saran wrap

I saw a guy walk out of a reputable tattoo shop (10+ years in business) with saran wrap as a bandage over his tattoo. This place has a spotless record as far as i know. I always thought plastic wrap was a big No No on fresh tattoos. BBP issues and whatnot. comments plz!

i don't see the big fuss.

hey does this sound familiar?..."quit being a prick" and answer this guys question. To answer the first guys question, or at least give it a shot (although i maybe wrong) i've had both paper towel and seran wrap over new tattoos and there was no difference between the two regarding how my tattoo turned out. I'm not sure if its an issue or not but its sorta like how one artist will tell you to use non-scented lubriderm and some will tell you to use tattoo goo and again some will tell you to use cocoa butter. in my opinion the difference is a mix of personal preference and the way they were taught during their appreticeship.

I wore saran wrap over my tattoo. Here is my artists aftercare instructions: "You may take the protective wrap off about an hour after leaving. Just remember to wash off your tattoo before you go to bed (do not reapply medicine) and re-wrap it, THE FIRST NIGHT ONLY, so you will not stick to your sheets and cause ink to be pulled out." Seems logical to me and my tattoos he has done turned out great with me following those instructions. Hope this helps.

there's no reason to use bacteria riddled Saran Wrap to cover tattoos anymore. Not to mention, this stuff doesn't breathe at all - it's meant for cooking and covering food, not tattoos. Instead, why not use a product called TEGADERM from 3M. It's been out for a decade and comes in large sizes (8x10 for example)... It can be cut and wrapped with gauze on larger ppieces as well. l ... Here's one (of many) links: http://www.metromedicalonline.com/3m1629.html This stuff has been used by hospitals for years to treat burn victims and road - rash. It works, is highly available and why anyone would want their wounds wrapped in a sheet of air impermeable plastic... -Nick

tegaderm? isn't that stuff sticky? and expensive. also, i wasn't aware that saran wrap is any more germ riddled than a paper towel.

It isn't a matter of the saran wrap itself having bacteria but, a matter of it breeding bacteria against your skin. It doesn't breath, your skin sweats, temperatures rise and bacteria grows...against your OPEN skin. Read this: http://tattoo.about.com/od/tattoosafety/a/plasticwrap.htm

Using Saran or Plastic wrap is perfectly fine as after care for tattoos. In medical terms it is known as an OCCLUSIVE DRESSING which means it does not allow air to penetrate. Air has germs and bacteria that can cause problems. Keeping the tattoo bandaged for not more than two hours is preferable. I have been tattooing for over forty years, I have never seen any problems with using Plastic wrap. Anybody that tells you any different knows nothing about tattooing. Ask your doctor if you think it's not a good idea. Allowing oxygen to get to the tattoo will cause scabs. The body emits serous fluid, this is the clear sticky substance that dries out the blood and forms scabs. You do not want scabbing on your tattoo.

Basically most people put saran wrap on a new tattoo because they don't want your body fluids all over the place however your tattoo is going to bleed and ooze anyway so if you wrap it in saran wrap where is that ooze gonna go? its going to pool and collect on the tattoo leaving a nasty scar. Your tattoo is only going to be oozing for the first hour or so blotting with gauze or a paper towel is sufficient enough to keep the build up to a minimum. Besides you should be washing your tattoo after an hour or two to get the blood and plasma off the tattoo. Moisturizing your tattoo will also help keep scabbing to a minimum. I would not use saran wrap on a tattoo for long periods of time it still needs to breath.