Saniderm and Tattoos: Magic Saran Wrap?

Friday February 10 I went and had the first part of my full sleeve tattoo done. It's currently a half sleeve Koi and 2 lotus. After the artist was done I was given the option to let it heal on it's own in the traditional way which I'll call air dry and itchy or use a product called Saniderm to cover it. Saniderm is a product that looks a little like sticky Saran wrap that seals the tattoo and protects it from the elements while it heals under the breathable wrap. I thought I'd document my progress using this product to see if it lives up to the hype.

Day 1: (Saniderm is applied)

My experience getting the Saniderm applied to my aching arm was not that difficult. I mean I literally just had a guy grinding needles into my skin for 4 hours so a little tape wasn't going to be that big of a deal. My guy washed my tattoo and dried it off with a paper towel. Then he removed the backing to one of the strips he had pre cut and draped it over my dried arm. My guy told me that my tattoo was going to get really ugly before it got really pretty because the Saniderm would or might bubble up with my body fluids and blood, it is an open would after all. I was instructed to leave it on for 4 days and told to remove it after 4 days and wash it with soap and water. Seemed easy enough.  It felt like a bandaid going on and truth be told I was a little nervous because what goes on must come off eventually and sometimes bandaids get stuck to those cuts and it hurts! I was assured that it wasn't going to be a big deal because the tattoo would be completely healed by the time I remove it. (I'll let y'all know if I was lied to or not. Keep your pitchforks handy.)

So after my entire tattoo was covered I went home. I noticed something right away that was different from my previous tattoo experiences healing the traditional way. I was able to touch my arm right away...gently of course. It was sore, and HOT! My skin felt like it was on fire under the Saniderm, but I chalked that up to my body's natural healing process. My leukocytes love me. I went home and applied a highly professional medical grade cold pack (ok, a Capri Sun box drink) to my arm to help out a little and man it felt good. So good.  I recommend this.

I was able to do much more with the Saniderm on than previous tattoo experiences. I could put on my jacket, shower with no worry, and even show people the new work through the clear Saniderm. It was awesome.

Day 2: (Getting goopy)

Weeping a little but not too bad

This day had me still sore, but the temperature of my skin had gone down dramatically. It was still  hot in some places and my whole forearm throbbed when I first stood up in the morning but I was able to sleep comfortably without worry of my own juices staining sheets. Score one more for Saniderm. I noticed that my tattoo had begun to weep a little under the Saniderm but it wasn't as bad as my guy said it might be and I don't know if this is because of the ice I applied or the Saniderm.  It does look rather gross in some areas where you can see the ink kind of flowing for lack of a better term, but for the most part it is still intact and holding fast to my tattoo and my arm (yikes).  Going about my day was not a problem, although I did forget I had the tattoo there for a bit and accidentally knocked my arm against the counter which was SO DUMB. I guess that is how good this stuff is. I slept ok, and didn't have any trouble, I did notice that the edges are starting to roll up a little in some places and come up around the edges a bit but the tattoo is still sealed inside. All is well.

Day 3: (The 3 Day itch)

Peeling a little in some places but still sealed

As I write this I am in my 3rd day using Saniderm and can say that my arm is itchy in some places. I still cannot scratch, but the amazing thing with Saniderm is that I can gently run my hand across it to sort of quell that itchy feeling. While not quite scratching, it does feel pretty satisfying. My arm is no longer hot, and it doesn't appear that my tattoo is weeping anymore. Because of my movement the Saniderm is getting kind of wrinkly in places so that looks a little weird but it's still adhering and doing it's job.  I'm pleased so far. I'll report back tomorrow to finish this blog with a small and highly unprofessional video as I remove it. Any predictions on what will happen?

Do you think I'll cry like a baby as I rip this stuff off? I hope it doesn't happen painfully. Ha ha.

Have you ever used Saniderm with your tattoos? What was your experience like? Let me know in the comments.