I don’t know about most people, but if there was a time of year I could call home it would be right now. Autumn in New England is quite possibly one of the most beautiful things to behold, the leaves changing amid patchwork pastures and forests lined with fieldstone walls and split rail fences. A brisk breeze tugs at you playfully while the sun warms your face and you inhale the crisp clean air of fall. Aside from being a beautiful experience it is quite literally the perfect time to get a tattoo! Many people focus on summer when thinking about getting a tattoo; they imagine popping that top off and displaying their new body art for all to see. The one problem is that beautiful new design needs time to heal and what better way to keep it out of the sun than throwing on a long sleeve shirt or sweatshirt when those days cool down and you begin to hear the crunch of shifting leaves underfoot.
While people flock to tattoo studios during the summer months, because let’s be honest there is nothing like feeling a little wild and crazy and getting a spur of the moment tattoo to go with your fun in the sun, it just ends up limiting how much sun you can have fun in! Your new art is going to heal very similarly to a sunburn, the skin will dry out and scab and flake, this is why it’s so important to moisturize it, preferably with a nonpetroleum based ointment (petroleum can trap moisture and essentially create a petri dish in your skin). And just like with sunburns, the last thing you want on a healing tattoo is direct sunlight, and aside from avoiding sunlight you will want to keep bodies of water at bay while it heals. Remember, it is an open wound and any water source outside your shower is just dancing with increased chances of infection.
It’s due to our own naturally tendencies that I say, tis the season to tattoo. With the cooling temperatures you’re going to want to keep that skin covered, and unless you enjoy a frigid swim session, I doubt I’ll see you in the water making it the perfect time of year to get that intricate back piece done. Not only are you going to have ample time to heal and let that ink settle and set but you are going to limit fading and discoloration as you stay bundled up through the coming months. Then on that first bright warm day in April when we come out to see what winters done to us, you can display with pride your never before seen, fully realized, and fully healed artwork. Save yourself those weeks of missed fun this next summer, now’s the time for that piece you’ve been planning for so long.
-AB
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