Black Cat Tattoo Aftercare products are used to help tats heal with a minimum of fuss.
Caring for a New Tattoo
It's no secret that how you care for a fresh tattoo will have an impact on the way it looks once it has healed. Excessive scabbing and infections can really zap your design and ruin an ink job that started out perfectly fine. Although every tattoo artist has a particular aftercare routine they recommend their customers follow, there are a few basics included in all aftercare directions.
- Rule one: Keep your new tat clean.
- Rule two: Protect the fresh tat from infection.
- Rule three: Moisturize the area to prevent scarring.
Sounds fairly simple, right? However, plenty of people do wind up with complications as their tattoo heals, and the products you use can have unexpected effects on your skin and ink. Some salves will actually leach ink from your needle punctures before they've had time to heal over. Soaps can dry out your skin quickly and lead to excessive peeling. Some products even produce a fine pimply rash across your fresh tattoo. That's why it's so important to select your aftercare products carefully to avoid similar problems.
A Review of Black Cat Tattoo Aftercare
Black Cat Tattoo Aftercare, established in 2001, is a line of aftercare products designed to promote healing with fewer complications than some of the older products that are still recommended by many artists. The company's line is now used in many tattoo shops around the world, and is also available online.
Cleanser
Black Cat's cleanser comes in a small pump spray bottle for the lightest application possible. This means less rubbing to irritate already tender skin. The cleanser is made from distilled water, vitamin E, lavender oil and potassium soap, among other ingredients. It's designed to be very pure and mild, and this makes it easier to use a couple times a day than a standard bar of soap. Using a pump that never touches your skin is also a better way to avoid picking up contaminants that could infect your tat.
Salve
Black Cat's healing salve is a mainly herbal product that includes allantoin, lavender and plantain in its ingredient list. The herbs are blended into a carnuba wax base for a gentle spreading consistency. This product contains no petroleum jelly, a product that often leaches color from a fresh tat.
Tattoo Lotion
The unscented tattoo lotion from Black Cat is designed to be applied after initial healing has taken place, usually a little less than a week after getting your tattoo. A blend of botanicals including sunflower and lavender oils, the lotion is designed to lessen the flaking and peeling often experienced during this stage of healing. This product contains no propylene glycol, another petroleum product that is often found in skin lotions.
Cruelty-Free
It is a point of pride with Black Cat that none of their products are tested on animals. The only animal by-product used in the aftercare line is beeswax.
Recommendations
Black Cat Tattoo Aftercare always advises following the care regimen provided to you by your tattoo professional. However, you might want to ask if you can substitute their products for the ones your artist typically recommends if you have any reservations about using those. This is something you obviously want to talk over before you get your tat so you can have your supplies on hand and ready to use.
If you didn't receive aftercare instructions, you can follow Black Cat's own aftercare advice.
Additionally, the company stresses the importance of not sharing your aftercare products with anyone. Multiple users can transfer germs between themselves and promote infections. Black Cat's products are packaged small enough for individual use. Once your tat is healed, it's better to discard the left-overs and purchase fresh supplies when you need them rather than save old products unless you plan to get another tattoo right away.
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