Tattoo aftercare – Vaseline and A& D Ointment Contradiction?
I have been reading through questions and answers on various sites including Yahoo regarding the best aftercare ointment for tattoos, and a contradiction seems to keep coming up.
Most people say that Vaseline is a definite no-no as it is petroleum, which can cause colour fade. Lots of people do recommend A & D Ointment, but the main component of A & D ‘is’ petroleum!
So, has anybody got comments on why one petroleum product is bad and one is good?
March 4th, 2010 at 10:08 am
well aquaphor *another great product for fresh tattoos* is petroleum based, but it’s not straight petroleum…it’s the straight petroleum that there’s a problem with…
March 4th, 2010 at 10:45 am
sum tattoo parlors sell stuff called tattoo goo. that works too, but honestly, a&d ointment is the best. it has petroleum but its not 100 percent so its ok. put lotion on it after it heals to keep it from fading and drying out.
March 4th, 2010 at 11:28 am
Vaseline is thick, and you are right- it is made of yellow petroleum, an oil byproduct. It won’t let the tattoo breathe.
A & D is made of white petrolatum, a lighter version that allows the tattoo to breathe which is important to healing.
Either way, I suggest using whatever the tattoo artist reccomends. Every shop will be different.
March 4th, 2010 at 12:23 pm
Not to sound too cynical , but , you can lead a horse to water but ya cant make it wear a bikini.
The “petroleum” thing is largely a myth. And as with any myth, there was a grain of truth at its inception.
Vaseline is considered “bad” because most people will over use it. It is very “thick” and forms an occlusive barrier on the tattoo very readily.
A tattoo, aside from the obvious, is an abrasion. Abrasions need to “breathe” and the vaseline almost always inhibits air flow.
The thinner compounds such as A&D ointment are less prone to occlusion. What happens if the tat cannot “breathe”? Well the bodys’ homeostatic response to trauma is to fix it.. and in the case of broken skin (the bodys first line of defense against bacterial / pathogenic invasion) your body will secrete more fibrinogen and plasma in an attempt to form a seal over the broken skin / tattoo.. this is what we lovingly refer to as a scab. When the body continues these secretions, the secretions pass from the blood vessels through the surrounding tissues..and your tattoo..and carry small amounts of pigment to the skin surface / scab… if the scab wont form..more pigment gets carried to the surface… nasty cycle if ya want a nice tat.
So..in summation… it isnt the product that is bad… it is the client education or client / artist communication that sux. We can tell ppl to use A&D SPARINGLY. and be ignored.. or “Dont use Vaseline”. Its easier I guess not to get into the “why” and “why nots”…. anyway, the myth gets born.
Whichever you use…use a thin coat. Vaseline… use a SUPER thin coat. Do not allow the tat to get mushy with the stuff… thats where the problem starts.
Cmon in..the water’s fine! :)
March 4th, 2010 at 12:55 pm
actually, there is a better type of a&d than the stuff you go buy at the store, made more for the medical environment (tattoo environments should be treated as a surgically safe place). you can get if from sites that sell tattoo equipment, or medical supplies. most artists dont recommend it simply because it it harder for a client to get ahold of, and it doesn’t come in those appealing, pretty little packages that stuff like tattoo goo and stuff does. it is lanolin based, which is more moisturizing to the skin and is easier to apply because it is thinner than petroleum.
March 4th, 2010 at 1:08 pm
neither, petroleum jelly is an occlusive and
does not allow your skin to breath.
the reason people would say that one may be better or worse is for the same reason..the lack of medical or medical ingredients.
use desitin, is is made for a rash, which is kinda what you did t o your skin with a tattoo & it is made of zinc, which is a physical sun block, win win situation for protecting your tattoo.
March 4th, 2010 at 1:24 pm
Listen to Trillium. This person knows what they are saying.
It doesn’t matter with some clients if you give them a complete summary as to why and why not to do certain things. It will just go one ear and right out the other.
I’m a lubriderm gal… its harder for people to mess up their tattoo with it. Not impossible. Some people will glop that on so think that the tattoo can’t breath. It gets so gooy and in most cases the end up pulling the gooy scab off along with a good amount of the ink.
The BEST PRACTICE of caring for your tattoo is to listen carefully to your tattoo artist, the one the did the tattoo you are caring. There are many methods that work and the artist is giving you the one they know works best for tattoos they do. If you have any questions, CALL YOUR ARTIST. If you had a laceration, got stitches, and later had questions as to its process of healing…. you would call your doctor, not your neighbor or buddyj from school. Same concept….