattoos, so spending extra time in sunlight (or simulated sunlight) leads to advanced aging. I recommend frequent touch ups to keep it looking nice, or you could simply try some tattoo tanning lotion.

 

Tattoos and Tanning in Harmony

Ultimately, your tattoo sticks with you for life. Wearing it involves exercising responsibility over your body. The best way to keep your skin safe is to use sunscreen. New tattoo or not, tanning or going pale, your skin benefits greatly from sunscreen. It protects against sunburns, skin cancer, and fading tattoos. Why go without? Anyways, hopefully this helped you learn about the limits of tanning and tattoos. Any responsible person can combine the two harmoniously, as long as you wait a bit after a new tattoo! For more information on tattoo healing, check out our awesome guide on all things tattoo care!

Sara

InkDoneRight

Tattoos can fade when exposed to the sun! Make sure you protect your skin and especially your ink when you enjoy the great days outside. Below is our favorite tattoo sunscreen product. Read our full reviews here!

H2Ocean SPF 45 Sea Life Sunscreen

H2Ocean has made it’s way to one of the top brands in the Tattoo Aftercare industry. Recommended by artists and users and the best tattoo sunscreen you can get. It does it’s job and it comes with a moderate price.

Buy on Amazon

The post How Long After a Tattoo Can you Tan? appeared first on InkDoneRight.