First tattoo

A tattoo is for life, as you probably hear a lot, and for many, it is the biggest obstacle to getting a first tattoo. Different things or people motivate us to create such a durable souvenir. Sometimes this is a person close to us, sometimes we are convinced fans of a musical group or a lifestyle, and we want to openly show this to the world. Regardless of what motivates us to get a tattoo, the most important thing for us should be that he, going through life, is always with us and always looks good. I hope this article broadens your awareness and guides your choices so that you can wear small pieces of art on your body.

Artist's choice.

The first important choice is to choose the right artist whose individual style suits us best. You will recognize a professional tattoo by several important characteristics:

• tattoo - Most of the works in a given artist's portfolio will be limited to one or a maximum of two styles. If you find an artist who does everything, he probably doesn't do anything perfectly, and we would like our tattoos to be that way.
• Price - if the price is suspiciously low, you should check the reviews about the artist and make sure that the portfolio presented by him is certainly the result of his work.
• time - Most often you have to wait for a tattoo from a professional for several months. Of course, it could be that there is a deadline in 2 weeks because someone has postponed the session, but keep in mind, for example, if your artist has all possible days for the next week, this is the first sign that something is here- it stinks.
• Workplace - a good tattoo artist most often collaborates with other artists, creating various teams or traditional tattoo studios. It is important to read reviews of the entire institution because the organization of the site often determines the quality of the materials used for the tattoo, as well as the hygiene and safety of the workplace.

Is that all?

The first point is behind us, we already have an artist, we have made an appointment and are looking forward to our doomsday. It may seem like this is the end, we have a great artist to get our tattoo done and it will be done in good conditions, but does this guarantee us that our tattoo will look perfect for life?

Nothing is further from the truth, the longevity of our little piece of art will be influenced by how we prepare for treatment and how we take care of the tattoo to heal properly.

Preparation before surgery.

I will try to show you how to prepare for the procedure. In theory, most of you might think that everything is settled and we will see you in the session. There is nothing worse if you want your artist to do his job well, you have to prepare the best canvas for him, that is, our skin. It is worth checking the condition of your skin at least 2 weeks before the scheduled session. Check for stretch marks, moles or other skin lesions in the area of ​​the planned treatment, and see if our skin is firm and supple or dry like in the Gobi Desert. If our skin has skin changes such as stretch marks or scars. It's time to inform the artist about this so that it does not turn out that he does not give the opportunity to make the pattern in the form in which we imagined it. The artist will be able to prepare a pattern and choose the colors of the project in advance, before this state of affairs, in order to eliminate our minor flaws as much as possible. Another aspect mentioned above is moisturizing our skin. You may be asking yourself what does this have to do with tattooing? The answer is quite simple, but in order to thoroughly understand the problem, you should analyze the first part of the tattoo procedure. Before starting the procedure, the tattooist prints tracing paper on your skin, which would be nice if it did not wear off during work. People with very oily skin will make the pattern wear off much faster, which will make the artist's work very difficult, may slow down the pace of work, which, in turn, may lead to more painful treatment associated with prolonged exposure of the skin to irritation, and, finally, for this reason the time frame specified by the artist will change to complete this tattoo. What about dry skin? Dry skin holds tracing paper quite well, however, in extreme cases, very dry skin of the tag can peel off along with old skin that is cracked and is not such a stable basis for our new tattoo, of course, this is a very extreme situation, but why not mention it. With dry skin (less than in the Gobi Desert), there is also the problem of more difficult removal of dirt from the tattoo. When the skin is dry, more ink remains on its surface, so the artist must use damp towels, which again leads to faster loss of our tracing paper and at the same time causes the discomfort associated with wiping off irritated skin.

Shave your skin.

We already know everything there is to know about the condition of the skin, all that remains is to shave. Some of you may find it logical to shave your hair the day before the procedure, preparing it for a tattoo. In this regard, it is worth asking your studio what your skin shaving preferences are. Many artists prefer to shave their skin in the studio just before the procedure. The reason for this is quite simple: when shaving the tattoo site, for example, the day before, we risk damaging the skin and stains will appear on the tattoo site, which may not be perceived in the same way by the pigment used. during the procedure it may seem strange, but the male part of society often has no experience of shaving outside the face, which leads to a seam of the skin.

It's time to get up, let's get a tattoo!

The first night, will I make it through?

I will try to present the method of tattoo treatment that I consider to be the best, based on my many years of experience, conversations with clients, the specifics of tattoo manufacturers and conversations with doctors. The first step in healing is always the tattooing by our master. There are two common methods: A. Food foil and B. Breathable dressing. The first method is becoming less popular, because the foil does not allow our damaged skin to breathe freely, and on the other, method B scares away many experienced tattooists who are accustomed to the fact that under the foil the tattoo gnaws like cucumbers. at the grocery store and they don't understand how the foil allows the skin to breathe.

Method A

(In case the tattoo is wrapped in cling film)

• Film should be removed on arrival home or after a maximum of 4 hours.
• After removing the foil, wash the tattoo with water or water and a good quality non-irritating soap and pat dry with paper towels. Let the tattoo dry until you go to bed.
• Just before the first night, apply a thin layer of ointment to the tattoo and wrap with cling film.
• Use of paper towels is very important !!! Using the traditional towel you use every day will create a host of microorganisms that can lead to skin infections at the site of our fresh tattoo.
• If from the moment of removing the bandage until going to bed, we are forced to be out of the house - in conditions that threaten the purity of a fresh tattoo. Apply a thin layer of cream to the tattoo and wrap with cling film. repeat the process if 3 hours have passed)

Method B

If the tattoo is attached with a vapor-permeable bandage.

• The bandage can be safely left on the skin for 24 hours.
• The manufacturer of such dressings recommends 24 hours, many artists allow such foil to be stored for 48 or 72 hours, if a large amount of plasma does not accumulate under the dressing.
• If a lot of fluid has accumulated under the dressing, it should be removed or carefully punctured and the excess fluid drained. (if the dressing is removed before the first night, see A.2)

Leaving after removing the bandage.

1. Lubricate the tattoo with specialized ointments in a thin layer for about 2 weeks.
2. Use only ointments designed for tattoo healing.
3. Ointments such as Alantan, according to the manufacturer's recommendations, should not be used on secreting wounds such as tattoos.
4. Lubricate about 3-4 times a day. Rinse the tattoo in the first days and dry it before applying. (It is very important to keep the tattoo clean, the body will produce various fluids, ink and be susceptible to infections and infections.)
5. Wash off with water or water and a good quality non-irritating soap and pat dry with paper towels. Repeat the washing and lubrication process for the next 2 weeks.
6. If the tattoo is exposed to unfavorable conditions for the first 2 days, it can be covered with foil. However, it should be remembered that a tattoo under the foil takes longer to heal and may burn.
7. If we need to temporarily protect the tattoo, such as when it is exposed to dirt at work, the tattoo must be stored under the same foil. NO longer than 3-4 hours.

What else is worth knowing?

• Rub the ointment into the skin without leaving any excess cream on the skin.
• During healing, the epidermis will peel off, do not scratch the skin, this can cause tattoo defects!
• After tattooing, the skin may be swollen and red for several days.
• Limit alcohol consumption, the tattoo does not heal well, as alcohol slows down the healing process.
• Avoid physical activity for at least a week, 2 weeks is recommended.
• After 2 weeks, we can stop using ointments and switch to regular moisturizing lotions.
• We avoid long baths for 3 weeks and sun exposure for a month.
• Do not overtighten or stretch the skin at the tattoo site, as this can displace the pigment on the skin.
• After the tattoo has healed, use tattoo filters when they are exposed to harsh sun exposure. (Filter preferably SPF 50 + 0). Lack of filters results in significant color fading.