How to Get a Tattoo: Precautions

Video Transcript

"Hi my name is Shotsie Gormon. I'm here as a tattoo artists, a professional tattoo artist for Expert Village. The tattoo goes through a series of transitions. Once the tattoo is complete it will be very red and irritated and very difficult to see the state of it- the final state of it. The next day in the morning when you wake up usually the color is very very intense giving the appearance almost of being cartoonish but in the next few days the skin on the surface will begin to peel in a very similar way to the way a suntan of a sun burn would peel. While that peeling is taking place the tattoo will look a little light and dark and when its finished peeling it will be very intensely color again. That will change over the period of about a month when the skin gets back to its final pictina and natural skin quality takes over. The tattoo will then be at its final state of transition. Its very important during the healing process especially for the first two weeks of the process that you stay completely out direct sunlight. For the first week, no swimming, no soaking in the bath tub for prolonged periods. Showers are perfectly fine. Just that that new layer of skin is going to be very sensitive and easily damaged while its healing. Also if you went in the sun right after the tattoo healed that new layer of skin is very vulnerable to being burned by the sun. So sun poisoning and damage from the sun is a very good possibility. See the key to taking care of it really is in those first few weeks that it gets a lot of attention, is kept out of the sun... yeah I think we're starting to get there."