So you just got your first tattoo done. You took off the bandage after a few hours as advised, and washed it with antibacterial soap. But you see within a few hours that your tattoo ink is leaking! What will you do? You might be scared of the excess tattoo ink on your skin and want to get it off. Have no fear, because this is all totally normal!
So, how to get excess tattoo ink off skin? It is pretty easy to do so. No need to panic about it! It might feel like this will ruin the tattoo but it’s all part of the healing process. It’s very easy to clean once you get to know what the excess tattoo ink is.
Want to know what excess tattoo ink is? Want to safely get the excess tattoo ink off your skin? Maybe even some tattoo aftercare tips? Don’t worry, I got you covered. Let’s start learning about the excess tattoo ink and how to get it off your skin!
Key Takeaways
- The excess tattoo ink is made of the ink that is used for the tattoo and a mixture of blood.
- The excess tattoo ink leaks because of the tattooing process.
- The typical suggestions to get excess tattoo ink off your skin are alcohol pads, baby wipes, paper towels, cotton balls, and warm water.
- You might have a lot of excess tattoo ink because of alcohol consumption and blood thinning medication – avoid them before you get your tattoo.
- Always follow the advice of the tattoo artist regarding taking care of your new tattoo.
Excess Tattoo Ink: Reasons for Leaking
Understanding what the excess tattoo ink is will help you a lot! When your tattoo artist is using the tattoo needle and piercing your skin, they are doing two things. First, they are piercing the skin to create a pathway for the tattoo ink. Second, they are trying to pack as much tattoo ink into your skin as much as possible. This is because they want to make sure the tattoo ink sets in properly.
Now, due to these two parts, the tattoo ink will leak within the first 24 hours of you getting it. The pathways in your skin take time to heal and the excess ink will ooze out. Another part of it is, your body thinks that the tattoo ink is dangerous and so it will try to attack it. They attack it and try to get it out of the skin, causing the ink to come out. But it also comes out with a bit of blood mixed with it. Why is that?
Well, your dermis, where the tattoo ink settles, contains a large network of blood vessels. These blood vessels are ruptured by the tattoo needle so that the ink can settle into the dermis properly. This might sound dangerous, but it is not! The tattoo ink that enters the veins is only in trace amounts. And white blood cells called macrophage helps break them down so it sits mostly on your dermis.
Therefore, the blood vessels help in pushing out the excess tattoo ink. Now again, don’t be alarmed! It’s all part of the healing process of the tattoo. Before it permanently sets in, the body tries to get as much of the ink out as possible. And because the tattooed area is like an open wound, so it will bleed for a bit.
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How To Safely Get Excess Tattoo Ink Off The Skin?
Now, let’s look at what can help get the excess tattoo ink off the skin. As it is a mixture of blood and ink that you have to get off, you’ll have to be careful about what you are using.
1. Alcohol pads
- Good: Disinfecting the area while cleaning it
- Bad: It can cause tattoo lines to be messed up; dries out and damages skin
Alcohol pads sound like a good way to clean the excess ink off your skin. The disinfecting property of alcohol pads makes sure that there will be no infection in the area applied. But alcohol pads blur the tattoo lines. It will also dry and damage your skin on your fresh tattoo. It is an open wound and alcohol will damage it. The only time a tattoo artist uses alcohol is to disinfect the area BEFORE starting to tattoo. So avoid using alcohol pads at all cost.
- Verdict: DON’T USE
2. Baby wipes
- Good: Cleaning away the blood and excess ink; moisturizes the tattoo.
- Bad: Only unscented, soap-less, alcohol-free wipes can be used.
Baby wipes both moisturize the skin under the tattoo and clean the excess ink well. However, you must be very careful about the wipe you are using. If the wipe has any scent, alcohol, or soap-like properties, it should be avoided at all cost. That means NO using antibacterial wipes because it contains alcohol.
Verdict: ONLY IF IT IS FREE OF SCENT, SOAP, AND ALCOHOL
3. Cotton Balls and Paper Towels
- Good: Absorbs the blood and ink very well.
- Bad: Not good at cleaning dried-up ink; bad to scrape the tattoo surface.
Cotton balls and paper towels are really good at soaking up and absorbing the ink and blood from the surface. This can help get excess tattoo ink off the skin, but only when it is wet. What happens when the ink and blood are dried up? Rubbing the tattoo surface is a bad idea, and you will be warned by your tattoo artist not to rub the tattoo when it’s newly inked.
Verdict: ONLY WHEN THE EXCESS INK IS WET
4. Warm Water
- Good: The best when used in combination with antibacterial green soap.
- Bad: Only when sterile; don’t soak it.
As any tattoo artist will tell you, if you want to clean your tattoo then warm sterile water is your best option! Warm water promotes skin activity and speeds up your healing process. And antibacterial green soap helps disinfect the tattoo as well. Because you are washing with soap, the soap contents don’t stay on the surface of the skin for too long and will not get into your skin. The only thing you have to make sure of is the water is sterile. After you are done, always dry with a clean cloth or paper towel. Also, never soak your new tattoo in water, the tattoo itself will get ruined.
- Verdict: BEST OPTION.
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Some Other Reasons There is Excess Tattoo Ink
As you have learned, the excess tattoo ink on your skin is taken out with the help of your blood vessels. So the condition of your blood vessels will determine how much of the ink-blood combination will leak out.
So, let’s see what other factors cause there to be excess tattoo ink on your skin.
Blood-Thinners
Never take blood thinning medication if you want to get a tattoo. Consult your doctors about your medication and if they have blood thinning properties before you get your tattoo. If your blood vessels are thin, you will bleed. And bleed a lot! A tattoo artist will never work on your skin if your blood vessels are thin. It will both harm you and your tattoo will not set properly, causing it to distort and you possibly have to get painful tattoo removal.
Alcohol
As much as Hollywood portrays drunken characters getting tattoos in the middle of the night and waking up to see it, it is absolutely not true! A reputable tattoo shop will never work on an intoxicated person because of the blood-thinning properties of alcohol. So never consume alcohol at least 24 hours before your tattoo appointment.
Some Tips on Taking Care of a New Tattoo
When you just get your new tattoo, it is important that you take care of it carefully. Not only will this make the tattoo heal properly, but the tattoo ink will also set in nicely on your skin. Here are some tips for taking care of a new tattoo.
- Gentle wash with antibacterial soap.
- Using an unscented moisturizer.
- Avoiding direct sunlight.
- Keeping the surface clean and dry.
- Not scratching the tattoo.
Finally, you should follow any advice that your tattoo artist gives. They know best how to take care of your tattoo.
FAQs
Are tattoos safe?
When tattoos are done correctly and taken care of properly, they are absolutely safe. Because of the procedure, the healing part of the tattooed area takes time and there are risks of infection. That is why it is very important to follow your tattoo artist’s guidelines on how to take care of your tattoo.
Will big tattoos cause more excess tattoo ink?
It depends on the size, the type of ink, and how much ink is used. Due to tattoos being attacked by the body’s immune system, tattoo artist puts in a large amount of ink so that the ink settles in your skin permanently. So bigger tattoos will have more excess tattoo ink.
Final Thoughts
It is okay to worry about the excess tattoo ink on your skin. Any excess tattoo ink will definitely leak and ooze out within the first 24 hours after getting it. A lot of people will say this product or that product will help get the excess of your skin. But warm water with antibacterial soap is the best way to safely get excess tattoo ink off your skin. If anyone suggests using alcohol pads, now you know it will harm skin and tattoos. So with these know-hows, I hope your tattoo aftercare experience is free of trouble.
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