Shaving can only damage a tattoo if it's done too soon. Taking a razor to the area before it's fully healed runs the risk of cutting the healing tattoo, which may result in ink coming away and ruining your design. Once a tattoo has had time to fully heal, the ink will be embedded in your deeper layers of skin.
This is because the wound is still fresh, and if you have any scabbing or raised areas, you run the risk of damaging the art by running a razor across it. Both Rabach and Otsuji agree to wait at least two weeks (four on the safe side) to shave after getting a tattoo.
Shaving before a tattoo is essential – it's important to make sure there are no hairs in the way to guarantee a smooth finish and to help prevent the tattoo from becoming infected. Tattoo artists will usually shave your chest, back, or wherever else you're getting tattooed, before inking you.
"You should wait at least two weeks or until the tattoo is healed to remove hair. To be sure when your tattoo is fully healed, you can ask your tattoo artist," says Chimento.
Shaving, waxing, and tweezing are always options, but they are time-consuming and NOT PERMANENT. Fortunately, Electrolysis is a permanent solution to hair removal that is 100% safe for use on tattooed areas. Electrolysis is the only form of hair removal that will leave your tattoo undamaged.
Even peach fuzz has got to go. Hair prevents the needle from properly penetrating the required layers of your skin. If you don't shave the area, the tattoo may not take. And if hair is thick, the design will be compromised.
Conclusion. As you can see from our guide, hair will grow back over your tattoo once the tattoo area starts to heal. However, If you didn't have hair there before, you won't get any new hair after the tattoo process. The hair may grow back slowly initially but will be back to normal in no time.
Shaving helps to clear a path to the skin so it can be properly cleaned before the procedure. Hair can get in the way when applying the stencil, potentially distorting the linework. The tattooing needles may push strands of hair back down into the skin, which can cause infection.
Before getting a tattoo on your hairy arms and legs, you have to set your expectations first. It does not matter where you would like your ink tattooed; the tattoo artist will either shave the area for you before they begin tattooing or ask you to shave the area before your appointment.
Weeks 5 and 6: completely healed
You'll know you're in this phase — and that your tattoo is fully healed — because all the dry skin and scabs have sloughed off to reveal new, smooth skin with a vibrant tattoo and you no longer feel the burning and itchiness because the body has repaired itself.
Furthermore, over-exfoliation can damage the skin and cause the ink to become distorted or faded. This can have the opposite effect, making your tattoo look dull or blurry. It is important to approach exfoliation with caution and to be mindful of the needs of your skin and your tattoo.
After a week, the redness and swelling should have subsided. At this point, the skin should begin to scab and flake. The itchiness may persist, but the tattoo should gradually appear more vibrant as it continues to heal.
Nair™ hair removal creams will not affect tattoos. Depilatory creams gently exfoliate and remove hair just below the skin's surface or epidermis, while tattoo ink is applied to the dermis, a layer of the skin that's much deeper than hair removal creams can reach.
Eaves recommends allowing your new tattoo anywhere between two weeks to a month to fully heal before shaving (you can find his tattoo aftercare tips here) — this means no scabbing, peeling or shininess on or around the site of the tattoo. Once your tattoo is fully healed, however, shave as your heart desires.
When you're getting a tattoo it's important to keep the area clean at all times before, during, and after the process. This will make it easier to complete the tattoo with no obstacles and will also make it less likely for the tattoo to become infected due to cross-contamination.
But regardless, the artist will probably run his/her razor over you before starting." So if you can, it's basically good manners to shave the area you're getting tattooed, especially if you're rather a hairy person.
Sure, your tattoo may look distorted through arm and leg hair. But, how your tattoo looks on your hairy arms and legs should be based on your personal perspective. If you don't mind the hair, then keep it! However, if you prefer to get the hair out of the way, look to employ proper shaving techniques for removal.
Either way, if you're no longer in love with a tattoo, then you're not entirely out of luck. Well, you have two options: laser tattoo removal or a brand-new tattoo cover-up. There's hope for dealing with your unwanted tattoo!
The majority of reputable tattoo artists will not copy another tattoo and will be offended if you ask them to. They are artists in their own right and are able to produce stunning designs of their own. By copying another tattoo, it's not only seen as rude, but it could be violating copyright laws.
One of the most common home tattoo removal methods we see talked about is salabrasion or rubbing the skin away with salt. It's an old method, and it does technically work, provided you rub enough skin off to reach the layer where the ink is held. You could also achieve the same effect with coarse sand or sandpaper.
No. Professional tattoo artists advise against using Vaseline while a new tattoo is healing as it blocks moistures and bacteria, preventing your newly tattooed skin from breathing and healing, and causing infections. Once the tattoo is completely healed, the use of Vaseline has no effect on the ink.