A tattoo is first and foremost a serious injury to the skin. Countless needle pricks perforate several layers of skin, and then pigments are introduced as foreign bodies in places where the body cannot break them down. As with any wound, good care is important to ensure that the tattoo heals quickly and beautifully. But the right tattoo care can do even more. It ensures that your tattoo is still vividly colored and clearly visible even after many years.
Fading and smudging is normal with tattoos. But with the right tattoo care, you can limit this natural process.
Special care for tattooed skin: a good idea!
Tattoos age like your skin and with your skin. You can stop your skin ageing with various care products specially tailored to your skin's needs. If there are pigments under the skin, your skincare needs to look a little different. Because the pigments also need to be cared for. That's why tattoo care is always a good idea.
By tattoo care, however, we don't just mean caring for the injured skin directly after the tattoo has been applied, but also long-term care after the healing phase has been completed. This can slow down tattoo ageing, i.e. the fading and blurring of the tattoo. Skin researchers have now developed numerous care products that protect tattooed skin and keep your tattoo beautiful for a long time.
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The right tattoo care
Tattoo care changes over time. You care for your tattoo differently immediately after getting it than after it has healed. This is what ideal tattoo care looks like:
1. immediately after pricking:
- Apply a breathable plaster.
- Wash your hands first and wash the tattoo with a mild soap before applying the patch.
Idealerweise macht das schon der Tätowierer, Du kannst das aber auch zu Hause tun.
2. six to eight hours after pricking:
- Ideally, the plaster simply stays on.
- If too much wound fluid has collected underneath, change the plaster.
- Wash your hands thoroughly beforehand, rinse the tattoo with a mild soap and dab with a lint-free cloth. Allow to air dry briefly before applying the new patch.
3. first to fourth day after lancing:
- The plaster stays on for as long as possible.
- The plaster is only changed if too much wound fluid has collected underneath.
- When changing the patch, wash the tattoo with lukewarm water and a pH-neutral soap.
- After washing, dab the tattoo dry with a clean towel made of lint-free material. Do not rub under any circumstances! The patch should only be applied when the tattoo is dry.
4. from the fourth day after lancing:
- Take the plaster off completely, your skin can now manage without a plaster. Exception: rubbing clothing. You should avoid this as much as possible.
- You are still abstaining from sport and swimming.
- Only wear loose clothing over the tattoo.
- Keep your tattoo clean.
- Depending on your skin, apply a thin layer of special cream at least in the morning and evening, but possibly up to six times a day. A care cream that helps the skin to heal after injuries is ideal (e.g. SKIN STORIES Rapid Repair Balms).
- Wash your hands before applying the cream so that you do not introduce any pathogens.
5. from the third week after lancing:
- Take care of your skin and your tattoo every day with a daily lotion that moisturizes and ideally has SPF6 or more.
- Dry and rough skin requires special care, such as SKIN STORIES Defining Serum.
6. before sunbathing:
- Whenever the sun's rays hit your tattoo, you protect it from UV radiation.
- A special cream for tattooed skin with SPF 50+ is best suited for this. This is because intense sunlight will cause your tattoo to fade.
No-gos in tattoo care
There are a few things that your tattoo cannot tolerate. Some of them affect the healing phase, others are to be avoided permanently. Please note:
- As long as your tattoo is not completely healed (at least six weeks), long showers, baths and swimming pools are absolutely taboo.
- Do not touch! As long as your tattoo has not healed, keep your fingers away. This applies in particular to scratching. Healing goes hand in hand with itching. Nevertheless: keep your hands off! Otherwise scars will form.
- Drink enough. You need plenty of water and a vitamin-rich diet so that your skin can heal.
- Stay out of the sun! UV radiation is very bad for pigments. You know how it is: garden furniture and summer clothes fade very quickly. Your tattoo will also fade if you forget to use sun protection!
What about normal skin care - is that also a no-go? Yes and no. A "normal" body lotion is of course always good for the skin as a moisturizer. It is also better for tattooed skin than no skin care at all. But tattooed skin needs more. Tattoo care always contains additives that protect the pigments, as well as light protection filters to prevent fading. Special tattoo care is somewhat more expensive than "normal" skin care products. But it saves you the cost of re-tattooing. By the way, you don't need 20 different care products: If in doubt, tattoo care can also be used on pigment-free skin. After all, the products contain everything that is good for the skin.
Incidentally, how you care for your tattoo also depends on the part of your body: Hands and feet, for example, are particularly vulnerable to frequent washing and friction (clothing) as well as frequent contact with light. These parts of the body should be creamed more often to prevent your tattoos from fading. The size of your tattoo, on the other hand, has no influence on the frequency or type of care.
Please note: red tones fade the fastest. Intensive skin care with high UV protection is recommended for red tattoos.
Special case of dry skin
Heating air, cold, extreme heat and wind, as well as rubbing clothing, lead to dry skin. This skin needs an extra portion of moisture. Tattoos lose their color intensity on dry skin and appear pale. Make sure that you apply cream to dry areas of skin every day. Special tattoo care for dry skin is particularly good.
Incidentally, many people also tend to develop dry skin and even neurodermatitis under stress. Do something good for yourself and your tattoo and avoid stress as much as possible.
Tattoo care in summer
UV radiation is particularly high in summer due to the high level of sunlight. However, UV radiation attacks color pigments and therefore causes your tattoos to fade quickly. Make sure you use a tattoo sunscreen to prevent premature fading and smudging.
Special cases: Tattoo care for special skin types and skin diseases
There are plenty of special care products for each individual skin type - so it's fair to ask what this looks like for tattoos. Tattooed skin is a special skin type in itself, so the gradations within tattooed skin are no longer taken into account. Care products for tattooed skin are therefore basically suitable for every skin type.
Ideally, you should opt for a tattoo care product that is free from microplastics, mineral oils and parabens. If you suffer from very dry skin, simply use tattoo care more often. And what applies to daily care is of course also the case with sun protection.
However, if you suffer from a skin condition, you should also listen to your doctor's advice and use medication when caring for your tattooed skin. Because only healthy skin will show off your tattoo to its best advantage. So always use the medical skin care prescribed for you first. Once this has been absorbed, you can also apply the tattoo care after ten to twenty minutes (provided your doctor has no objections).