Points to consider to maintain tattoos

Tattoo designs can vary from simple symbols to detailed designs and portraits but after getting inked, you need to tickmark few points so that you can retain it for a longer period of time.

Sunny Bhanushali, celebrity tattoo artist and owner of Aliens Tattoo and Vikas Malani, Owner, BodyCanvas Tattoos, share few points to help maintain your tattoo:

* Things to avoid during those seven days of wrap includes hitting the gym and swimming. Also sun exposure and alcohol should be avoided for 3-4 days as alcohol thins the blood which can cause oozing and result in colour-loss

* After seven days, a beautifully healed tattoo is noticeable. The wrap is then removed and the tattoo is moisturized with an ointment called "tat wax"

* The sun should be avoided in all circumstances as it could result in making your skin get tanned easily. To go out in the sun, sunscreen should be applied on the tattoo area that contains SPF 50 or SPF 100 as per your preference.

* The initial after care for the tattoo is most important. The main thing to remember is to keep that too clean and moisturized all the times. Try and use a colourless and unscented moisturizer on the tattooed area during the healing process.

* Sun is the biggest enemy of your tattoo. The UVA and UVB rays from the sun are known to damage healthy skin. It can create havoc for the tattooed skin. Though the colours or inks used for tattooing today are much specialized and more stable compared to older days; however, the sun's UVA and UVB rays are known to affect them over a period of time, causing the tattoos to fade.

* Wear loose clothing while your tattoo is healing. Tight clothes that rub on a new tattoo can irritate and scrape the area to the point of pulling off flakes and scabs that aren't ready to come off.

--IANS

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