With the increasing popularity of tattoos, new methods of tattoo aftercare have also emerged to ensure optimal healing and preservation of tattoo quality. One of these modern innovations is the use of second skin. Second skin is very well-known and loved in modern tattooing. It has a lot of perks, but also reasons why some tattooers decide against it. Here I will give you the rundown on second skin, so you can have more relevant knowledge on it for your next tattoo. Bonus important info included at the end.
Listen to your artist's suggestions.
In this blog, I'll give the information I have surrounding second skin, and I will include the good and bad aspects of it from my opinion, but it is important to trust and listen to your tattoo artist about what they suggest as the best healing option for you and your new tattoo specifically. Tattoo artists know what is best for their creations, so take this as just some extra nice-to-know info.
What is second skin?
Second skin, aftercare plaster, derma shield, tattoo bandage, and tattoo healing film all refer to the same thing; a medical grade, breathable, transparent, adhesive barrier that is placed over your new tattoo. It is waterproof, hypoallergenic, and allows your own body's plasma to heal your tattoo. It's also known as "wet healing", because of the blood plasma that will leak out after your tattoo, underneath the plaster, and allow your tattoo to heal without ever drying out. This concept was originally used for healing burn wounds and has since been adapted to aid in the healing of tattoos as well.
Second skin locks in your body's natural healing fluids and keeps the skin oxygenated, hydrated, and lets your tattoo heal with no scabbing. Oxygen is vital to healing a new tattoo. Second skin lets oxygen in and allows your skin to breathe and can be worn for up to seven days.
The benefits of Second Skin.
- It protects against infection. Because your open wound/new tattoo is covered completely by this plaster, it eliminates the risk of dirt and bacteria from daily life getting to the tattoo and causing an infection. If the tattoo is cleaned thoroughly during and after the tattoo process, before the second skin is stuck, it should protect you from the risk of infection.
- It's convenient. The first few days of having an open tattoo are crucial and extra care should be taken to take care of it and protect it. With the plaster, you can continue living your life as normal for the first week of having your new tattoo, without any cleaning/moisturising routine and any worries.
- It reduces friction. New tattoos are easily irritated by friction with clothes, jewelry, skin contact, etc. Fineline tattoos are also more at risk of healing inconsistently if they endure a lot of friction during the healing process. The extra layer that second skin provides helps a ton with protecting your new tattoo from friction in daily life.
- It can speed up the healing process. The use of second skin has shown that even if you keep it on for as little as 3 days, it will speed up the healing of your tattoo afterward. The first 48 hours after getting a tattoo is the most important timeframe of healing, and having the wound hydrated and covered affects the healing process positively, even after it has been removed.
- There is no scabbing with a second skin. Because of the "wet healing" process, the skin doesn't form scabs during healing. Scabs are normal, but they can also cause inconsistent healing if they are ripped off (which happens easily when just living your life). After the second skin is removed, during the healing process, the skin will only make superficial skin flakes (similar to skin peeling after getting sunburnt) that with moisturising fall off naturally and is much easier to manage than scabs.
- It's comfortable. The second skin is so light, thin, transparent, and flexible, that you will most likely even forget that it's there. You can easily move around, sleep, and shower with no worries about the plaster on your skin.
- Easy process. Putting on the second skin, living with it, and taking it off is hassle-free and quick.
Disadvantages of Second Skin.
- It can cause an allergic reaction. Some people's skin isn't very receptive to this plaster, and it can cause a reaction that can do more harm than good for your new tattoo, and the surrounding skin. Although allergic reactions aren't common, you unfortunately can't know how your skin will accept it, until you've given it a shot at least once.
- It comes off prematurely with sweating. Excessive sweating will loosen the adhesive to the point where it can't stay flush to the skin around the tattoo. If any sweat leaks out from underneath the plaster, it has to be removed, because something coming out, means something can get in.
- No exercising. As a continuation of the previous point; because sweating is not ideal for the second skin, it is recommended to avoid exercise or intense activity as much as possible for the duration of having the second skin.
- Leakages. As mentioned, the build-up of blood plasma is amazing for healing, but tattoos that have a lot of packing involved (a lot of black packed into the skin, or full-colour tattoos), create a LOT of plasma, that makes an ink sack underneath the plaster. With gravity and moving about that excessive amount of plasma might gravitate towards an edge and leak out from underneath the plaster. The second skin then has to be removed, no matter how long it's been on.
- Tattoo tradition. Tattoos have been healed without second skin for so many years, that some tattoo artists deem it unnecessary and feel like tattoos heal better the "traditional" way.
- Adhesion Issues: Improper removal of second skin can result in adhesion issues, where the plaster causes damage with removal. This may lead to a painful and uncomfortable second skin removal, and potentially even trauma to the tattooed area.
- It's an extra cost. Tattoos are expensive, and good quality aftercare second skin products can be pricy as well. For some people, the second skin isn't worth the extra cost.
Important Info.
- Try to keep the plaster on for 4-7 days.
- Corners may start to peel away. This is perfectly fine, as long as it doesn't peel off where the tattoo is.
- Extra tip: you can cut loose corners off with small scissors, or if it looks like it's starting to peel close to the tattoo, stick it down with a normal plaster to keep it from pulling further.
- The second skin can get wet. You can take quick showers, just don't soak your second skin in water. No bathing or swimming.
- Excessive sweating is bad for the second skin, so no exercising and no sauna.
- If any water gets inside the second skin during a shower, take it off.
- Blood plasma will make your tattoo look like it's spreading. This is normal and will wash away after the second skin is off.
- If the blood plasma leaks out of the plaster, take it off.
- The first sign that your skin might be having a bad reaction is if the corners of the plaster become very red, and the redness starts spreading outward, away from the plaster.
- Heat, redness, and swelling on the tattooed area are normal.
- Take the plaster off in the shower, under some hot water.
- Peel the skin away from a loose corner, slowly and very gently.
- Use soap, or any organic oil (like coconut oil) to help loosen the glue while you're removing the skin.
- Give it a thorough, but gentle, wash after removing the skin.
- Any glue residue can gently be rubbed with an oil-based product to loosen the glue, and then washed with soap directly after.
- That's all, thanks.