Tattoo aftercare : The category to watch
Tattooing is an expression of art and culture, and with the inked up population of America now at 30%, there is a growing consumer base for tattoo aftercare. The global aftercare market is expected to reach US$ 158.3 million by the end of 2026, growing at a CAGR of 6.1% during 2020-2026, so no wonder there is such an influx of new brands entering this market wanting to take share of this opportunity.
What is a tattoo?
Small needles pierce the skin and deposit tattoo ink into these tiny wounds within the dermis layer, leaving permanent art that will stay forever.
In response to this new wound, our body’s immune system wakes up and tries to defend you. It sends out white blood cells called Macrophage, their mission being to find and destroy the attackers (tattoo ink). However, the pigment particles are too big to be taken away, so the Macrophage, now containing the pigment, remains in the dermis forever, leaving you with a tattoo that will last a life time.
Immediate Aftercare
Tattoos, which are essentially weeping wounds, are at risk of infection which is why aftercare is essential to minimise redness, irritation, swelling as well avoid infection. You can find a lot of aftercare advice for for the healing stages of the tattoo. Here are some top tips to help with the initial healing stages of tattoos :
Keep it covered in the seal applied by the artist. Some artist advice leaving this on for as long as possible (we’re talking days!) and others say to remove it once you’re home. Once the protective layer has been removed at the advice of your artist, it then needs to be washed.
Keep it clean: Use a gentle unfragranced antibacterial wash to clean the tattoo, but do not soak! Bathing in jacuzzi’s & pools is a big nono!
Moisturise: There is often a lot of conflicting advice on what is the best moisturiser to use. ADD suggest using a water based moisturiser over petroleum based, which can cause the ink to fade. Other artists recommend using an ointment based product. So follow the advice of your tattoo artist here and apply a thin layer onto the fresh tattoo and keep reapplying. Gently!
Clothing: Choose loose items which wont cause friction.
Scabbing: Don’t be tempted to pick when scabbing starts and avoid scratching when it’s itchy. Top tip, try tapping the irritated area instead.
Longterm aftercare
The healing stages of the tattoo will last for a few weeks and whilst people are pretty hot on the immediate treatment, the long term after care can often be neglected. Yet this is incredibly important to keeping your tattoo looking fresh, bold and vivid for as long as possible.
Fading tattoos are inevitable, like ageing, it is something that cannot be avoided. However, just as we try to delay the ageing of our skin, steps can be taken to keep tattoos looking fresh for as long as possible.
Life-long tattoo care is actually not too dissimilar from following a simple skincare regime. Here are the top tips:
Use an Intense moisturiser twice a day, like cocoa butter, or even better use one with SPF. Tattoos, just like your skin, do not like UV rays! Whether artificial or from the sun, UV rays can cause tattoos to fade and dull the colour by breaking down the chemical structure of the pigment in tattoo inks. Not to mention unprotected sun exposure increase risks of skin cancer. Therefore coverup and always wear high protection SPF when in direct sunlight.
There is often a misconception that exfoliating your tattoos will remove colour, however this isn’t the case. Exfoliation removes dead skin cells from the upmost levels of the skin, and as tattoo ink is deposited way beneath several sub layers of skin, it’s not even close to being reached! Therefore exfoliating is great for getting rid of dull skin, and a brighter complexion will also benefit the appearance of the tattoo. Both physical and chemical exfoliants are effective on the body, however we’d opt for a gentle yet affective glycolic cleanser.
For an extra little cheat to help make your tattoo pop, try using an oil based moisturiser increase colour intensity and add shine.
If you would like to chat to us about launching your own bodycare tattoo range then please get it touch :)
THE BEAUTY BRAND COACH