Question:
have read, re-read, and re-re-read the FAQ, especially the section concerning
healing/care of a new tattoo, but I still have an unanswered question which I
will now defer to the denizens of RAB.
Ok, so I am currently nursing a 10 day old tattoo of a koi fish on the inside
of my lower leg, from knee to ankle. This is my first (real) tattoo; I do not
consider the gawdawful scratching I received from a friend's shady uncle when I
was 15 to be an example of the art of tattooing. It's just an ugly scar. Now,
the question: I have been following a regimen of applying moisturizer
approximately 4-5 times per day, in a very thin coat. The tattoo has begun
flaking and peeling in the last few days, and I've not been able to apply
lotion since then, because I would run the risk of pulling/rubbing off the
scabs. My question is: should I discontinue applying lotion and just let the
healing process run it's course? Or should I continue to keep the tattoo
moist, albeit *very, very* gingerly, to avoid accidental removal of the scabs?
Thanks in advance for any help/info. you may be able to offer. Additional
thanks for maintaining such an informative, nearly spam-free ng. RAB and the
FAQ's have armed me with information which really helped me heal two
industrials, stretch my lobes to 00ga without a hitch, and plan/design a
tattoo/find an excellent tattooist/heal aforementioned tattoo without having to
ask a trillion stupid questions?
Answer:
- FIRST and foremost ... flaking and peeling does not reduce the need for
moisturizer. In fact, you should continue more so now than before. If bits
fall off during gentle application of moisturizer, that's OK.
Generally tattoos do flake and peel in 5-14 days after the tattoo was
applied. If things are going right, these flakes are thin, like after a
bad sun burn and yes they do contain some of the coloring of the tattoo.
This is fine. It was part of the plan. The intention never was for all of
the injected ink to permanently reside in your body.
Sometimes when things go less well, the bits that flake off are really
scabs. They are thick, crusty and often do not have ink from the tattoo in
them. This means things have not gone well or that something really wacked
the tattoo and broke it open. Anyway, the tattoo artist can fix any
damage. After it heals, it will not look nearly as bad as you may now think
it will look.
Whichever description fits, keep applying moisturizer. If bits flake off,
that's OK, they would have come off by themselves in a few more hours.
Just don't pick. If you gotta pull it off with any force at all, you
should not have.
I personally recommend Lubriderm unscented moisturizer or noxzema. I do
not recommend bacitracin or neosporin
- Yes, keep applying that moisturizer! Even with moderately rough
application of the lotion, you usually won't pull off any scabs (that
usually happens when you scratch).
