I have always quite fancied a tattoo but I waited until I was 34 to get one, It was a present from my husband for our anniversary, I know that I sound strange but I had told him what I had wanted and he designed the tattoo and booked my appointment on our anniversary when we were having a day and a night to ourselves.

I had the tattoo applied on my lower back and afterwards the tattooist placed Clingfilm? Over the tattoo to protect it, she was wonderful with me as I had told her it was my first time and she ran through all the aftercare treatments and do's and don'ts. She applied some of the balm straightaway and I decided to purchase some then and there.

My tattooist told me that people used to be advised to apply savlon or some kind of antiseptic to protect that tattoo but the general opinion now is that that is not the best thing to use and this balm will not only protect the tattoo as its healing but will also keep the colour of the tattoo and will refresh it.

The balm comes in an opaque tub with a grey screw off lid, the tub holds 20g of product inside, when you open it it looks like a dense lip balm and you only need a tiny amount to cover the tattoo depending on the size.

The product is 100 natural and was approx £4.50.



======= How To Use =======

Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly and using your finger apply enough balm to completely cover the tattoo, my tattooist recommended using it 3 times a day for the first 10 ten days to aid the healing process and to protect the skin.

After your tattoo has healed you can use it as and when you need to and if unlike me your tattoo is on show you can use it to give the tattoo a lovely shine and make the colours more vibrant.



======== How It Worked ========

I followed all the instructions for caring for me tattoo but I do think that the balm played a big part in that as it kept the skin clean and protect while it was healing and I had no scab on the tattoo at all and I believe that scabbing can occur quite often with tattoos.

My skin never showed any sign of being irritated and even the common itching was very slight and did go away after an application of the balm.



======= My Conclusion =======

I personally think that the balm is a must if you are having a tattoo as it will protect and keep the skin clean and help your bodies own natural healing process.

It is now 9 months since I had my tattoo and touch wood I have never had any problems with it my skin healed beautifully and I still use my balm just to keep the skin soft and to prolong the life of the colour in my tattoo.

Even if you have had your tattoo a while I would still recommend getting the balm to protect and prolong the tattoo as 9 months down the road and I still have plenty left in the tub but I will get more when it does run out.

The cost of the tub is very little to help the healing process and to protect the tattoo for a long time afterwards.



======= After Care ======

If you go to a good tattooist (please research them carefully, the really good ones don't mind!) they will talk you through all aspects of getting your tattoo from helping you choose, talking you through the procedure and the all important aftercare.

Most will give you sheet with all the do's and don't and these should include the following,

Do not soak your tattoo for 2-3 weeks so unless its on your arm and you can keep it out of the bath then just stick to showers. The reason for this is that the skin may become infected and can stop the tattoo healing and can make it fade and may mean that your tattoo needs to be redone.

Only wash with an antibacterial soap or ointment as anything else will irritate the skin and again could interfere with the healing process.

When you need to dry the area only pat the skin dry never rub the skin.

My tattooist did warn be that some scabbing is normal and is nothing to worry about but if your scab is quite large and it's not healing go back and ask them to check it, again most respected tattooist will be more than happy to check it for me.

Do not scratch or pick at the scab and you will find that as you come to the end of the healing process you skin may start to itch, again this is normal just try to ignore it or apply some balm to smooth the skin.


This review will also appear on Ciao under my alias abbs75