Red tattoos are prone to itchiness, especially during the initial healing period. This itchiness can make it difficult for your tattoo to heal, and if left untreated, it may fade sooner than expected.
Fortunately, there are a few things that you can do to care for your tattoo and keep it vibrant. These tips will help keep your tattoo looking great for years to come!
Keep it Clean
Keeping your red ink tattoo clean will help ensure it heals properly and doesn’t fade too quickly. A properly healed tattoo will be able to stand up to the elements and keep looking vibrant for years to come.
You should wash your tattoo with plain antibacterial soap twice daily and apply a layer of antibacterial/Vaseline ointment. Ensure the lotion is fragrance-free and alcohol-free, as perfumes can irritate freshly tattooed skin.
Also, avoid wearing scratchy fabrics, like wool. These fabrics can irritate your tattoo and promote itchy bumps and rashes.
Exfoliate
Tattoo pigments, like all colors, degrade over time. This means the red ink you got on your arm will look less bright and vibrant over the years.
To keep it fresh, you must care for it properly. You can do this by exfoliating it – physically, using scrubs, terry cloths, brushes, or chemically, using a mixture of brown sugar and olive oil.
You should be able to see the skin scabs beginning to form over your tattoo around day 4. This is a crucial part of the healing process and signals that a healthy layer of fresh skin is forming over your ink.
Moisturize
Tattoos are often injected with various dyes and pigments, which can cause your skin to react. The most common reaction is an itchy, red rash caused by a photosensitive allergic response from the tattoo’s interaction with sunlight.
Contact your physician if you have a skin response. Your doctor can recommend medications to lessen the swelling and irritation.
Maintaining care for your tattoo is crucial to keep it looking young and vibrant after it has healed. Like any other wound, it must be kept clean and moisturized during healing.
Don’t Pick at It
Whether you get a large or small tattoo, it is crucial not to pick at your skin. This can cause it to bleed and create scars, which are not what you want.
It is also a good idea not to wear scratchy fabrics like wool. These can irritate your skin and cause rashes, itching, and even infections.
As you heal, you will notice scabs forming over your new tattoo. These will gradually fade away over a few weeks.
Avoid the Sun
Even if your tattoo looks new and colorful when it is first inked, it is still necessary to avoid the sun. This is because the pigments in your tattoo can be harmed by the sun’s UV rays, which will cause them to fade and lose their vibrancy over time.
Sun exposure can result in health issues as well as cosmetic ones. For example, lack of exposure to the sun’s vitamin D increases the risk of getting 17 different malignancies in people.
This is why many countries have strictly restricted sun exposure for the past 30 years. Yet, research shows these guidelines may do more harm than good.
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