Problems With Healing Tattoos

Signs of Normal Healing

At first the tattoo looks shiny, swollen and the colors are extra bright. Within 24 hours the scab forms, this should be very thin, looks like the tattoo and with proper care is slightly flexible.

After about 4-5 days the tattoo will go through a period of peeling. This looks similar to a sunburn peeling. The scab that peels off will be the color of the tattoo, and it will look like your tattoo is flaking off. Sometimes this stage is accompanied by mild itching which can be relieved by rubbing it gently with more ointment or lotion.

Do not ever leave your tattoo slick or sticky.
Always blot off any extra ointment or lotion.

When the tattoo is completely done pealing you will notice a layer underneath the new tattoo that contains healing skin cells that will cause the skin to seem milky rather than transparent. Don't worry about this; it's all part of the healing process and only takes about a month to go away. If you want, you can put lotion on the tattoo to help it look brighter and more healed during this final stage of healing.

Symptoms of Bad Healing

When healing goes wrong there are very few things that can happen. Some of the signs that things are going wrong are; extreme seeping, heavy scabbing, excessive inflammation, and sometimes a rash (little bumps) or pimples.

Often when things go wrong people assume that the tattoo is infected. Unless you work or live in a very dirty environment (see below) it probably isn't. You should always show the tattoo to your artists before heading for the doctors' office.

Most doctors know nothing about tattoo after care and some of them are prejudice against tattoos. They often time prescribe unnecessary drugs and treatment that can make the healing even worse.

A professional tattoo artist has been trained in healing correction. They know what infected tattoos look like and will only send you to a doctor when necessary. Seeing the right person can save you time and money, not to mention the finished look of your tattoo.

Aftercare Mistakes

Neglect -

If you don't practice good personal hygiene, pick your tattoo, wear tight clothing or let clothing stick to it, scrub the tattoo, or take too long or are not careful in the shower, your tattoo will not look nice when it is finished healing. It can have ink missing and sometimes heavy scar tissue over it.
Always follow the care instructions. If you feel like you don't understand them, please call and ask for help. Though we can not correct healing issues without actually seeing the tattoo, we are happy to teach you more about our healing instructions.

We'd rather spend a few extra minutes helping you to have a good healing than to have to try to fix up a tattoo healing gone wrong.

Your Health -

If you have any immunity deficiencies, blood disorders such as diabetes, or are on certain medications such as steroids or blood thinners your tattoo could be affected. It could take longer to heal and not turn out very well.

It is a good idea to consult your doctor before getting a tattoo if you suspect there may be a problem. It is a good idea to inform your artist of any health issues so they can tailor the healing to meet your needs.

Damaged Skin -

Long term cigarette smoking, drinking too many soft drinks, eating poorly, and over exposure to the sun damages skin. A tattoo on damaged skin will rarely look as good as one on healthy skin.

Sometimes the colors and lines aren't as bright or clear as they would have been and the artists can not do anything about it. If you have damaged skin you will have to keep your expectations reasonable. Sometimes if the skin is damaged the artist will want to do the tattoo in stages as avoid overworking* it and to hopefully make the healing process easier on you.

If your skin is older, thin, weak, or sun damaged it can also be harder to heal. However, with a little patience and care the tattoo can heal out fine. So be sure to follow the directions carefully and for the full length of time, which can be longer than healthy skin

(*When the skin is damaged it is very easy for the artist to accidentally overwork the tattoo. Doing this it can also cause the scabbing to be thicker. If this happens it isn't the end of the world. Just be patient and when the tattoo is completely healed your artist will want to touch it up for you.)

Sun Exposure -

The sun is your tattoos worst enemy, if you expose your healing tattoo to the sun it can fade the ink before it is even healed. Tattoos that are exposed to the sun too soon look faded, blurry, washed out and much older than they should. Under no circumstances expose your healing tattoo to prolonged direct sunlight or tanning.

Even a healed tattoo, with time, will fade when exposed to the sun or tanning beds. If you must expose your healed tattoo to those evil UV rays are sure to use a high SPF sun block (at least 45)

Allergic Reactions to Latex -

If you are allergic to latex you will more than likely know before you get your tattoo. Let the artist know so they can accommodate you. The signs of an allergic reaction to latex are extreme rash/redness in the case of latex (from gloves worn by the artist) we can use non-latex gloves and tape on you.

Allergies to Tattoo Ink -

Allergic reactions to tattoo ink are very, very, rare but unfortunately possible. Most professional tattoo pigments are made out of natural ingredients that shouldn't cause a problem. They have been proven by their use successfully in the tattoo industry for many years.

Most people don't have any idea they are allergic to certain colors of ink until after the tattoo has been applied. However we have noticed that people who are allergic to metals and have reactions to cheep jewelry often do react. At our shops, we have only seen reactions with one particular red which we rarely use.

If you are allergic to a pigment it will be evident by just that particular color bubbling and raising off of your skin. It looks like a blister or a raised red mole. It will itch and not look completely healed no matter how long it has been.

You have two choices. One is to remove the offending color or to use hydrocortisone cream to control the itching and promote healing which can take up to 5 years. Removal is not any more painful than the tattoo process and after it heals another color can be used to finish the tattoo.

If you are concerned about having a reaction to tattoo ink ask your artist about doing a "prick test" where a small dot of each color to be used in your potential artwork is tattooed under your skin at least 10 days before your tattoo. This will cost you extra money, but if you have a lot of allergies sometimes it is better to be safe than sorry.

Exposures to Toxins or Bacteria -

If you work/live in an environment with dirt and filth you run the risk of infection. Emergency rooms, nursing homes, hospitals, being around animals & their waste, toxic chemicals, and filth of all kinds can cause serious infections.

It is nearly impossible to get an infection in a professionally applied tattoo. Tattoo shops are required to use more safety precautions than hospitals, doctors, and dentists do. Most shops are inspected regularly by the local health department and display a certificate of their status. If you are still worried about the shop, go someplace else.

Be smart and use common sense. If you have a dirty job, wear loose protective clothing and do not touch your tattoo unless you have washed your hands. Dirty bedding is another problem. Put fresh sheets on your bed if you haven't done so within a few days of getting your tattoo. Wear clean clothing. Use clean towels and washcloths.

Advices from Family & Friends -

When things go wrong people tend to panic. Tattoo healing problems are not an emergency.
If you think that you are having a reaction to your tattoo or the aftercare, the best thing to do is to go back to the tattoo shop where you got the tattoo. It is very important that you consult your artist.

After looking at the problem and asking a few basic questions they can tell what the issues are and help you over come them. Very few healing problems are unsolvable or require medication.

Do not go to your friends and family for advice. They do not have the training to help you. There is a lot of out of date tattoo folk lore going around. Everyone you talk to will have a different opinion and idea of what to do. This can be dangerous.

Advices from Other Tattoo Shops -

Do not go to another tattoo shop. Each artist uses the care instructions that they know will heal their work the best. This is usually different from one artist to another. What works well for one artist can mess up someone else's work.

Another problem with going to a different shop is that tattoo shops are very competitive with each other and an unethical unprofessional tattooist will lie to persuade clients to switch artists. They will sometimes go so far as to give out bad advice to ensure the failure of the tattoo.

Do not call around, or look for advice on the internet. NO ONE can help you without seeing the tattoo first.

Your artist knows how you can save your tattoo if you deal with the situation right away. Do not rely on outside sources.

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Expressing Yourself With Tattoos

Have you noticed that there are a lot of people that have Tattoos these days? In the past you may have only seen tattoos on people such as sailors, outlaws, and biker gangs but now tattoos are a very popular body decoration for many people. The types and styles of tattoos has also come a very long way. It is no longer crude pictures of pinup girls, skulls, and anchors. Tattoos have developed into very sophisticated art work ranging from Celtic crosses to very personalized symbols. People have found and created designs that express themselves in a very personal way.

What is a Tattoo?

Very simply a tattoo is a puncture wound made in the skin that is filled with ink. Although done differently today than in the past the technique is still somewhat similar. Today, tattoo artist use a tattoo gun that has one or more needles that penetrate the skin and delivery ink into the skin. Tattoos last a very long time due to the fact that the ink is placed deeply into the skin. The top layer of skins is called the epidermis and it is constantly shedding and being reproduced. If the ink from a tattoo was in this layer of skin it would not last very long. The layer of skin that the ink is injected to is called the dermis, which is a deeper layer of skin that is very stable and makes the tattoo stay visible almost permanently.

Tattoos in the past were done manually with a tool that they tapped on the skin to make the puncture wound and then the ink would be injected by hand. Most tattoo shops today have tattoo guns or machines to do this today, although you can still find areas around the world that still use the older style of tattooing. The tattoo guns make tattooing much more quickly today because the machine is able to deliver the ink into the skin as it is puncturing the skin. The tattoo artist can change the tip of the machine to contain one needle or group of needles depending on if they are drawing the outline of the design or shading part of the design. Most tattoo artist today are very skilled and know just how far to drive the needle into the skin to produce a good tattoo. Not going deep enough can result in ragged tattoo and going to deep can result in excessive bleeding, not to mention the pain would be much worse.

Does It Hurt?

Getting a tattoo can hurt and can take several hours or even days to complete depending on the size and design of the tattoo you are getting. The amount of pain can and will very depending on the location of the tattoo. Everyone has a different threshold to pain also. The art has a bit to do with it also. A good tattoo artist can provide less pain over a new or less experienced tattoo artist.

So you want a Tattoo!

First and foremost, if you are going to get a tattoo, get it done safely! Remember, a tattoo is a puncture wound that needs to be taken care of just like any other scrape or cut that you may get. By taking care of your tattoo you will be less likely to have it get infected. It may sound a little silly but you need to make sure that your immunizations are up to date. Tattoo shops today have implement steps to help you avoid infections and disease but it doesn't hurt to take an extra step for your own safety. Have a plan to get medical care if your tattoo does get infected. Some signs of infection are excessive redness, prolonged bleeding, pus or changes in your skin color around the tattoo.

If you have a prior or existing condition such as heart disease, allergies, diabetes or a condition that effects your immune systems by all means consult with your doctor. He may be able to recommend precautions that you can take before getting your tattoo.

Choosing the place to get your tattoo is very important. You want to be sure the tattoo shop is clean and safe. Things such as needles, gloves, mask should all be disposable and should never be used on more than one person. The guns themselves and other equipment that is not disposable should be sterilized after every use. You can contact your local government agencies(county, city, local health department) that can inform your on licensed tattoo shops, standards or complaints against a specific tattoo shop.

Here are some things to look for:

Does the tattoo shop you are looking at have an autoclave to sterilize equipment? An autoclave is a piece of equipment that uses steam, pressure and heat to sterilize with.

Is the shop licensed? You can check this through you local government agency and the tattoo shop you are looking at should be able to provide you with references.

Make sure the tattoo shop the regulations that outline procedures to be followed when dealing with bodily fluids that are provided by the Occupational Safely and Health Administration's Universal Procedures.

Just keep in mind, if the tattoo shop you are considering looks dirty or just doesn't feel right to you for any reason it would probably be best to find a tattoo shop you are more comfortable with.

What to expect

First of all you will need to find your design that you are wanting tattooed on your body. The tattoo shop you are going to will most likely have thousands of designs that you can look through. You may also be able to have the artist create a unique design for you. There are also may designs to choose from on the web. Once you have decided on a design you will need to decide on a location. You may already have a location in mind and be able to choose the tattoo you will be getting for that particular location. The tattoo artist will then clean and even shave if necessary to area getting tattooed and apply a type of stencil of the tattoo on that area and allow you to see it. This will give you a good idea of what it will look like. As the artist is getting the ink and gun ready they will explain things about the needles and the procedures in order for you to become more comfortable with the whole process. When you are both ready they will begin the outline. Once the outline is finished the tattoo artist will once again clean the tattoo area and most likely change the needles in the gun to do the shading or fill in. After finishing the tattoo the artist will again clean the tattoo area and apply some type of antibiotic ointment and then it will be covered with a bandage. Congratulations! You now have a new tattoo. It will take a few days to heal but soon you will be able to remove the bandage and show off your new art.

Tattoo Care

The last step you will need to follow in very important. That is taking care of your new tattoo until it is fully healed. The tattoo shop will give you instructions that you should follow and will most likely give you ointment to use on your tattoo. Just remember to contact your doctor if something about your tattoo seems out of the ordinary (as discussed earlier). Make sure that you keep your tattoo bandaged for the first 24 hours. This will help in the healing process greatly. You will want to avoid touching the new tattoo and picking at any scabs that may form. After all, it is a wound and will most likely form some scabs in places. When you wash it for the first time try to use an antibiotic soap and just pat it dry. Re-apply some antibiotic ointment and also re-bandage it. This will only help your tattoo to heal. You want to avoid getting your new tattoo wet(pools, hot tubs, long showers) until the tattoo has fully healed. The other important step is keeping your tattoo out of direct sunlight. Even after it is fully healed the sun can cause fading of your tattoo a great deal. So it is suggested to use a sun screen on your tattoo for quite some time so that your new tattoo does not begin to fade to soon.

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Tattoo After Care

So, you need to know about tattoo after care because you are ready to get a new tattoo!

It may be your first time, or it may be your tenth time, but in every case, you should review your tattoo after care instructions prior to getting your new tattoo. You might wonder about the logic about looking at the instructions before getting your new tattoo, but it is like baking a cake, you just don't want to make any mistakes with these instructions because new tattoos are open wounds and susceptible to infection.

You must be attentive to your new tattoo, and keep it as clean as possible to ensure that it heals as cleanly as possible so you prevent infection and end up with the nicest looking tattoo possible.

While the healing stages of a tattoo will be as unique to each individual as there are people in this world, the tattoo healing process does follow a general pattern. The specifics of each tattoo's healing process will depend on the different skin type of the individual, the location of the tattoo on the body, an the techniques of the tattoo artist. These factors can all cause a variance in the healing process from individual to individual.

You will be given aftercare instructions by your tattoo artist. These aftercare instructions differ from artist to artist. My recommendation to you is if in doubt about anything, always go back to your tattoo artist before seeking the help of a doctor. Your tattoo artist can take a look at your tattoo and tell what to do if their is a problem to correct any healing problems.

If your tattoo artist cannot help, they should send you for medical attention from a doctor. If they do not, then of course, you must go yourself to make certain that your health is not at risk. This is your responsibility.

Many times doctors don't know much about tattoos and will prescribe unnecessary medications that may harm your tattoo's healing process. Some doctors may even be biased against tattoos. That is why I suggest that you go to the tattoo artist first if you suspect their is a healing problem with your new tattoo. The artist works with tattoos day in and day out and is familiar with the best way to heal their work.

When you leave the tattoo studio, you will have a bandage on your new tattoo to protect it from outside contact. This bandage should be removed 2- 3 hours after getting your tattoo. Your tattoo may bleed a little for the first 24 hours, remember, your new tattoo is akin to an open wound.

Before you remove your bandage, make sure to wash your hands with soap and warm water, in between the fingers, and under the fingernails. Then dry your hands with a clean paper towel. Do not use any old towel that is laying there, or even a clean towel as lint may be transferred to your hands.

Make sure you have not let a large amount of blood dry on your bandage so that it sticks. Be very, very gentle as you remove your bandage so as not to start the tattoo bleeding again. If you just rip off your bandage, you can mess up the appearance of your new tattoo, and you don't want to do that, now do you?

Wash your tattoo gently, very gently with anti-bacterial soap and water to clean it. Do not scrub your tattoo, do not use a washcloth, or anything else other than your fingers or hand to clean the tattoo. Do not rub, but "pat" the tattoo as you wash it. Then, when you are finished, pat the tattoo dry with a clean dry paper towel. Or, use clean toilet paper even, if you don't have any paper towels on hand.

Let your tattoo air dry for 15 minutes or so. This will promote healing.

After your tattoo has dried, apply a few drops of Emu Oil to your tattoo. The presence of essential fatty acids along with the hyper-oxygenation of Emu Oil naturally increases the circulation to the applied area which is why Emu Oil works so well and so quickly to heal.

Even though it is an oil, it has been proved that Emu Oil does not clog pores (unlike most commercially made tattoo aftercare products that are petroleum based), therefore allowing the skin to breathe during the healing process. Emu Oil penetrates through all seven layers of the skin and is rich in nutrients (essential fatty acids) that feed the skin to aid in new cell development that can hasten the healing process. Emu Oil is also a natural emollient keeping the skin moist and pliable.

The application of the Emu Oil immediately after the tattoo has been cleaned will also relieve the discomfort and reduce the inflammation and redness of the new tattoo. Emu Oil will help set the new colors due to its deep penetrating properties and will help reduce plasma oozing.

Using Emu Oil 2-3 times a day after repeating the cleaning process while the tattoo heals will keep the area moist reducing or eliminating the flaking or scabbing that often occurs as new tattoos heal. Emu Oil can prevent the need for touch ups which saves the artist time and money, and makes for a happy tattoo customer.

New tattoos will look red and swollen immediately following the tattoo procedure. The tattoo will continue to appear this way for a few days throughout the tattoo healing process. Within a week to ten days the skin surrounding the tattoo should be more back to normal - most tattoos are completely healed in three weeks time.

While it is healing it is important not to do the following things or you may damage your tattoo:

- Do Not scratch your new tattoo

- Do Not pick at your new tattoo

- Do Not expose your tattoo to sunlight or tanning beds under any circumstances

- No swimming, hot tubs or baths the first two weeks after getting your new tattoo

- Do Not shave the tattooed area for at least 30 days following the tattoo procedure

- Only touch your tattoo with clean hands, do not let others touch your tattoo

Not only is Emu Oil good for healing new tattoos, it is good for restoring older, aged, sun damaged tattoos as well. This is due to the natural hyper-oxygenation of Emu Oil which brings blood and oxygen to the surface of the skin. This, coupled with Emu Oil's ability to moisturize through all seven layers of the skin, allows users to see quick results when the oil is applied to older tattoos.

With the proper care of your tattoo from the start, there is no reason why you shouldn't enjoy the beauty of your tattoo for a lifetime.

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Choosing Your Tattoo Design Has Never Been Easier

Tattoo Designs are something you need to think about seriously. Do not make one of the most important decisions of your life an embarrassing mistake. Your choice on tattoo designs, which will be permanently inked into your skin, has to be some sort of tattoo designs that YOU are comfortable with, one that truly rocks and makes heads turn in awe.

It can be difficult making that important decision on tattoo designs. It is something you do not want to rush then regret later on.

What you need to know about tattoo designs is that in this day and age tattoos are very common, in fact a study done in 2006 by the American Academy of Dermatology, estimated that roughly 1 in 4 people between the ages of 18 and 50 had at least one to two tattoo designs. Even with tattoos being so common, many people do not know much about them. Tattoos are sometimes still considered odd, questionable and even taboo.

Tattoo Designs are patterns, pictures or markings made by dye inserted into the pores of the skin by perforating the skin with immense caution. People in the Tattoos industry refer to them as tats, work, ink or art. In scientific terms, tattooing is actually micro-pigment implantation.

Globally this type of art practice is gaining approval and many mainstream art and design galleries hold expos of tattoo designs and tattoo pictures. The popular name for tattoo designs is Flash.

Tattoo Designs more often than not reflect the personality of the person wearing them and so they should, they are on your body. Often people search for the tattoos they want in the actual parlor for something that will suit them. It would be hard to choose your tattoo designs from only what is on display in the chosen tattoos parlor. You should do extensive research on tattoo designs first. I have found numerous sites online that offer a plethora of tattoos, tattoo designs, tribal tattoos, pictures and information. The time it took to find as much information and ideas that I could was massive, but worth it in the end as we can be very specific to what we want when deciding on tattoo designs and location to place the tattoos.

Weather it be an extreme concern for your cultural roots or something of significant importance to you, the tattoo designs that you choose will be one of the most important decisions of your life.

I have heard countless horror stories of bad decisions related to tattoo designs. People excited to rush out and get those 'Perfect' tattoos that they saw on their favorite celebrity like Britney Spears, Alyssa Milano, David Beckham or Robbie Williams. Or even seeing some tribal tattoos in a movie like Blade, only to realize after coming out of the parlor that the tattoo designs just do not suit them, or wasn't what they expected. The fact then hits that they are stuck with those tattoo designs for the rest of their lives.

Their problem was a lack of research in tattoo designs and tattoos in general, because the excitement of actually getting some tattoos finally, blurred their judgment and made them hasty to rush out and get those tattoo designs that they saw or thought up and then trying to describe it to the artist. Definitely not the smartest thing to do.

Also the location of your tattoos is key. You must consider some things when thinking of the location of your tattoos. Will others see it easily? Do I want my tattoos to be easily seen by others? Do I want my tattoos in more of a private place so only those close to me would be able to view them? Which body parts hurt more than others? Generally, places that have thinner skin tend to hurt more. These places include, but are not limited to, due to differences in all of our bodies, the ankles, head and the lower back.

Less painful places include the upper arm, back of the shoulder and the chest. And it also depends on your pain threshold when getting tattoos on how bad it will actually hurt.

I bet you have heard of or been with some people who just rock up to the tattoo parlor, look through the tattoo designs in the books and all the pictures of tattoos on the walls, pick something that looks cool and jump right into the chair to get what should be meaningful tattoo designs inked into their skin. They either want to go the extremely cheap option and choose simple tattoos, (more common tattoo designs are generally less expensive and take less time) or they have just been out on a heavy night on the Britney Spears - (Beers) and just stumbled into the parlor, only to wake up in the morning wondering why they have a Superman tattoo pic on their butt.

Another really bad mistake.

Do not make these mistakes. Ultimately at the end of the day, it's YOUR body; think about this very important decision. What kind of tattoo designs are you after? What kind of tattoos do YOU really want? Remember, whatever you choose to decide for your tattoo designs and the location on your body, it will last FOREVER!

Make the decision a GREAT one.

Weather your looking for tribal tattoos or Celtic tattoo designs, Japanese or Chinese tattoos, exotic or fantasy related tats, superman tattoo pics, Robbie Williams tattoo, Brittany Tattoo, important after care information, choosing a good parlor, artist, safety precautions or even free tattoo designs, you need a source where you can grab everything you could want in one place.

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