Keep your tattoos looking fresh for summer

Welcome to Summer — A time for fun in the sun, BBQs and cookouts, outdoor adventures, beach life and more. For those of us in Morgantown, it’s time to get ready for some fun on Cheat Lake, or on the Mon River, hiking up at Coopers rock, catching a WV Black Bear’s Game, and getting ready for all the exciting festivals in our area like Mountainfest, Cheat Fest, All Good Festival and more. And you will most likely see some of our STICK family at all of these. We love summer – SUN’s OUT – GUNS OUT.

But there are a few things you should keep in mind to maintain the best care for your body modification this summer:

 

Summer tattoo aftercare and maintenance:

1) Apply sunblock.  

It is literally that simple. Before you become 50 shades of orange, please put sunblock on your tattoo. This will prevent your tattoo from fading and losing its details. UV rays, might give your skin a darker appearance, but it also drains the color and vibrancy out of your tattoo. The more you tan, the worse it gets.  You invested in your ink, so protect it as best you can. We recommend at least a SPF 30 reapply as directed.

2) Wear clothing to cover your ink.

We get it — we want you to show off your tattoos. But too much sun exposure will damage the quality and lifespan of your tattoo. If you are unable to give your skin breaks from the sun in shade, we suggest tossing on a light layer of clothing that gives your skin protection from the elements.

3) Avoid any sun on fresh tattoos.

If you haven’t experienced it yet, getting direct sun on a new tattoo will burn like a mother. In addition to hurting like hell, it is extremely bad for your tattoo. Your skin needs at least 10-14 days of healing time before exposure to sun. So, suck it up, and sit it out for two weeks — your tattoo is on your skin for the rest of your life!

 

Summer piercing aftercare and maintenance:

1) Keep your piercing clean.

Rule No. 1 for any piercing… keep it clean. Summer is no different, if not even more important since pools, lakes, the beach, etc, all have potential for bacteria leading to infection. So be sure to have your H2Ocean piercing spray on hand, and carefully clean your piercings after any activity outside this summer.

 

2) Keep your piercing moisturized.

Depending on the type of piercing you have, the skin around it may be prone to drying out. This could lead to cracking and infection. One of the best ways to alleviate this is to use emu oil, and tea tree oil to prevent keloid formation. You can also mix emu oil with either a homemade salt solution, or aftercare sprayed cotton swab. Be careful not to use oils or balms that would create a seal or clog your piercing. This could trap bacteria inside the piercing and lead to an infection.

 

3) Do not change your jewelry prematurely.

No matter how many times we advise and remind customers, the urge to change out jewelry seems to trump concern for the actual healing of your wound. We urge you to refrain from changing any jewelry prematurely, especially if your plans include going into a body of water. This just increases the chances of getting an infection. Our piercer Harmony will always advise you at the time of your piercing on how long you should keep your original jewelry in place before switching.

 

4) Plan your piercing and think ahead.

For the best health and care of your piercing, it’s best to understand the healing time required. This helps you to determine if you will be able to properly treat your piercing once completed. Morgantown is a college town and therefore, we see a lot of students coming in for belly button or nipple piercings before spring break. What they don’t understand is that this timeline only adds unnecessary risk to the healing process by going directly into the sun and water almost immediately after your piercing. Allergies also play a factor in planning. We suggest those who suffer from summer allergies refrain from getting their nostril or septum piercings completed until conditions improve.

 

General piercing aftercare:

Because every piercing has different treatment protocol and healing time, we recommend checking out http://info.painfulpleasures.com/help-center/aftercare-information for a ton of more information!

 

General tattoo aftercare:

We love this article from InkedMag.com, so be sure to check it out!  http://www.inkedmag.com/9-tips-tattoo-aftercare/

In short, this summer – rock the weather, get out and enjoy yourself, love your tattoos and piercings, but be smart and take care of them. And, if we see you out doing otherwise– be sure that we will call you out on that shit. Call it our industry integrity!  If you have questions, or need more aftercare products, be sure to stop into our shop at Suncrest Towne Centre today.