You’ve met your future tattooist and have ordered a custom design (Part Six). You’re just waiting to see the final design and approve it before it’s tattoo day. Congratulations!
But is there something you should be doing while you anxiously await seeing that final tattoo design? Well, yes there is.
You should get yourself any tattoo aftercare products you might need. Tattoo creams and tattoo specific soaps are the big two items that you should consider using on your fresh tattoo.
Tattoo specific creams and soaps are often hard to get in stores. And are often best ordered online.
If your tattooist has okayed the use of a tattoo numbing cream or tattoo numbing spray, you may need to order that tattoo numbing product in advance.
The availability of tattoo numbing creams and sprays vary by country and jurisdiction. In some countries they can be ordered by pharmacies and in other countries and jurisdictions you will need to order them online.
You should also make sure you have dark colored, loose fitting clothing that you can wear to your tattoo appointment. And for a week or two after your tattoo appointment while your new tattoo heals.
So, let’s look at each category of items you might want to consider getting in advance of your tattoo appointment. And where they can best be ordered.
Tattoo Numbing Creams
Proper tattoo numbing creams and tattoo numbing sprays will contain a topical anesthetic. And the most common topical anesthetic used in tattoo numbing products is lidocaine.
Lidocaine is the topical anesthetic most dentists use. And anybody whose sat in a dentists chair knows just how numb (and drooling) lidocaine can make you.
A good tattoo numbing product will use 5% lidocaine or more.
Some formulations of tattoo numbing products will include mixtures of lidocaine, prilocaine, tetracaine and epinephrine in varying degrees and mixtures.
When choosing a tattoo numbing product it is important that the product states exactly what is in it.
Some disreputable tattoo numbing products will claim online that they numb areas for many hours. But they don’t contain a topical anesthetic and they don’t numb anything!
If the product doesn’t clearly list its ingredients you should treat it like it’s a fake and ignore it.
A real tattoo numbing product will tell you clearly on the label which anesthetic it contains and in what percentage. And if you’re getting one of the more painful spots tattooed you’ll be glad to have a real numbing product.
I’ve personally used dozens of different tattoo numbing creams over the years and have found most of them to be effective. And I recently tested a numbing cream with Lidocaine 5%, Prilocaine 5% and Epinephrine 1% when I got the blackout sleeve on my right arm.
Tattoo Aftercare Creams
You’re going to need a tattoo aftercare cream for your new tattoo.
The main purpose of a tattoo aftercare cream is to stop the new tattoo from drying out and becoming scabby, crispy or cracking.
You need to keep your new tattoo supple and moist. Or you risk having parts of your tattoo deteriorate and the color fall out.
And if your tattoo does scab up or get infected leading to areas dropping ink it means you’ll need another trip to the tattooist. And more money to have the area touched up.
In theory you could use something as simple as Vaseline, Bepanthen or pawpaw ointment as a tattoo aftercare cream.
However specialized tattoo creams are generally my go to items.
I use tattoo specific aftercare creams because they’re designed to stop the tattoo from drying out and have antiseptic qualities to prevent infections. The good ones are also formulated to have no nasty chemicals that could negatively affect the quality of a new tattoo.
You want to avoid creams that have alcohol, petroleum, lanolin, mineral oils, parabens, phthalates and fragrances. These can irritate the new tattoo, cause infections or simply make your new tattoo a heck of a lot more itchy.
And remember you’re not allowed to scratch your new tattoo no matter how itchy it gets!
For my last major work, my black sleeve, I used ‘Hustle Butter’. And I would strongly recommend ‘Hustle Butter’.
Hustle Butter went on well and prevented itching. Using Hustle Butter I had no spots that needed touching up.
Hustle Butter is vegan and is petroleum and paraben free. Hustle Butter contains a mint oil (along with other ingredients) that gives it a great scent!
Tattoo Soap
Soap is something that most people forget when getting their first tattoo. But it is an important component in tattoo aftercare.
The same ingredients you should avoid in the creams you use on your new tattoos should also be avoided in the soaps you use to clean your new tattoo.
Following your tattoo appointment your tattooist will wrap your new tattoo. They will likely wrap your new tattoo in cling wrap (plastic wrap) and use tape to hold it on.
This makeshift bandage should only be worn for 1-3 hours. It’s to allow you to get home.
Once home, you need to remove the bandage and properly clean the new tattoo of all excess blood, ointment, ink and plasma. You need to clean off all that goo using soap.
If you just use the regular soap you have in your shower you risk irritating your new tattoo. Most supermarket brand soaps have fragrances and chemicals you don’t want on your fresh tattoo.
Specialty tattoo soaps like aftercare creams are free of alcohol, petroleum, lanolin, mineral oils, parabens, phthalates and fragrances.
I’ve used ‘Hustle Butter Hustle Bubbles’ on a few of my large tattoos now, including both my sleeves and its worked incredibly well. I would strongly suggest investing in a proper tattoo soap for you new tattoo. And I use and recommend Hustle Butter Hustle Bubbles.
Clothes to wear to your tattoo appointment
You’ll want to wear loose fitting clothing so it’s easy to work around and doesn’t rub on your new tattoo. And you’ll want to wear dark colored clothing. Because tattoo ink, blood and plasma will stain light colored clothing.
If you don’t have loose fitting, dark colored clothing to wear to your tattoo appointment you should get some in advance.
I wear our basic tees for upper body tattoos and they work a treat.
With the buy 3 and get the fourth free offer our Tattoo Vagabond Basic Tees are less than $10 each. They have a great fit and are made from smooth 100% combed and ring spun cotton. They’re the perfect t-shirt for wearing to your tattoo session.
The other things you should consider before your tattoo appointment are what’s lurking in your refrigerator.
For a couple of days before your tattoo appointment and until your tattoo is healed you should avoid excessive amounts of alcohol, pork and anything that seeps through your pores.
Alcohol will thin your blood and make you bleed more. Remember all those action movies where the guy gets shot and then downs a bottle of whiskey? He’d bleed to death.
Don’t drink before or after your tattoo appointment. It will make you bleed more. Wait until the healing is well underway before going on a bender.
As for eating pork before or after a tattoo it depends on the country you are in. And no, it’s not a religious thing. Pork can cause a tattoo infection depending on how it’s been prepared and preserved. And you should never eat pork of questionable origin with an open wound.
You can wind up with a nasty tattoo infections from eating pork after getting a large tattoo. Particularly if the pork hasn’t been prepared and preserved correctly.
The last thing you want on your fresh tattoo is a scabby infection destroying the ink. So avoid pork until your tattoo is almost healed.
Once your tattoo is healed you can break out the pork chops and whiskey.
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