Help keep your tattoo looking beautiful
Your New Tattoo!
Now, you have your fresh new tattoo, and you want to take good care of it! From this point on, your artist is not responsible for any infection or problems you may have with your tattoo if you don't take proper care of it.
It is very important that you follow these guidelines. A really beautiful tattoo can turn into a disaster if the proper aftercare is not taken.
Leave That Bandage Alone!
Your artist took the care to cover up your new tattoo for a very good reason - to keep air-born bacteria from invading your wound. Yes, as pretty as your new tattoo is, it is still a wound. Open flesh is a breeding ground for bacteria and infection.
We advise you to leave the bandage on for a minimum of three hours. It is even better if you can just keep the bandage on overnight. Excitement of having a new tattoo will make you want to remove the bandage so you can show your friends, but your friends will just have to wait until tomorrow morning.
Wash and Treat!
After you remove the bandage, you will want to wash your tattoo. Use lukewarm water and antibacterial soap to gently wash away any ointment and to completely clean the area. Do not use a washcloth or anything abrasive. Your hand is your best tool in this case. Then pat (do not rub) the area firmly with a CLEAN towel or paper towel to get it completely dry.
Follow with a very light application of ointment. Bacitracin would be the first choice in ointments, but if you don't have any, A&D vitamin enriched ointment (medical grade - not the kind used for diaper rash) is also acceptable.
Do not use Neosporin. This is a wonderful product for cuts and scrapes, but not for tattoos. Some can have an allergic reaction to the Neosporin, which causes little red bumps. When the bumps go away, so does the ink, and you end up with a polka-dotted tattoo.
Continue this procedure at least twice a day for two or three days. After that, continue to keep it clean, but you can use lotion when needed instead of ointment, to keep the skin soft.
Scabbing and Peeling!
After a few days, you will notice some peeling and possibly a little scabbing. Excessive scabbing indicates a poorly-done tattoo, but a little is sometimes normal, so there is no need to panic. You will also start to itch, just like a sunburn when it begins to heal. The advice here is, don't pick, and don't scratch! If the skin itches, slap it. If it is peeling, put lotion on it. And if it is scabbing, just leave it alone. Your tattoo is almost healed, and now is not the time to ruin it!