How to Care for Tattoo Laser Surgery Scarring

The look of a tattoo after laser surgery may initially make a person want to go to the hospital. It's not meant to look cute, and when the surgeon warns the patient that the tattoo will swell, the surgeon means it. After a tattoo has been through surgery, it may give the appearance of not only swelling but looking like there are several keloids on it. The tattoo may feel stiff like it's not skin, and it will become very dry and peel if not taken care of properly. With the correct care, your tattoo will obviously look a little different, but the rest of your body should not be affected by it. With the right care, there should be no scars left over from the surgery.

Things You'll Need

• Polysporin
• Neosporin
• Vaseline
• Dial soap
• Nonstick pads or Telfa pads
• Bandage tape or Ace wrap

Instructions

1. Wash the tattoo twice daily with your fingerprint pads. Do not press the tattoo hard or apply pressure to an area that looks like a keloid. Pus is most likely underneath the bumpy area, and it will come out in its own time. Irritating the tattoo will make things worse if you are not careful. Do not use perfume soap because the ingredients in it may infect the tattoo. Dial soap is a better selection.

2. Blot the tattoo dry with a clean towel. Do not use the same towel area twice regardless of it being clean, especially if the tattoo is bumpy. You do not want to rub pus into a clean area of your arm the next time the tattoo is cleaned.

3. 

   Apply a thin layer of Polysporin, Vaseline or Neosporin to the tattoo once daily and seal the tattoo with a nonstick bandage or Telfa pad. Nonstick pads are okay for a little while, but they tend to move around, especially if you're wearing a shirt that goes over the tattoo, so it may be necessary to use an Ace wrap or bandage tape. If the area where the bandage is begins to itch or burn, stop using bandage tape immediately. If you continue to use it anyway, you may end up with a bandage tape mark along the area where the tattoo is.

4. Stop using bandages after seven days. Continue to clean tattoo and apply ointment twice daily until the tattoo is completely healed. Do not allow scabs to become dry or hard or pick at any scabs because this could increase scarring. The tattoo is not going to look attractive, and it may be dark or have light spots within the tattoo, but do not try to cover it with form-fitting bands. This messes up the circulation in the body, and it could also bring additional damage to the area.

5. Apply cocoa butter or aloe vera to the tattoo three times per day until the next visit for tattoo laser surgery.

Tips & Warnings

• Amateur tattoos (i.e., jailhouse tattoos) can be removed much easier than a professional tattoo. If your tattoo was completed by a professional, expect to have 6 to 8 visits until the tattoo is completely gone.

• Don't be discouraged if the tattoo does not immediately disappear after the first visit. Remember that a tattoo was meant to be permanent, so taking it off is supposed to be difficult to do. That was the purpose of paying all of that money to get it put on!

• If you have never used Neosporin before, test out a little on another part of your body instead of the tattoo. Laser surgeons have repeatedly run into customers who are allergic to Neosporin. If this is the case with you, use Vaseline or Polysporin instead.

• Laser surgeons will give you the option of whether you want anesthesia or not before getting tattoo surgery. If you do not have a high tolerance for pain, get the more powerful anesthesia. The cream that is used might as well be lotion because it doesn't eliminate the pain at all. Tattoo laser surgery feels like about ten rubber bands popping a body part at once on a repeated basis with a bit of electric shock. For some, it's lightweight pain, but for others, it can be unbearable. Ask the laser surgeon to test a small area to see whether you can handle having the entire laser surgery without anesthesia.