my tattoo

kestrel

ok so here's the deal: i got my tattoo last week, but im afraid ive been using the wrong stuff for it. i didnt want to use anything that has been tested on animals, so i couldnt use bepanthen or any of the usual stuff tattooists recommend.

i started with a nappy change cream that described itself as:
"protects the delicate skin in the nappy area and helps prevent soreness...easily spread, creating a protective layer with zinc oxide to prevent soreness"
the ingredients are water, sweet almond oil, zinc oxide, lanolin, hydrolised beeswax, calendula officinalis extract, chamomile extract, fragrance (natural essential oils).

i began to get worried that it was leaving a layer on top of the tattoo, which ive been told is bad. soooo, today i bought another cream.

it's a moisturiser, describing itself as having a "revitalising effect and supports the natural regeneration processes of the skin. it supports the development of the fine outer layers of the skin, improving the moisture balance. the deep-nourishing intensive skin care helps prevent the premature appearance of aging. the skin remains soft and supple"
the ingredients include alcohol, various scented oils, carnuaba wax, beeswax, natural essential oils etc etc (theres lots)

i know im not supposed to have fragrences etc in the cream, but they make a point of stating that there is NO artificial additives to the products, just natural essential oils.

basically, have i doomed my tattoo?

qz

Should you not ask the artist if they have any creams that haven't been tested on animals? Or are there such things?

Blub2k4

Don't worry too much, I healed my first tattoo on Nivea on the recommendation of the artist. The only thing is that there are a higher proportion of blocked pores than with Bepanthen but over all it's pretty close.

dragona

Well, instead of all the descriptions, why not tell us what you actually have used???
I'm sure your tattoo will be fine, but I am curious now

kestrel

lol cant believe i forgot to put the names of the products!

Weleda Calendula Nappy Change Cream
Weleda Wild Rose Moisture Cream

i know my tattoo will probably heal grand- im happy with the first one that i healed with a herbal haemorroid treatment (even though i now know haemmorid cream is supposed to be bad for tattoos)

my main concern is the long term effects-ink spreading and ink loss. it seems like everywhere i went today on my frantic search for a cream, i spotted older people with terrible greeny tattoos that had spread loads!

squiiish

I tend to try and avoid things that contain lanolin, particularly when healing tattoos as lanlin can irritate a lot of people's skin quite easily. It's weird because even stuff like E45 which was developed for people with sensitive skin contains lanolin. I used for the first few days when healing my first tattoo and came out in a rash.

Another thing that I would be concerned about in your new cream is alcohol, especially if it's near the start of the list of ingredients.

For Future reference :
Have you looked at any of the moisturisers from Lush ? They are very into their natural stuff, I'm pretty sure they don't test on animals and they do some stuff that is vegan friendly.

I find that Lubriderm (not sure if thats tested on animals, can usually be gotten from Boots for the body stuff part of penney's) and Dream Cream from Lush have both worked well on my tattoos.

hot2def

No need for that now.Consider this a warning.

Blub2k4

kestrel wrote:

lol cant believe i forgot to put the names of the products!

Weleda Calendula Nappy Change Cream
Weleda Wild Rose Moisture Cream

i know my tattoo will probably heal grand- im happy with the first one that i healed with a herbal haemorroid treatment (even though i now know haemmorid cream is supposed to be bad for tattoos)

my main concern is the long term effects-ink spreading and ink loss. it seems like everywhere i went today on my frantic search for a cream, i spotted older people with terrible greeny tattoos that had spread loads!

The spread wont be caused by the initial treatment, that is just migration of the inks in later life as you grow and things move about a bit. It is also a degeneration of the inks, and the fact that they dont hold their colour through sun exposure.

kestrel

squiiish wrote:

Have you looked at any of the moisturisers from Lush ? They are very into their natural stuff, I'm pretty sure they don't test on animals and they do some stuff that is vegan friendly.

i have no idea why lush didnt come to my mind- and i actually HAVE dream cream upstairs! okay so i might change to that now...

will it matter that i keep changing creams?!

kestrel

The spread wont be caused by the initial treatment, that is just migration of the inks in later life as you grow and things move about a bit. It is also a degeneration of the inks, and the fact that they dont hold their colour through sun exposure.

thats great, thanks. ill protect it well from the sun...but what are the side effects of not looking after it fantastically during the first month so?

Blub2k4

Blocked pores mostly, you get raised bumps on it when it is healed out and they sorta pop up and are irritating. They are a pain as the tendency is to pick when it is healed as they irritate and if you do some ink comes out.
If you use perfumed stuff it can irritate and just slow down healing and sting basically, or cause reactions on the raw open wound.

Most of the care is actually care of an open wound, not about the life of the tattoo although both things go hand in hand. You want a clear layer of scar tissue over the tattoo as the ink is in a layer under the skin and as such is seen through it. So if the skin is not good then the tattoo will not look good and also not age as well.
Main thing is to stay out of the sun and out of the swimming pool, (chlorine is bleach) until it is healed and then when it is healed to use a good protection factor and stay off of sunbeds (if you were so inclined).

Hope that helps.

/edit if you dont mind throw us up a pic of it it's interesting to see others art, cheers.

kestrel

that makes me feel loads better about it, thanks! i dont have a digital camera, so it's kinda hard to stick up a picture, but it's pretty much exactly like this;

http://murraycreek.net/higher/epiloguefig3.JPG

it's not an origional, but it's a symbol that has come to mean alot to me, so thats mainly why i got it. it's on my shoulder, about 8x8cm. pretty small...

hot2def

ok, since hippy is is so offensive that it was re-routed, the edited version.

just because you object to animal testing is no reason to slather something you know not of on to a new tattoo..... Enough piercers and tattoo artists are vegan, so simply asking about (or looking on www.bmezine.com) an alternative you have been a better idea...

Blub2k4

kestrel wrote:

that makes me feel loads better about it, thanks! i dont have a digital camera, so it's kinda hard to stick up a picture, but it's pretty much exactly like this;

http://murraycreek.net/higher/epiloguefig3.JPG

it's not an origional, but it's a symbol that has come to mean alot to me, so thats mainly why i got it. it's on my shoulder, about 8x8cm. pretty small...

Nice one, I kinda like that symbol myself and have two versions of it, one from a stone cross, and one from the book of kells, am gonna get a few more in a sleeve and at least one that is similar to your one.

ven0m

people should just use vitamin E cream or Vitamin E oil..... it's as straight forward as that.... why Tattoo artists who are NOT dermatologists have to be fancy or creative when it comes to aftercare is beyond me...... keep it simple....

1. Keep clean
2. keep out of sun
3. use vitamin e oil/cream

it is THAT simple kiddies!!!!!!!


::: ven0mous :::

kestrel

hot2def wrote:

ok, since hippy is is so offensive that it was re-routed, the edited version.

just because you object to animal testing is no reason to slather something you know not of on to a new tattoo..... Enough piercers and tattoo artists are vegan, so simply asking about (or looking on www.bmezine.com) an alternative you have been a better idea...

okay i <i>did</i> ask my tattooist, he had no idea of veggie alternatives, just told me to look for a mild but rich moisturising product. i went for the nappy changing one because it seemed closest to bepanthen, and the second one i wasn't sure about. i came here to look for advice because i know alot of tattooists and people who have tattoos occupy this forum. it seemed like a sensible option to me, i dont know why you seem to have a problem with me asking.

to Blub2k4- love your tattoos!