Hand and finger tattoos have skyrocketed in popularity recently, and it is easy to see why – they are great! However, whether you prefer something bold and colorful or a simple black and grey tattoo, there are a few aspects of hand and finger tattoos that require a bit of special care.
Knowing how to properly care for your newest hand or finger tattoo helps to ensure that it heals well and looks perfect!
Why Aftercare Is Especially Important On Hand And Finger Tattoos
Paying special attention to your tattoo aftercare is especially important for tattoos on the fingers and hands. You spend all day using your hands, so this area of the body is much more susceptible to irritants, potential infections, and physical risks.
Hand And Fingers Tattoo Care: Step By Step
Before getting a hand or finger tattoo, it’s recommended to know the proper aftercare steps and how they can be different from the usual aftercare practices for other areas of the body. Here is what you need to know.
#1 Get Your Tattoo
This is the fun part! After talking with your artist and figuring out the best design and approach, you schedule a session to get your new tattoo.
#2 Bandage
After your session, your tattoo artist will cover your tattoo with a special, breathable film to help protect it from bacteria, debris, and other irritants.
#3 Keep It Protected
The first 24 hours of tattoo care are crucial to ensuring a healthy and successful healing process. Therefore, you want to ensure your tattoo is wrapped and protected throughout the first night. This helps keep your bedding from scraping, pulling, or sticking to your healing skin.
#4 Rebandage
After you wake up, remove the original wrap, and clean your tattoo. Once your tattoo is clean and dry, apply a new wrap.
#5 Moisturize
After 3-4 days, you can remove any bandages. Next, clean your tattoo and begin moisturizing with a specialized tattoo balm. Do this 2-3 times a day – more if your skin becomes dry.
#6 Long Term Care
After your tattoo is fully healed, which takes about two weeks, be sure to moisturize regularly with lotion to ensure your skin and your tattoo always look its best.
Read also: Long Term Tattoo Care: Myth or Truth?
Hand And Fingers Tattoo Care: Must Know
If you want the appearance of your hand and finger tattoos to be fantastic for a long time, you will have to take care of it. While the following advice should be followed well past your initial session, it is especially important to practice good tattoo aftercare during the healing period.
Avoid The Sunlight
Unprotected sun exposure is bad for skin, regardless of whether you have tattoos. But if you have tattoos, the sun can cause premature fading and even more serious damage to one that is not fully healed.
Avoid Excessive Contact With External Objects/Rubbing
Friction or rubbing on a healing tattoo can pull the ink right from your skin and expose it to bacteria and other irritants.
Hand and finger tattoos are especially exposed to excessive rubbing and contact with external objects, which can cause fading. Therefore, it is important to try and minimize this risk as much as possible.
Avoid Excessive Sweating While The Tattoo Is Healing
Believe it or not, sweat can actually affect how your tattoo looks during the healing period. This is because too much sweat can degenerate the ink before it has had enough time to set in your skin.
For this reason, you should avoid any excessive physical activity for a few days after a new tattoo.
Read also: Can I Work Out With a New Tattoo?
Stay Properly Hydrated For The Sake Of Your Skin Regeneration
If your body isn’t at its best, the healing process can take longer and even be less comfortable.
Moisturizing your tattoo is an important part of the healing process because it keeps your skin in its best condition – but moisturizing is more than just applying a balm. Moisturized and resilient skin is also the effect of proper hydration.
Keep The Area Moist With The Right Products
Refrain from going to the drugstore and picking any bottle of lotion from the shelf when it comes time to moisturize your tattoo.
Your hands and finger are even more prone to drying as they are more frequently exposed to weather and other elements. Instead, opt for a balm or oil-based product to ensure your skin is well-moisturized.
Avoid Harmful Chemicals
Fragrances and other chemicals found in regular skincare products can irritate your tattoo. The same goes for soaps, cleaning products, and anything else that may come into contact with your hands while your skin is healing.
Avoid Picking/Scratching
Even though your tattoo will itch, it is crucial to refrain from scratching or picking at it while it heals. This exposes your tattoo to more bacteria and can even affect how well your skin recuperates.
Most Common Questions About Hand And Finger Tattoos:
Can I Wash My Hands After Getting A Hand Tattoo?
Frequently washing your hands while your tattoo heals is encouraged as it helps to remove bacteria and other irritants from your skin.
Do Hand And Finger Tattoos Fade Fast?
Hand and finger tattoos fade faster than others and often require multiple touch-ups.
Do Hand and Finger Tattoos Hurt?
The pain felt during a tattoo session is different for everyone. However, many agree that hand and finger tattoos hurt more than other areas. This is likely due to less fat and more nerve endings in these areas.
Do They Age Well?
They are more prone to aging when compared to tattoos in other areas of the body. This is mostly due to how much we use our hands on a daily basis.
Final Thoughts
There is no doubt that hand and finger tattoos are having their moment. While these tattoos can look amazing and help you continue to customize your body art, they don’t come without their own set of risks and disadvantages.
There is nothing more important to your tattoo healing process and appearance than practicing the proper aftercare routine to ensure an incredible result.