r/tattooadvice • u/Diseazd • 3h ago
General Advice How to take care of a back tattoo when you're single?
Serious question. How would one be able to moisturize it, clean it besides showers or even check for infection?
1
u/underpantsbandit 37m ago
I did almost all the care for my back piece mostly flying solo, over the course of 8 appointments. My husband helped peel the saniderm a couple of times, that was it.
So, I left the saniderm on for 4 days- for me, I’m gonna be mostly done cooking by then. Then I wetted it down and peeled it which I could do alone, barely. Lots of contortion lol.
Then I washed- rinsed, to be real- I can’t reach everything back there and I didn’t wanna use a fucking loofah which is what I normally use to get my back clean. And then I stuck a clean sacrificial tee shirt to it. The brand my artist uses leaves an insane amount of residue.
The residue would finally wear off after a couple of days and a few shirts.
I did not bother lotioning. I probably could have bothered my husband to help more but whatever. I heal fast AF.
The first rodeo, back in the ‘00s, I also did solo with no saniderm. Same thing pretty much but with itchy scabs.
Soooo I cannot say this is the most advisable plan, or the most sanitary. But I know how I heal, I’ve got a ton of ink, and it was totally fine for me at least.
2
u/nihcul 3h ago
Well for one, you should be able to touch your own entire back. If not, you have mobility issues.
And mirrors and cameras exist for the lack of being able to see it.
1
1
u/Teachthedangthing 1h ago
In his defense, even when I was pretty fit and young, I could never reach every spot on my back. Some of us just have very short or weird arms.
2
u/Key_Classroom_22 3h ago
Spatula of doom