There are many reasons why someone would want their tattoo removed. People usually get them when they are young and when time goes by some of them do not seem pleasant anymore.
Maybe you’ve grown out of them, or you want to get a job which disapproves of body art, or maybe you just don’t want the name of an ex on your arm anymore.
However, there is a solution and nowadays you can safely remove any tattoo you want, but the story is not over when you take it off your skin. Here’s how you should take care of your skin afterwards.
After you’ve had your tattoo removed visible changes will appear on your skin. You’ll probably do it by laser tattoo removal since it’s the safest and the easiest way. Try to find experts in this area, for example, if you live in Perth there are some reliable ones there for sure. After the removal, your skin will react in visible ways. Stuff like blisters will occur between 8 and 72 hours after the procedure and may last up to 2 weeks. You may also experience scab, swelling or burning of the area. Do not panic, because this is all a normal reaction.
Depending on the tattoo, 3 to 10 treatments are needed to remove it completely so it’s normal for your skin to react. Yellow, green and fluorescent tattoos are more difficult to fade so be prepared for more treatments if you have one of those. Pigment of the skin can change slightly, but this is only temporarily and it happens to people with darker skin. Apart from swelling, blistering and crust, itching may also occur. All this should pass within 4 weeks and the next procedure shouldn’t be performed until this happens.
Taking care of the skin:
- Immediately after the treatment apply an ice pack or cold compress to your skin. Do this for up to 48 hours for it will calm the irritated skin.
- You shouldn’t have a shower for at least 2 hours after the treatment and when you do, avoid high pressure water.
- Cover the treated area with a sterile dressing and keep it clean.
- Use only soap and water to clean it. Do not rub it dry but gently pat the area.
- For the first 3 days you may apply antibiotics like Neosporin to prevent infection.
- When blisters appear do not pop them intentionally, but let nature take its own course. When they pop, apply antibiotic ointment for up to 24 hours.
- Picking at the scab may feel attractive to you, but avoid doing this to prevent scarring and infection.
- Put off hot tubs, swimming and jacuzzi for until after your skin is completely healed, because you shouldn’t soak it while it’s healing.
- Protect the treated area by wearing SPF 25 sunblock for 3 months.
- If you had tattoos removed from the ankle and feet area you should rest and avoid standing for too long until the swelling disappears.
- Of course, if anything seems unusual or you have an extreme reaction, seek medical attention.
