DIET & BEAUTY ROUTINE for an amazing tattoo
6 last-minute tips that will improve your skin and, consequently, significantly enhance the quality of the tattoo you’re about to get. Let’s go!
PREMISE:
Every skin is unique: dry, oily, elastic, sun-damaged, aging, collagen-rich or collagen-poor, fine, thick, tough, delicate, hypersensitive, skeptical… And as if that weren’t enough, within your own body, the skin varies significantly from one area to another.
AXIOM:
Certain techniques may or may not be suitable for each skin type, certain colors may or may not work, the skin may or may not retain micro-details, it may allow for softer or bolder shading, and it may heal perfectly or leave marks. The skin holds all the power: there are skins that allow me to give my 100%, while with others, I’ll have to limit myself. You can’t do anything about it; you don’t get to choose your skin.
However, you can choose where to get tattooed, taking into account the different skin characteristics in each area. Moreover, there are tricks you can implement to improve your skin before your next tattoo appointment, thus expanding the tattoo artist’s technical possibilities. Here they are:
PROTECT your skin from the sun using SPF 150,000+ or a burka.
Sun-damaged skin is collagen-deprived, dry, prone to cracking, reddening, and bleeding. Technical possibilities are reduced by 30% on tattooed skin.
HYDRATE your skin with body lotion, preferably intensive natural butters that nourish the skin. Take a dip in the week or days leading up to your appointment. On extremely dry skin, technical possibilities decrease by 50%.
SCRUB is a panacea for two reasons: it stimulates collagen production, which not only makes the skin firm but also aids in better healing, and it removes dead cells that would otherwise get trapped between the needles during the tattooing process, prolonging the treatment time. Improved technical possibilities by 20%.
HAIR REMOVAL is necessary; you can’t tattoo hairy skin. The hairs could end up under the skin due to needle movement and cause ingrown hairs. However, hair removal can greatly irritate the skin, which is already quite annoyed, and it won’t accept the tattoo kindly. Therefore, do remove hair, but 24-48 hours prior to your appointment, allowing the skin to calm down and arrive at the tattoo artist’s studio fresh as a daisy. CAUTION: arriving with severe skin irritation from hair removal could PREVENT THE TATTOO. So, please, be cautious. If you need additional hair removal advice: HERE.
FOOD: We are what we eat, we know it.
If we have a sports competition on the horizon, we adopt a diet in the preceding days that strengthens and energizes our muscles. Similarly, we can do it to strengthen and energize our skin.
Here’s your pre-tattoo shopping list—foods that stimulate collagen production, rich in omega fats to nourish the skin, vitamins that protect it, and antioxidants:
Carrots, green tea, avocado, almonds, pomegranate, garlic, broccoli, salmon, leafy greens and citrus fruits—berries are also excellent: blueberries, raspberries, currants, blackberries, strawberries, and plums. They protect the small blood vessels and capillaries, which are affected during a tattoo. A glass of red wine is also beneficial—rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties—and dark chocolate.
DRINK plenty of water: Dehydration significantly and immediately affects skin hydration, elasticity, and collagen production.
NO ALCOHOL the night before—not related to the skin, but it affects blood fluidity. It’s a different story, but not good for the tattoo. NO, NO!
SLEEP, SLEEP, SLEEP for at least 7 hours per night, not just the night before the tattoo. You know the famous “beauty sleep” of witches in fairy tales? Okay, it works for us mere mortals too. At night, there’s no Sun with its infamous UV rays—the skin’s arch-nemesis. Thus, at night, the skin works harder for self-improvement, receiving increased blood flow that intensifies detoxification, repair, and nourishment. It kicks its collagen synthesis into high gear. Between midnight and 4 am is when the skin becomes a Super Saiyan.
THE END.
With love, but always irreverent
LADYSARA
