Body Art-Permanent Tattoos(contd.)

In my last post I mentioned some of the common problems one might experience while or before getting inked.In my following post I am going to mention some of the common do's and don't regarding the procedure.
Some of the issues you need to be aware of before getting your tattoo done:

• The artist breaks the seal of the needles before you i.e. the needle is a fresh one.
• He/she wears a pair of clean surgery gloves.
• In case of a colour tattoo where you the artist will require to work with multiple colours,he/she must use seperate needles for different colours or at the least thoroughly clean the needle before dipping it in another shade.This is because if there remains any residue of the previous shade used it will tend to get mixed with the next colour and the result might be a shade altogether different from what expected. Eg. If the first shade used is black,and the next to be used is crimson,then the resultant if the colour mix will be a brownish shade.
• There are two types of needles-A liner(an linear arrangement of 5 extremely fine needles) and a shader(a octagonal arrangement of 8 needles with one in center that is a total of 9 needles).As the name suggests the liner's main function is drawing of line tatoos and borders and fine line.Working with liner is a slow process.While the shader's main purpose is blending colours and works that require filling colours.Working with a shader is a faster process and it can also serve the purpose of a liner.But shaders are costlier compared to liners.

Your tattoo will look like any other normal wound except that it is colourful.It won't look fabulous(in fact it might even appear hideous)from the very first day.It might pain,throb like any other wound but remember this will last only for a week at most if you take proper care of the tattoo.Here are some aftercare you need to keep in mind:

• After getting inked,don't touch a drop of water to it at least for the first three days.
• Let the wound breath.It will heal up faster.But make sure the open wound is always clean enough and don't attract dirt.You will notice a trasperant liquid secreting as it does in any other wound-use a soft clean piece of cotton to dab it dry.
• Next step is the tricky part as it contradicts with my second point-use petroleum based balms(I used vaseline) to keep the area "wet".Apply it twice a day especially before bedtime.As any wounds dry up flakes develop which peels off when skin regeneration is complete.The purpose of using this balms is to keep this flakes wet.The longer the flakes remain the richer will be the hue of colour.This step can be quite messy as I observed using a balm healed my wound faster but there was much liquid secretion and I had to always keep an eye on the tattoo making sure that only the tattoo remains wet and not my entire hand.but then the mess is totally worthwhile as I have very bright colouring of my tattoo.
• Don't pull off the flakes.Let them shade on their own.Pulling them off not only will create a discolouration but also the skin might break,bleed and once the area is healed you will see that that portion doesn't have any colour at all.
• You will of course need to bathe and that would mean wetting your tattoo for sure.To avoid this problem you can apply a considerable amount of olive oil or baby oil on the tattoo before bath as this will make a slippery layer between your skin and the water molecules making it difficult for the water to get absorbed.But note that,this point refferes to after the first three days when you can allow little water to come in touch but not abundant.
• It might pain or swell,as the skin generates it will also feel taut but don't even think of using pain killer balms,or any medicines.The colour won't be rich enough.
• Try and avoid any type of friction as much as possible like rubbing hard with a towel,or while sleeping,the flakes will tear away and the open wounds always are at risk of infections.
• Drink at least more than 2lts of water daily.This will make your skin healthier and hence the tattoo as well.
• Last but not the least,massage a body oil(please take care that it is 'oil' and NOT 'lotion')daily for the next couple of weeks till it heals completely to keep the area moisturized.

Follow this few basic hygiene factors and your tattoo will glow for you to flaunt it befor the world.Do please leave suggestions and ideas you have on the topic.Have you ever been inked before?Share your experience here with me.For now,good night and sweet dreams! :)