Question Details	Asked By	Asked On
tattoo application	netto	04/08/03
getting a tattoo and i went to the artist and he made a stencil of it and applied it to my arm to wear a couple of days to confirm i like it, it's size, placement, etc. well, to put it on, he rubbed like old spice or some crap stick deodorant on my arm, saying he needed that for the trasnfer of the stencil he said he does the same thing for the actual tattoo day, and i was wondering if: A) it's healthy to have deodorant on the area of your skin where you're getting the tattoo???....and B) will the presence of the deodorant make the ink thin, runny, etc.??? any other info on tattoos would be greatly appreciated...thanks.
Clarification/Follow-up by JeffreyBryson on 04/09/03 2:36 am: I want to follow up with some words about the care of your tattoo. There are many artists out there that recommend "A & D" ointment or the like. However, contrary to their opinions, they are mistaken to recommend this. *Please* trust me as one who has had a substantial amount of work done and *completely successfully* that using ointment tends to obstruct the healing process- not aid it. The truth is that caring for a fresh tattoo is extremely easy and simple. I recommend that you buy a bar of moisturing soap (such as Dove which is what I always use) and that doesn't irritate your skin. Three to four hours after your tattoo is done gently remove whatever wrap that's covering your tattoo, take the bar of soap and with cold water lather your hands, then with those lathered hands gently rub and wash your tattoo for as long as necessary in order to remove whatever bit of blood that may be there and *all* residual ink so that by the end of your cleaning process you see no color in the soapy water that you're using to clean your tattoo. After all blood, ointment, and residual ink is completely removed, then use some paper towels to pat your tattoo dry. The first cleaning takes the longest, but the remaining cleanings take only a fraction of the time. The usual time required for healing is one to two weeks. You'll know that your tattoo is healed once all the skin that's begun to peel has peeled off completely. There's just one last thing, and this is *extremely* important. *Absolutely do not* yourself peel or pick at any skin or at scabs that form. The peeling and scabs are a necessary part of the healing process that is key to a successful tattoo. Simply follow the cleaning directions above, and the simple process of gently cleaning your tattoo with your lathered hands will be sufficient to promote the natural peeling process, and do this twice per day until healed. Just don't do anything besides that to force that peeling. That's all you need. :) Clarification/Follow-up by JeffreyBryson on 04/09/03 4:21 pm: It sounds as though he takes all the right precautionary measures. Really, I don't think you have a thing in the world to worry about. You sound all set. By the way, just what does your design happen to be, and where will it go? J. Clarification/Follow-up by netto on 04/09/03 7:00 pm: I'm getting a tribal armband on my right arm. The stencil he put on was higher than I want, and I told him already. I want it centered on my upper arm. I spent hours looking at flash he had, and already had this design chosen. I found nothing that even made me 2nd guess it for a second. I'll definitely send you a pic when it's done. Hey, one other question - he said he gives everyone a bar of Dial soap to use to wash it...does that matter? I mean instead of Dove? He said he does this because one bonehead went back to work after getting his tatt, and used that goo shit mechanics use to clean it -- needless to say he fucked it up. How many you got? What designs? Clarification/Follow-up by JeffreyBryson on 04/09/03 11:53 pm: I'm really glad for you that he hit it so immediately on the design you wanted. That's the best. Dial? Sure, that's nice and "antibacterial", but I maintain with you that, again, *so long as that it doesn't naturally irritate your skin, Dove is better because it has a nicely moderate amount of moisturizer in it that Dial doesn't have. Dial's great for piercings- it's what I used whenever I got one. But, it just tends to be a bit of a drying soap. Really, there's room for a bit of debate about what soap to use because it's not of the utmost importance. But, I'm a person of extremely high standards who wants the best for himself as well as others. So, because of that I am immediate to recommend what I know to be very successful. I have five tats total, but they largely cover my arms. I have flames that wrap around almost my entire left forearm. I have the eye of Horus on my right wrist. Above the eye I have a cobra that covers half my arm. Above that cobra I have an ankh. And, finally, back to my left arm and on the upper part- the whole upper part- I have a black panther. The place where I went is arguably one of the best in the U.S. The guys there are all masters, and the owner and founder of the parlor is one of the most famous and historic artists in the last several decades. Check this out. http://www.tattoocitysf.com
Answered By		Answered On
JeffreyBryson		04/09/03
I wondered whether anyone would ever ask a question at this board. It's nice to see. :) I hear your concern about tattoos, and I appreciate it. You obviously take this whole thing seriously (as one absolutely should), and you want it to turn out as well as possible. Good for you. I have good news for you. The only thing that could possibly be a problem concerning this use of the deoderant stick is that you would happen to be allergic to the particular kind used. However, you said that the artist already used it on you, and you told me of no bad reactions to it. So, given that the artist will quite likely use the same stick during your tattoo session, you have not a thing to worry about- really. :) The specific answer to your question is that this use of deoderant wont at all interfere with a successful tattooing. That's true because the tattoing needles go several layers into your skin (which is how a tattoo can remain for years), but the deoderant remains on your superficial layer. In other words, once the artist begins tattooing he (or she) immediately bypasses your top layer of skin and whatever happens to be on it (minus, of course, hair that may not have been shaved off- that should always be done, though). Be at peace by knowing that the use of this stick is *extremely* common and is simply an effective and inexpensive way to cause the ink transfer from the stencil to adhere to the skin so that the artist can trace it with ink. That's all there is to that. The normal procedure is to first spray onto the impending tattooed are a sort of antiseptic soap that secures and wets the skin for shaving the present hair and for the tattooing. After that the artist quickly shaves the area, and then he gets down to business. You said that you wanted more information about tattoos. That's rather a broad request. I do, though, have an idea that may be most relevant and helpful to you. Check out the following link to learn what's really going on during the tattooing process. I think you'll find it interesting and useful. http://people.howstuffworks.com/tattoo.htm The only things that you need to be sure about are that you will be satisfied with your design (and this unusual wearing of the outline that you've done is a *very* smart idea), that you have a good and hygenic artist, and that you'll be content with wearing this tattoo for many years to come. It seems, though, that you have these things well taken care of. If you have any further questions, then feel free to ask them of me. I hope it all goes well. If you wouldn't mind, then please take a photo of it and share it with me. I always enjoy seeing people's work. Jeffrey

Additional Options and ratings are only visible when you login!