Witch hazel is an effective, natural, soothing astringent for tattoos. When applied to the skin it has the effect of contracting the tissues, making it an ideal solution to sooth the skin after receiving a stick and poke tattoo and calming any redness of the skin.
Witch hazel water, composed of a distillate of leaves, bark and twigs derived from the hamamelis plant, is commonly used for skin soothing. This water should be used in direct application or with a compress, however it should never be used internally.
If you wish to purchase witch hazel water, you should search for a one that is unscented and alcohol free. A suitable way to apply this is using a Dickingsons Witch Hazel wipe. Disposable wipes are also a useful method for stick and poke artists. For the best possible stick and poke tattoo aftercare, it is important that you apply witch hazel as soon as the stick and poke tattoo has finished being performed and cleaned. If you opt into choosing to apply an ointment and a bandage, you must soothe with witch hazel before.
Recognised uses of witch hazel
The leaves and bark of the Hamamelis virginiana plant contain 8% to 12% of tannin. This substance is attributed to the astringent, anti-inflammatory and haemostatic (causing bleeding to stop) effects of the plant.
Outside of the world of tattoo artists, witch hazel is known to have a plethora of uses. Examples of these are natural skin care, post childbirth care, pre-shampoo, sunburn treatments and itching remedy. It can also be used to treat sensations of heaviness in the legs.
The origins of witch hazel
Witch hazel, or Hamamelis virginiana, is a shrub that is typically found in North America. The medicinal properties of this plant were very well explored by the American Natives and the plant was eventually adopted by the first European settlers. The plant was commonly used to treat haemorrhages, inflammations and haemorrhoids. From the 18th century, the use of witch hazel found its way into Europe where it is now grown. Witch hazel is still sold in drugstores across Canada and the United States under different products such as the water solution.
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