What Happens in Tattoo Recovery and Care

Part 7 of 7 ~ tattoo education
as I partook in this experience in the Fall of 2000.

Dedicated to the whole truth - my experience ~ from the beginning of the idea to the end of the first week of recovery.

The Next Day - Sunday, November 5, 2000
I had a few bad dreams last night waking up and thinking about the pain I went through to get my tattoo - {feeling like a sharp knife was SLOWLY being dragged across my back and over the open wounds Again and Again}. It is very difficult for me to even think about it and to re-live the experience to type it here. The thought of it has brought tears to my eyes a few times over the course of last night and today. I hope to file it away soon in the back of my brain - never to remember its intense memory again. I am pretty darn tender {that was polite too!} from all the bruising. The bruising feels very deep. There is quite a black bruised area around the entire design that even runs down onto my bum. Every time I moved, walked, sit and stand it feels as though my skin is being ripped apart. I'm afraid to move too much for fear of tearing some of the scabs and crusty bits. These scabs and crusty bits and the bruising will heal during the next few days I know. I am taking it easy tomorrow though just so I don't move around too much putting extra strain on my skin-tight scabbed back.

I love my tattoo. It is beautiful. My dragon is now a part of me - forever. I am very pleased with the way it turned out and I am glad I did it {and got through it!!} but I don't think I'll be able to go through the process again. Nor do I think I want to – for now anyway!

Update:

My Daily Recovery during the First Week {I was inked Saturday}
Monday, November 6, 2000 - My tattooed skin was starting to crack - the entire design was covered in high scabby dry lumps. There were still raised up lumps of coloured skin all over the design. The bruising was not as dark or quite as sore. It was still difficult to bend over from the waist as it felt as though I was stretching scabbed skin too far. It was easier to wear no clothing over the tattoo for it would rub over the tender skin making it feel like an open wound. The tattoo was still very swollen and lumpy - I iced it a couple of times to help take some of the swelling down {eg: the red scratched skin under the outlines}
Tuesday, November 7, 2000 - still tender, bruising not as bad, dry, coloured skin starting to flake off. It still felt as though I was tearing the dry scabs off if I bend over too far in any direction.
Wednesday, November 8, 2000 - very flaky, most of the scabs have been rubbed off from clothing. The tattoo feels much flatter now - a part of me rather than feeling swollen and embossed. Today it felt like sunburn and a very bad rash. It was very itchy. It was much easier to move around. The non-scabby parts now look like they are covered with very fine dry, smooth, soft lines.
Thursday, November 9, 2000 - very, very, very, itchy!!!-I'm dancing here! I started to moisturize the area being careful to only touch the soft, smooth areas - not the raised up scabby bits - there are not many left. The tattoo is tender to touch.
Friday, November 10, 2000 - The tattoo is feeling much better - not as tender although there are a couple of places that feel like the bruising is deeper and there are only three small scabs left. I moisturized the whole design three times today - with a big sigh of relief each time.
Saturday, November 11, 2000 - I still have itchy times - about five or six today - each time I would apply a very little bit of moisturizer. There are no swollen or raised up areas. After a shower, the design looks like it has shriveled up and be very dry to the touch until it was moisturized. If I touch it too hard or bump it the bruising still feels very deep in a couple of places. The colours are very brilliant and beautiful.

Care of a Tattoo:

The First Night: the bandage is kept on overnight
The Next Morning: with clean hands, the bandage is removed. The tattoo is washed with pure, unscented soap {ie: Ivory}. It is gentle lathered with the hands until the layer left by the bandage is gone. Rinsed and patted with a clean towel, this process is done every 2-3 hours only until the tattoo is not weeping anymore {mine did not seem to weep at all - not obviously anyway}
The Next 4-5 Days: the tattoo is washed lightly once a day in the daily shower. It is to be kept dry at all times other than that one wash and it is not to be soaked in a tub, etc. No sun or chlorine water exposure.
After 5 Days: the tattoo can be very lightly moisturized - 2 to 3 times daily. Never saturate or soak the tattoo during this healing stage. Less moisturizer is More! at this point. Any excess can be wiped off with a paper towel. The recommended brand is Lubriderm Unscented hand cream. Never: pick or scratch at a healing tattoo.
For 6 weeks: avoid sunlight, tanning beds, creams, chlorine pools & hot tubs, etc. Eat well and consider supplementing your diet with Vitamin C and E and Zinc to help aid the healing process.
Future Care - Always: use clean hands when touching the tattoo and use clean shirts, sheets, etc. Provide a thin protective layer of Vaseline over a tattoo when swimming or soaking in a chlorinated tub. Beware that the chlorine and uv lighting such as tanning beds and direct sunlight can fade the colours of a tattoo.

In Canada, one is not allowed to give blood within a year of getting a tattoo.