Tattoo aftercare

I got my first tattoo waaaay back in September 1990, and in all these years the aftercare that I have used on fresh ink has changed quite a lot.

That first one... Jeez, I don't think I had any aftercare regime.


With the second one (the Allen Jones S&M woman that I'm now in the process of covering up), in 1991, I was advised to use E45 cream. Slather loads of it on, I was told. So I did, and I think it healed quite well.

Since then, I have used E45 normally, but often way less than slathering. In part this is because when having to, you know, wear clothes, heavily creamed-up arms, chest, ribs, armpits, whatever, tend to stick to your shirts.

Ditto at night time, in bed. Cue manky, scabby, sticky bedsheets.

And in more recent years, I have used no creams at all, and that's kind of been okay up to a point. The problem can be, and sometimes has been, that the scabs come away too early and take more colour with them than is desirable.

So to my new tattoo. Although I had seen the name bandied about on tattoo forums over the years, this was the first time I had been advised to use Bepanthen, which is a delicate cream for nappy rash. For the first time, too, I have been told to give the tattoo a good wash twice daily, dab it dry gently with a paper towel (no rubbing), allow it to air dry for 15 minutes or so, then apply a thin layer of Bepanthen.

So this is the regimen I am currently following. I figure I'm good for a change, not having been too impressed with some of my other attempts. Fortunately, working from home, I am able to get away without covering up my new ink when it's slick with cream. And at nights I am wrapping the arm, not too tight, in clingfilm (or Saran Wrap).

So far, so good. And the way I figure, if any healing problems arise that adversely affect the quality of the finished product, these can at least be corrected when I go in for the second sitting.

All of which brings me to today's question: I know several of my visitors are tattooed. What aftercare routines do you adhere to, and how have they worked out for you?

It’s my birthday, hurrah!

Yes, boys and girls, today, yours truly is 37 years old. On this day in 1970, I took my first breaths of Earth air.

It's been quite a ride so far, let me tell you, but I'm pleased to be able to say I'm in a good place right now. The best ever. The love of a good woman is a wonderful thing.

On that note, I'd like to wish every happiness to my blogmates Suze and Alex. For those of you who don't know, Alex proposed to Suze via a blog post a few days ago. And although she kep us waiting for her answer, it was a resounding yes.

Well, I promised you pictures, and pictures you shall have. Herewith, before and after shots of Stage One of my latest tattoo (paid for by the missus for my b'day prezzie), which -- did I mention? -- is a cover up of a tattoo I got almost 16 years ago, with money I received for my 21st birthday.

Enjoy!


This is the "before" shot. I took this image off a postcard for fetish club The Torture Garden, which I picked up at Kensington Market when I first visited London in the early 1990s. For me, it tied in with the imagery of early Adam & The Ants' songs. Unfortunately, the tattoo never came out that great (difficult picture, shit tattooist). For those of you into art, the original image was by British artist Allen Jones. I found this out years later, but the following coincidence was not lost on me: Adam Ant's unfinished art-college thesis was on the work of Allen Jones.



Before you ask, yes, tattooing makes you bleed! What you see here is mostly blood and plasma wrapped in clingfilm. Well, no one ever said it was going to be easy!



You can still see the blood and gunk here, but you also get a sense of the tattoo.



And this is how it looked this morning, after removing the dressing and giving it a good hot shower and soap-down. I think it's pretty fucking excellent, and tattooist Xam at Frith Street Tattoos has done a great job.



Here's a close-up detail of the panther's face. You can also see the great claws here, too.



And check out the beautiful green of the snake's head.