I recently got my first tattoo, and thanks to learning about how scars heal years ago (tattoos create micro scars), I knew exactly what to do to prevent my tattoo from scabbing during the healing process.

Whether you have your first tattoo, or one of many, it's important to know that your skin has been changed by this beautiful work of art. It's not the ink that changes your skin, but the process involved to put it there. 

Tattooing creates a bunch of micro scars on the skin. When you scar your skin, it effects your sweat glands. You'll notice that without moisture, your tattoo can become dull or ashy looking.

Prior to getting my tattoo I was told over and over that it would go through an "ugly phase" in the healing process. This was described as the skin weeping where the tattoo is, flaking, and then scabbing. "It'll look worse before it'll look better," I was told. 

However, knowing about how scars effect skin, I knew an unscented body lotion would be key to properly healing. I was given a lot of advice by others, such as to apply petroleum-based products. And while petroleum based products are meant more as skin barrier protection (it'll keep bacteria out), it does absolutely nothing for moisturizing skin.

Why? Petroleum does not absorb into your skin. It sits on it. Your skin requires a lotion that contains the right ingredients that will effectively absorb to keep skin hydrated.

Here is the steps and products I used to prevent scabbing:

• Day one - I applied a sheet of Saniderm over my tattoo after cleaning and drying off the area; This helped during the weeping process
• Day two - I removed the Saniderm, cleaned the area again with antibacterial soap, dried it and then applied a new Saniderm sheet and left on for six days
• Days three through six - Every time I showered, I kept the tattoo and Saniderm sheet covered with a plastic shopping bag to prevent it from getting wet. It's really important to keep the Saniderm bandage sheet on for as many of the six days as possible
• Day seven - Removed the Saniderm sheet, cleaned my arm with an antibacterial soap and then applied A Girl's Gotta Spa! Naturally Scented Body Lotion three to four times per day
• Days eight  through fourteen - Continued applying the body lotion three to four times per day
• Days fifteen+ - I applied the body lotion during the day (two to three times), and then used A Girl's Gotta Spa! Eucalyptus & Spearmint Body Elixir before bed

Results: My skin only had some slight flaking for about 3 days at the two week mark, and now it's gone - and my skin never scabbed.

You might be wondering why I used a body oil on the tattoo in the evening, and that's because your skin loses the most moisture at night. A Girl's Gotta Spa!'s Eucalyptus & Spearmint Body Elixir delivers a boost of moisture with its hydrating oils of avocado oil, grapeseed oil, rice bran oil, sweet almond oil, sunflower seed oil, and apricot kernel oil. It also has Vitamin E, which is an anti-inflammatory for the skin. 

The reason I waited until day fifteen to use it, was to allow time for the skin to be further along in the healing process since a tattoo is also a wound. The body oil contains essential oils and perfume oil, and it's best to use a fragrance-free body lotion at the very beginning of your healing journey.

Follow these tips before your next tattoo for best results and to prevent scabbing!