Aloe Vera has been a consistent product when it comes to healing different skin issues or providing moisture to the skin. This ingredient plays a major role when it comes to using home remedies instead of medicated products to alleviate different skin issues. But, the question remains as to whether Aloe Vera is good for tattoos?
Tattoos require proper miniaturization to go through a smooth healing process, and in many cases, aloe Vera helps in making the skin smooth, especially when the tattoo starts scarping, which is common during the healing process.
If you want to use Aloe Vera for your tattoos, you’re in the right place. Here, you will learn whether aloe Vera is good for your tattoos or not. You’ll also learn about other alternatives.
Can You Use Aloe Vera For Tattoos?
Everyone has a different opinion when it comes to using Aloe Vera gel for tattoos. Some tattoo artists believe that Aloe Vera helps in moisturizing the skin, but it is only safe to use fragrance-free aloe gel. You will come across some professionals who will tell you not to use Aloe Vera on your tattoo as it doesn’t get well absorbed in the skin, and some aloe products don’t have the right formula.
The reason why Aloe Vera might work on your tattoo is because of the many biologically active substances available in the aloe leaves. Aloe Vera includes mucilage tissue which consists of glycoproteins. These help to prevent inflammation on the skin and also help reduce pain, although you don’t usually feel pain (aside from soreness) after your tattoo.
The mucilage available in aloe Vera is good for healing both external and internal wounds. Sometimes a healing tattoo tends to get very itchy, and the last thing your must do is scratch your tattoo. So to reduce the itching and discomfort, Aloe Vera helps that way.
Aloe Vera is also great for treating damaged wounds. So, for instance of if you have a tattoo wound that could have been caused during the tattooing process, then you could use Aloe Vera gel. Aloe helps reduce scarring and any risk of infection that could be caused due to a tattoo.
If you want to be safe rather than sorry, then it’s best if you stick to the moisturizers your tattoo artist has recommended to use on your tattoo and avoid Aloe Vera gel. While it’s not harmful, there could be a chance that it disrupts your tattoo and may drain the ink.
People who have extremely sensitive skin should be all the more careful and first consult a doctor or tattoo professional before using any external product on their healing tattoo.
However, Aloe Vera is highly recommended when it comes to scarring and itching, and there would be no harm in trying it out.
Does Aloe Vera Fade Tattoos?
Many people have this common misconception where they believe that aloe Vera helps fade tattoos. Sometimes people aren’t happy with their tattoo and want to get it removed; hence they believe aloe Vera may help in lightening the tattoo, but that’s a myth!
You can use aloe Vera to moisturize your skin or prevent your tattoo from catching an infection.
An alternative for Aloe Vera?
If you do have aloe gel or prefer using something else, then you can switch to coconut oil. Coconut oil helps with tattoo dryness and is a good way to keep your tattoo glowing in appearance. Similar to aloe Vera, coconut oil helps in preventing any infections.
After you get a tattoo, you become very prone to catching an infection, and by applying coconut oil, you reduce the chances of catching one. Before you use any product on your tattoo, it is best to consult your doctor and tattoo artist as there is still more research needed on if coconut oil is good for tattoos.
Types of Aloe Products to Use on Tattoos
Aloe Vera comes in many forms, but the most common form is the aloe Vera gel which is easily available in all stores. But there are many other aloe Vera products that you could consider using:
- Aloe Vera ointment
- Aloe Vera gel
- Aloe sunscreen SPF
- Aloe moisturizing gel
- Aloe soap bar
- Aloe antibacterial foam
How to Keep Your Tattoo Safe and Clean in the Long run
The moment you start investing your time in the aftercare of your tattoo right after you have got it, you are working towards your tats long term improvement.
For your tattoo to stay healthy and clean, you have to take care of it regularly, which involves practicing a lot of aftercare steps given to you by your tattoo artist. Mentioned below are a few tips that will help you in keeping your tattoo safe and clean in the long run:
Keep Yourself Hydrated
Your tattoo, at some point, will start to itch and scab during the healing process, and this usually happens due to dryness. To prevent this from happening in the future, you must drink enough water to moisturize your skin naturally.
While aloe is a good way to keep your tattooed skin moisturized, drinking plenty of water regularly won’t require you to go out of the way. This is something everyone should be doing, regardless of whether they have a tattoo or not.
Wash your skin regularly
Practice basic hygiene by regularly washing your skin using antibacterial and fragrance-free soap. During the healing process, you must wash your tattoo at least twice or thrice a day. At this point, you’re at risk of infection; the only way to prevent that is by daily washing your ski.
After washing, you must make sure that you properly dry your skin. After washing and drying, you can apply aloe Vera to avoid itching or to maintain smoothness in your skin.
Wear Soft Clothes
Once you get a tattoo, you have to be very careful with what you wear, especially in the early healing stages. Make sure not to wear anything that includes hard materials that could damage the tattoo ink. You should avoid wearing clothes made from wool and other scratchy fabrics.
The Bottom-Line
If you plan to use an ingredient such as aloe Vera for your tattoo, you can go ahead, but only after you have consulted your doctor or tattoo artist. There are chances you could be allergic to this ingredient, and your doctor will help find that out.
The last place you would want an issue to occur is on your tattoo; hence make sure to take effective care of it and follow all the aftercare steps regularly.