5 Important Tips That Will Help You Recover From Tattoo Removal

By Harry Smith

It’s not uncommon for people to feel regretful of the tattoos they get. People often get tattoos at the spur of the moment or when they’re really young. After a few years, for some people, the tattoos no longer hold an emotional significance. You might also feel the tattoo will have a negative impact on your professional life. When you choose to get laser tattoo removal, there are a few things you can do to help the process of recovery. Here are a few tips that will make your recovery from tattoo removal go smoothly.

1. Clean properly.

When you clean the treated area properly, it will prevent an infection from occurring. Any infections that occur will significantly slow down the process of recovery. Be sure to clean the area with cool water and pat it dry daily. Since the skin will be a little tender, you don’t want to rub it; otherwise, you might irritate it. It’s good to also apply an antibiotic ointment, and cover it with a bandage for the first three days after treatment. Doing this will provide further protection from any potential infection occurring.

2. Use a cool compress.

One of the most common side effects after laser tattoo removal is redness and swelling. Other side effects you might experience include blistering, scabbing, itching, and sometimes, a small amount of bleeding. When you experience inflammation, you’ll be very tempted to pick at the affected area. Instead of touching or picking at the area, you can use a cool compress to reduce some of the inflammation. Using this method can be particularly helpful on the first day following the treatment session. You can feel free to use an ice pack, a frozen vegetable bag from the freezer, or a cool damp cloth. Once you finish cooling down the area, always remember to do a proper cleaning and drying afterward. These initial symptoms of tattoo removal usually only last a few days. The blisters might lead to some skin peeling, which may last up to two weeks.

3. Apply topicals.

When you’ve moved past the three-day mark, you can use a number of topicals that can speed up your recovery. Hydrocortisone cream or Vitamin E oil can help reduce your urge to scratch the treated area. You want to avoid scratching as much as possible, as this will increase the chances of scarring the area. Additionally, it’s good to wear sunscreen on the treated area after the final session to help protect your tender skin from the sun. Sunburns can slow down the process of healing and potentially lead to scarring. It’s helpful to try to avoid spending long amounts of time outside in the sun while the treated area is recovering. If you typically go tanning during your week, you’ll have to hold off on that for the entire tattoo removal process. The chemicals in tanning lotion or spray can potentially have several side effects on the treated area. Among those side effects include blistering and hyperpigmentation.

4. Avoid water.

While you’ll still be able to take a shower after your treatment session, you’ll want to avoid the high pressure hitting the treated area. You also shouldn’t soak the affected area when you have blisters or scabs on it. It will put the skin at risk of being infected and slow the recovery down. Additionally, if the tattoo you’ve removed once near an area you typically shave, you’ll have to deal with some stubble for a while. If you shave the affected area, it can cause nicks in the skin or irritation, which increases the chance there will be an infection.

5. Keeping up healthy lifestyle habits

While keeping up with healthy lifestyle habits is good for your health in general, it’s also really good for helping your tattoo removal recovery move along. Eating nutritious foods and exercising regularly can help boost your immune system, which plays a role in healing the body. Keep in mind not to exercise until you’ve gotten past the first two days. Try eating more citrus fruits and ginger, which have anti-inflammatory properties that can be helpful for reducing inflammation in the treated area. Beyond eating and exercising, you should also try to minimize your stress as much as possible. Stress can suppress your immune system and slow down your body’s ability to heal.

While you may not be able to completely avoid stressful situations, do your best to maintain calmness at all times. Feel free to do some relaxation techniques, get a massage, or take a long walk to manage your stress levels. Additionally, if you’re a smoker, you should consider stopping during your recovery from your tattoo removal. When you smoke, the blood vessels in your body constrict. Strong circulations through the body are important for clearing the pigments from your tattoo. If you can’t stop completely, try to significantly reduce your consumption of cigarettes to get the maximum effect from your treatment.

Final note: Remember that results will vary.

While all people who want to have their tattoos removed hope to have them completely erased, it’s vital to remember laser tattoo removal isn’t perfect. A lot of factors can impact the effectiveness of the removal of your tattoo. Results can vary based on the size of the tattoo, the location, or the type of ink that was used. Black colors are usually easy to remove, while green and purple can be difficult. Larger tattoos can take longer to remove and are typically more difficult to remove completely. Additionally, the further down a tattoo is located on your arms or legs, the more difficult it will be to remove completely due to poorer circulation. It will also take longer to recover from those areas. Nonetheless, most tattoos will either be completely gone or nearly gone after you’ve completed your sessions.

Following these tips will help give your tattoo removal the best chance of being successful. If you want to learn more about tattoo removal, you can find more information at this link: https://lexingtonps.com/tattoo-removal/.