The Tattoosday Product Review: Troll Skin Aftercare

Two weeks ago, Americans celebrated Thanksgiving in a variety of ways. Most had large dinners with families, many went on a televised football binge, and others watched the Macy*s parade and/or the Philadelphia dog show on NBC. I, of course, nursed my new Thanksgiving tattoo.

For those of you just tuning in, late November found me being thankful for the good people at SkinActives, for sponsoring a little contest we had here to choose which of these tattoos that I should get inked to commemorate the holiday (and Hand of Glory’s cool Thanksgiving Special).

Brian Faulk at Hand of Glory, Helping Me Celebrate Thanksgiving Permanently

Why would a skin care company sponsor such an endeavor? Well, they wanted me to sample their Troll Skin Tattoo Aftercare product and I suggested that the best way to do so would be to have a fresh tattoo on which to use their product. The rest, they say is history.

Immediately after the agreement was reached, however, I had some concerns. What if Troll Skin was not something I could positively review? Into what kind of moral conundrum had I wandered? I assured myself that the Troll Skin Aftercare folks wouldn’t be sending out samples to an inkblogger if they weren’t 100% confident in their product.

Fortunately for me, no such moral dilemma surfaced, for I found the Troll Skin product to do remarkably well. In fact, I am so pleased with it, I intend to use it for all future tattoos.

My most recent tattoos were treated the same way. Aquaphor ointment for the first 72 hours, and then Lubriderm cream until the tattoo had fully healed. This regimen seemed to work for me, but it has its drawbacks. For example, whatever clothing you have that may cover the tattoo that has been treated with Auquaphor, bid it farewell. The spot of clothing near the tattoo absorbs the ointment and is discolored permanently. It is also a thicker, gooier substance.

The Troll Cream instructions indicated I could safely apply the product as part of the initial tattoo treatment. Not only did the recommendation of keeping it in the refrigerator help soothe the new tattoo upon application
of the cream, but it was 90% neater. No gooey mess to confront, and no clothing had to be sacrificed. This is because the product is water-based, so it absorbs better into the skin and less into the fabric around it.

More importantly, the healing process went faster than I remembered it had in the past. I was starting to see the peeling process as early as Saturday, only three days after getting the tattoo. This can be attributed to ingredients like natural oils from jojoba, sesame seed, almond, and avocado, as well as sea kelp extracts, Epidermal Growth Factor and Copper Peptides. This is what it looked like a week out:

One Week Old, Just a Little Scabbing Remains

The piece has healed quite nicely, as can be seen from the following photo of my two-week old body art:

2 Weeks, Healed and Vibrant!

Amazing that originally, the stencil looked like this:

I also like that the Troll Skin Aftercare cream comes in a little round tin, rather than a tube or cap-top bottle, which has the potential to open or break in transit.

The biggest drawback? Perhaps the price. Suggested retail is $27.50. However, considering this is a treatment for protecting a lifelong investment that can cost hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars to obtain, it’s a veritable bargain. Consider also that my old treatment involved Aquaphor (approximately $8) and Lubriderm (also $8), you’re only paying  a little bit more, for what I deem to be a superior treatment.

Troll Skin also comes as a serum (MSRP $14) which is recommended for post-healing for “continued skin health and to maintain the vibrancy of the artwork”.

Readers of Tattoosday know that I don’t generally endorse products here, aside from an occasional book review. However, I would certainly recommend this product for tattoo healing. I know, I know, people are generally overprotective of their new tattoos and don’t like to change their healing regimens. Nonetheless, why not embrace a product if it’s an improvement to an old process, and why not spend a little more to protect something you will carry proudly for a lifetime?

For more information, visit the Troll Skin website at www.TrollSkin.com and SkinActives Scientific.


Thanks again to the good people at SkinActive for their cooperation with this project!

The Tattoosday Product Review: Troll Skin Aftercare

Two weeks ago, Americans celebrated Thanksgiving in a variety of ways. Most had large dinners with families, many went on a televised football binge, and others watched the Macy*s parade and/or the Philadelphia dog show on NBC. I, of course, nursed my new Thanksgiving tattoo.

For those of you just tuning in, late November found me being thankful for the good people at SkinActives, for sponsoring a little contest we had here to choose which of these tattoos that I should get inked to commemorate the holiday (and Hand of Glory’s cool Thanksgiving Special).

Brian Faulk at Hand of Glory, Helping Me Celebrate Thanksgiving Permanently

Why would a skin care company sponsor such an endeavor? Well, they wanted me to sample their Troll Skin Tattoo Aftercare product and I suggested that the best way to do so would be to have a fresh tattoo on which to use their product. The rest, they say is history.

Immediately after the agreement was reached, however, I had some concerns. What if Troll Skin was not something I could positively review? Into what kind of moral conundrum had I wandered? I assured myself that the Troll Skin Aftercare folks wouldn’t be sending out samples to an inkblogger if they weren’t 100% confident in their product.

Fortunately for me, no such moral dilemma surfaced, for I found the Troll Skin product to do remarkably well. In fact, I am so pleased with it, I intend to use it for all future tattoos.

My most recent tattoos were treated the same way. Aquaphor ointment for the first 72 hours, and then Lubriderm cream until the tattoo had fully healed. This regimen seemed to work for me, but it has its drawbacks. For example, whatever clothing you have that may cover the tattoo that has been treated with Auquaphor, bid it farewell. The spot of clothing near the tattoo absorbs the ointment and is discolored permanently. It is also a thicker, gooier substance.

The Troll Cream instructions indicated I could safely apply the product as part of the initial tattoo treatment. Not only did the recommendation of keeping it in the refrigerator help soothe the new tattoo upon application
of the cream, but it was 90% neater. No gooey mess to confront, and no clothing had to be sacrificed. This is because the product is water-based, so it absorbs better into the skin and less into the fabric around it.

More importantly, the healing process went faster than I remembered it had in the past. I was starting to see the peeling process as early as Saturday, only three days after getting the tattoo. This can be attributed to ingredients like natural oils from jojoba, sesame seed, almond, and avocado, as well as sea kelp extracts, Epidermal Growth Factor and Copper Peptides. This is what it looked like a week out:

One Week Old, Just a Little Scabbing Remains

The piece has healed quite nicely, as can be seen from the following photo of my two-week old body art:

2 Weeks, Healed and Vibrant!

Amazing that originally, the stencil looked like this:

I also like that the Troll Skin Aftercare cream comes in a little round tin, rather than a tube or cap-top bottle, which has the potential to open or break in transit.

The biggest drawback? Perhaps the price. Suggested retail is $27.50. However, considering this is a treatment for protecting a lifelong investment that can cost hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars to obtain, it’s a veritable bargain. Consider also that my old treatment involved Aquaphor (approximately $8) and Lubriderm (also $8), you’re only paying  a little bit more, for what I deem to be a superior treatment.

Troll Skin also comes as a serum (MSRP $14) which is recommended for post-healing for “continued skin health and to maintain the vibrancy of the artwork”.

Readers of Tattoosday know that I don’t generally endorse products here, aside from an occasional book review. However, I would certainly recommend this product for tattoo healing. I know, I know, people are generally overprotective of their new tattoos and don’t like to change their healing regimens. Nonetheless, why not embrace a product if it’s an improvement to an old process, and why not spend a little more to protect something you will carry proudly for a lifetime?

For more information, visit the Troll Skin website at www.TrollSkin.com and SkinActives Scientific.


Thanks again to the good people at SkinActive for their cooperation with this project!

Hi-yo, Tattoo, Away!

On the night of September 23, I was returning from Manhattan to Brooklyn on the R train after a poetry reading, when Erin sat down next to me. She had this tattoo on her left forearm:

Even Erin would concede this isn't a high-grade, professional tattoo. It was inked by a friend's girlfriend and is an image of the Lone Ranger, based on a printmaking project she did in college in which she envisioned a series of "American Hero Snacks". This was her design for the Lone Ranger Candy Bar. It's an image that resonates with her.

Thanks to Erin for a) talking to this stranger on the subway at night, and b) sharing your tattoo with us here on Tattoosday! Hi-yo, Silver, away!

As an afterthought, today marks the 30th anniversary of the death of John Lennon, I would point to this post to remember her fondly.

Hi-yo, Tattoo, Away!

On the night of September 23, I was returning from Manhattan to Brooklyn on the R train after a poetry reading, when Erin sat down next to me. She had this tattoo on her left forearm:

Even Erin would concede this isn't a high-grade, professional tattoo. It was inked by a friend's girlfriend and is an image of the Lone Ranger, based on a printmaking project she did in college in which she envisioned a series of "American Hero Snacks". This was her design for the Lone Ranger Candy Bar. It's an image that resonates with her.

Thanks to Erin for a) talking to this stranger on the subway at night, and b) sharing your tattoo with us here on Tattoosday! Hi-yo, Silver, away!

As an afterthought, today marks the 30th anniversary of the death of John Lennon, I would point to this post to remember her fondly.

Laura's Two Tattoos

I met Laura in October after I spotted this tattoo on her foot:

This is a leopard frog, which reminds her of growing up, when she spent time in Shawmere, near Lyndhurst, in Eastern Ontario, Canada. She nostalgically recollects her summers as a young girl,  fishing and catching frogs.

Laura has a second tattoo, just above her waistline, which she generously shared with us, as well:

This floral tattoo depicts a bouquet with geraniums and the white edelweiss flowers. The edelweiss is the unofficial national flower of Switzerland and this tattoo commemorates not only the month she spent there as a visitor, but because she loves the Swiss culture and it is her favorite country.

Both tattoos were done by Patrick Dean at Tattooville, in Neptune, New Jersey. Work from Tattooville has appeared previously on our site here.

Thanks to Laura for sharing these two cool tattoos on Tattoosday!

Laura's Two Tattoos

I met Laura in October after I spotted this tattoo on her foot:

This is a leopard frog, which reminds her of growing up, when she spent time in Shawmere, near Lyndhurst, in Eastern Ontario, Canada. She nostalgically recollects her summers as a young girl,  fishing and catching frogs.

Laura has a second tattoo, just above her waistline, which she generously shared with us, as well:

This floral tattoo depicts a bouquet with geraniums and the white edelweiss flowers. The edelweiss is the unofficial national flower of Switzerland and this tattoo commemorates not only the month she spent there as a visitor, but because she loves the Swiss culture and it is her favorite country.

Both tattoos were done by Patrick Dean at Tattooville, in Neptune, New Jersey. Work from Tattooville has appeared previously on our site here.

Thanks to Laura for sharing these two cool tattoos on Tattoosday!

Anja's Tattoo - A Brother and Sister Find Common Ground

Anja was visiting New York City from Denmark earlier this fall, when she ran into me in Penn Station. Of course, I was thrilled when she agreed to share this tattoo with us here on Tattoosday:

This tattoo on Anja's calf is based on the cover art from Es ist soweit, a 1990 album from a German band called Böhse Onkelz.

This record has significant meaning for Anja because it helped bring her and her brother together. She explained that they lived apart and didn't talk much, growing up in separate households. She was living with her grandmother, and came to visit her father and she was walking past her brother's room and heard him listening to this record.

The music brought them together, as she stopped to talk to him about it, learned that he had been listening to Böhse Onkelz longer than her, and this common ground broke the ice. Whereas before they had very little to talk about, Anja credits the band and this album with helping establish ties with her brother.

The top of the tattoo starts a lyric

and ends with

The lyric in question, "Let's forever be that Rebel Monster" is actually from a song by Volbeat, a Danish rock band, on their first album The Strength/The Sound/The Songs. The date below, "29-07-19--" is her brother's birth date.

This cool, meaningful tattoo was inked in Denmark by an artist named Dennis Wehler. I love how the words seem to be carved in her flesh.

Thanks to Anja for sharing this wonderful tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

As a bonus, here's a little "Rebel Monster" from Volbeat: