Awesome Tattoos

Skull Tattoos – How to Care for them after you Get Inked

Skull tattoos really evoke a wide range of emotions. most of the time, a skull tattoo is intimidating and lets you showcase and unleash your inner bad boy or bad girl. However, you can only be as bad as your tattoo design looks good. That means take care of your skull tattoo to ensure that it last a long time. No one is going to take seriously a tough guy, clad in leather, with a smudged up and splotched skull tattoo. here is a quick rundown of how to take care of skull tattoos.

Keep it bandaged

After you’ve just gotten your brand new piece of body art keep the bandaged on for a minimum of several hours. The duration may alter depending on the size of your tattoo design. your artist will give you a more accurate timeframe. The reason for the bandage is that the tattoo site is literally an open wound and prone to infection from airborne bacteria. Furthermore, touching the new tattoo can also transfer germs to the site. Keeping the bandage on the tattoo allows for the skin to at least close up to mitigate the risk of infection.

Clean the site

After it has been several hours and your skin has had a chance to heal, remove the bandage and clean the site. there will usually be blood, scabbing and skin oil that can interfere with the proper healing process. use warm water and your hand with a very mild antibacterial soap to clean away any build up. afterwards, dab the skull tattoo with a dry paper towel. DO NOT rub the tattoo dry. this will cause the skin to slough off and will ruin your tattoo’s appearance.

Moisturize

Once your tattoo has been cleaned up and the healing process has begun, the site will start to get very dry. your skin will start to flake and crack, causing the ink to fade. Prevent this by using lotion or ointment to keep the new tattoo moist for the next several days. Make sure any substance you use is odorless and dye free. Antibacterial ointment is a good choice but opt for one that is fortified with healing vitamins, such as vitamin E.

Precautions

The basics of caring for your skull tattoo have already been covered but here are some things to avoid in order to promote the longevity of your body ink. keep the tattoo out of direct sunlight for as long as possible. UV radiation will fade the ink rapidly. use a heavy duty sun block on your tattoo. Avoid swimming for several weeks because pool chemicals can damage the tattoo. Showering and bathing poses no risk to the tattoo as long as you do not vigorously wash it for the first several weeks. Refrain from picking or scratching the skull tattoo.

Easy as that. Hopefully this guide has been helpful. Remember, follow the recommendations of your tattoo artist to ensure your skull tattoo looks as great as it did the day you got it.

Image via Flickr