PINUP TATTOO AFTERCARE,

Getting the best from your body art

Now that you have your sexy pinup tattoo, you will need to take good care of her in the vital healing stage. Tattoo aftercare is very important for the best long term results.

Your tattoo artist is now no longer responsible for any infection you may get in the tattoo area, so make sure you take the proper care. A great tat can be spoiled by poor aftercare.

Don't cover it with cling film (saran wrap) as this will not allow the skin to breathe.

Once the bandage is off you must clean the area. The skin is very sensitive at this point so no harsh chemicals or hot water.

Use your hand, nothing abrasive, and luke warm water with a very mild natural anti bac cleanser. Gently wash off any blood, ointment or anything else icky until the area is completely clean. If the tattoo feels slimy then you have probably been oozing plasma through the wound....yuck. Make sure you clean all of this off, but, and I cannot stress this enough, GENTLY. It is actually this ooze drying on the surface of your skin that tends to cause scabbing over the tattoo, so keep it clean.

Once it is clean pat the area dry with a clean, soft towel. Do not rub it. Make sure it is completely dry before applying anything to it.

There are specially formulated products just for this purpose like 'Tattoo Goo' for example. Use these if you prefer, but they are not really necessary.

One product many people do often recommend but that I would be very wary of is 'Neosporin'. This product is not designed for tattoos but for scrapes and small cuts. Some people have an allergic reaction to it, which brings the area up in little red lumps, which when they go away they take the ink with them so you can end up with patches missing! Which could play havoc with your pinup tattoo girl's lovely complexion.

I don't want to alarm you at all, and it is true that anyone can develop an allergic reaction to anything at anytime, even if you have used it a hundred times before. But it is important to have an idea of how your skin will react. So my advice would be to do a skin test of the product you intend to use.

You do a skin test like this: put the product on the inside of your elbow, let it dry and cover it with a small bandage. If after 24 hours there has been no reaction then you should be ok. But remember that the tattoo will make your skin more sensitive.

Whatever product you choose, use it as directed for about 3 to 5 days.

There are so many different views on what is best to use in this period, and I don't see any need to go into them all here.If your tattoo artist, or a trusted tattooed friend recommends something that you are happy with then use that. Otherwise try to keep it as simple as possible.

A note on bathing...
Ok it is a myth that you cannot shower with a new tattoo, but don't take a bath if your tat is in a place where you can't keep from submerging it. When you do shower try not to really soak it and don't have the water too hot. And this should go without saying, but, don't use soap or exfoliant on it.

Avoid bathing and go gentle in the shower for about 2 or 3 weeks depending on how fast you are healing. And avoid swimming for 2 weeks or so too.

One indication of healing is scabbing believe it or not. Though excessive scabbing may indicate a bad tattoo. But generally it is normal.

If it is itching you don't need me to tell you should not scratch or pick, your Mother probably told that when you were a child!. What you can do is hold a moist warm compress against the area for around 5 mins up to 3 times per day. This will soften the scabs and they will come off naturally. Don't put any lotion or anything on them when they are moist, wait for them to dry first. Treat it like you would sunburn = keep it clean, keep it dry, apply lotion only when it needs it and otherwise leave it alone.
Ofcourse this can be made more difficult depending on where your pinup tattoo is. Like if it is on your hip for example you will have to be sure you wear low waisted jeans or something very soft and light to prevent rubbing. I had a friend in high school who ended up with a bit missing from her hip bone tattoo because of her jeans rubbing on it.

One final note on lifelong pinup tattoo aftercare. If you protect your tattoo from the sun with a high factor sunblock it will retain its colour vibrancy for longer.

You pinup ladies will be doing this anyway though right? Dita keeps her porcelain complexion perfect with lots of sun protection, and only swimming at night.

Enjoy you new pinup tattoo skin art.

Thanks for reading, Return to pinup tattoos main page
Or find more pinup style tips and ideas in the Retro Glamour section
Return from pinup tattoo aftercare to pinups art-n-style HOME PAGE

Or - More stuff you might enjoy:
Free tattoo gallery 1 - the pinup girls
Get the Betty Page look
Red Lipstick - the guide to the perfect pinup pout
Pinup hairstyles vids - Victory Rolls