Getting a tattoo is something that many people do for a wide array of reasons. For one, you might simply like the way that tattoos look and want something like that on your own body. You might also choose to get a tattoo for sentimental reasons, or to mark an important date. And still more people consider tattoo work a very important and interesting form of art. No matter what the reason, getting a tattoo is so commonplace that up to 45 million people living all throughout the United States alone have at least one tattoo, if not even more than that. For many people, the process of getting a tattoo is a familiar one, and one that they know how to cope with. For newbies though, those who are looking into their first ever tattoo, there are certainly some important things to know now just about the tattoo process, but about the aftercare for their new tattoo as well, as this alone can make or break how the tattoo ends up turning out when all is healed and said and done.
For one thing, you’ll need to choose a location for your tattoo, understanding that different locations on your body can mean different things when it comes to tattoo placement. Consider, for just one example, inner lip tattoos. Inner lip tattoos heal quite rapidly, fully recovered within the span of just a few days. This is something that can be attributed to the fact that the cells in this part of the body regenerate quite quickly indeed. However, this same rapid process of cell regeneration also means that any lip tattoos applied will not be as permanent as many other types of tattoos. Typically, an inner lip tattoo will last, at most, for five years before fully fading away. In some cases, they will be mostly gone even by the one year anniversary of the tattoo being performed. Other parts of the body, such as the fingers, can also cause tattoos to fade, meaning that permanence will not be as easily obtained – which is certainly something to be considered before getting any kind of a tattoo.
In addition to this, finding the right tattoo parlor is also a must. While it can be tempting to go to the tattoo parlor that offers the best deals, this is likely to not get you the results that you are looking for. As tattoos are actually considered minor surgeries, with the tattoo needle piercing your skin as many as 100 total times over the span of just one single minute, it is hugely important to find a tattoo shop that maintains a high standard of hygiene and cleanliness, something that will help you to avoid infection.
You will need to take steps after your tattoo is completed in order to continue to avoid infection as well. Cleaning it regularly with tattoo aftercare products from a tattoo care kit is a must, though some tattoo artists will advise you to keep your new tattoo covered for anywhere from a few hours to a day or so before a tattoo aftercare kit and tattoo aftercare products are used. This will help the fresh wound to heal and stay safe. After this point in time, you can let the tattoo breathe, but you should wash it with antibacterial soap a few times a day. Once the tattoo begins to scab and peel, typically around day five to 14, you will also want to apply a light amount of tattoo aftercare products like tattoo aftercare lotion, as this will help with the itching. Though it will be tempting to pick at the scabs that have popped up, you should avoid doing this at all costs. Picking the scabs of a tattoo could mess up the ink beneath them, and could permanently disfigure your tattoo. Keeping your hands away from the tattoo in question will also help to reduce the chances of developing an infection, something that could also end up permanently marring your tattoo. You should only touch it to apply tattoo aftercare products, as tattoo aftercare products are important to its healing and therefore an exception for tattoo aftercare products should be made.