Imagine this. But this really happened to me. A few years ago, I’m with a group of friends. Were in Amsterdam and walking down the strip. We walked past a tattoo parlor shop and decided to check it out. We walked in and i over heard a group of girls talking about whether it would be a good idea to get a tattoo and if they can epilate over it.
The tattoo artist tried her best to ease their spirits and tell them if it was safe or not. But even she didn’t really even know it. It was like she basically never been asked that question before. When I got back to America the question popped in my head, can you epilate over tattoos? Never really gave it too much taught either.
I did my due diligence, looked for answers every where I could. This is what i found.
Does epilating over a tattoo make it duller?
No, it has no effect on make it duller.
Will epilating make my tattoos brighter?
Epilating wont make your tattoos brighter. Waxing can possibly. Since it also acts as
Can you epilate over tattoos?
Yes. You absolutely can. But the real question is whether to epilate over tattoos when the skin is healed or is still new.
See inorder to break this down, the epidermis is your top layer of your skin. You know that its responsible for giving you your gorgeous skin tone and also gives you a water proof barrier. But if you go deeper then you have the dermis. The area that can hold your hair follicles and your sweat glands. Now when you go a bit deeper, you have the hypodermis. That can keep you warm during cold days because of its fat makeup and connective tissue.
So when you’re making a tattoo, the needle being used is drilling the ink into your dermis. This is what creates a permanent marker on your skin.
So when you epilate, just like waxing your only affecting the top layer of your skin, the epidermis. It doesn’t touch your tattoos and it can affect them.
So epilate all you want. The tattoo won’t be damaged at all.
But and there is a but. Don’t epilate over a fresh tattoo. New tattoos have to be given time to heal. New tattoos can take up to a month to heal up. But during that time it can develop a swollen appearance and even develop scabs.
So you can only imagine if you decide to epilate over it. Then it would be like epilating over an open wound.
Here are few things to consider:
- Epilating over a healed tattoo is fine.
- Got to wait up till a month till the tattoo is fine.
- When you’re done epilating. You should moisturize as quickly as possible.
- Epilating over a fresh tattoo or one that is partially healed will only damage your design or get you an infection.
Can you epilate over a new tattoo?
That would depend on whether you have a new tattoo and has it had a chance to heal. If you’ve given it time to heal. Then epilate all you want.
The answer would be no if you haven’t given it time to heal. When you get a tattoo, the needle is drilling the ink into the skin and therefore piercing the skin. Now your skin is raw and sensitive when you touch it. Okay. So go ahead and epilate over that.
That tattoo is going to need time to heal. Epilating over it in its current state will only damage your design and skin. Give you pain and can even give you an infection. It would be like epilating over an open wound.
Can you epilate before a tattoo?
Yeah of course. It may be recommended. That tattoo artist wont be able to design the tattoo when there is a pack of hair in their face. Now this would cause a problem. You got to remove the hair so the tattoo artist can have a nice pavement to design on. You can either wax, shave, use depilatory creams, or you guessed it, use epilators. Waxing, shaving, and epilating are all good choices. The depilatory creams can leave behind a bad smell. You wouldn’t want the tattoo artist thinking badly about you because of a smell.
So when you epilate before your tattoo, do it hours before the tattoo session. This gives your hours fresh epilated skin time to heal and get ready for the tattoo needles. Don’t have time for hours, then 48 hours is a good time.
This is enough time before you start to see stubble or any significant hair growth.
How long do you need to wait to epilate over a tattoo safely?
A good month. You wait a months worth of time. The reason for this is because you’re giving your skin a chance to heal up. Your skin is raw now. Its because you have a piercing needle ramming into your skin to permanently give you that design. Now epilating over your skin once its gone through that ordeal is going to hurt.
The tattoo can heal up within about 3-5 weeks. The time it takes to heal can vary depending on your own genetic makeup and how fast you’re able to heal. Also the design, and its size and the colors involved can matter also.
Is epilating Over Tattoos Safe?
Yes, but there is a limit to how much your skin can take. It’s not about your tattoo. The tattoo is on your skin. Its about your skin. It must be healed. That’s when its safe. Epilating like waxing helps to pull the hairs from the root of your skin. Your tattoo isn’t affected. It would only be affected is you damage the skin. Develop an infection or scar the tissue since the skin hasn’t fully healed. That is when it becomes unsafe.
What is a post epilating treatment for tattooed skin?
You’re just treating your skin with the utmost care once you’re finished epilating. You should know about any medical conditions that might make your skin have a poor response to the epilator treatment.
Products with Aloe Vera, Shea butter can always work in your favor. Other products infused with alcohol are not so good or if they have multiple amount of ingredients can hinder your skin.
Products with natural properties are the best way to go. Products that have ingredients such as calendula, bocacolmine and tropical fruits can always work. So its best to look for moisturizers with ingredients such as these.
Some important to things to know when treating you skin:
Refreshing your skin: make use of cool gels and cold compresses. When you’re done with the session. Both are good for refreshing your skin.
Tight clothing and chemicals: you want to avoid chemical based cosmetics, fragrances, and lotions. Using them after can help to induce irritation. It might provide you with a itchy sensation. Now you’re scratching it and you’ll end up ruining your tattoo.
Is epilating bad for tattoos?
On the contrary, no it is not. Only when the skin isn’t healed. And you end up epilating on raw fresh tattooed skin. You end up damaging the design. That is when its bad for the tattoos. It doesn’t have the same benefits as waxing. When you’re waxing, you exfoliate the skin a bit and manage to brighten up the design of the tattoo. Epilating has no benefit and is not bad for tattoos.
Read More:
Alright you’ve found your answer to “Can you epilate over tattoos?” Now you’ve got the epilator and people are asking to borrow it (trust me, it will happen). So here’s an article that may help you. Can epilators be shared?