Tattoo After Care

CONGRATULATIONS! You’ve finally done it. After getting your work of art firmly inked into your tender skin, you are bandaged, given some advice on how to care for your new tattoo, and sent home.

 But are you sure you have all the right answers? How do you know there isn’t some point or points you haven’t covered and would like to get another opinion on? What is the best advice you can get to really protect your health and preserve the beauty of your new tattoo?

Tattoo after care is a big issue. Here, we will use this as a forum and answer your questions. Read them over and then make your own decisions. What we have eventually come up with concerning the many questions asked  is that there is no one answer for everyone.

We are all different and have unique needs. So know yourself, and proceed with caution:

Q: When leaving my artist’s shop I was bandaged and told to leave it on for the rest of the day. I wanted to show it to my friends so I took it off for a while and put it back on again. Did I do any damage?

A: Not a good idea. It’s important to avoid infection which can cause you bodily harm as well as damage your tattoo. Keeping air borne bacteria out of the fresh wound (which is what you have) is the purpose of the initial bandage and it should be left on and undisturbed for at least 2-3 hours!

When you remove it, be sure your hands have been washed carefully. An antibacterial soap would be a good idea and not necessarily overkill. Be gentle. Use lukewarm water and a mild soap (also antibacterial) such as Provon or Satin, Do not use a washcloth. Use your hand and carefully rinse off any ointments as well as the blood and plasma likely to have accumulated.

 When the plasma dries it will create scabs. Pat the area completely dry, do not rub, with a CLEAN towel and then apply your choice of an ointment. There are many choices here but avoid any petroleum products such as Vaseline or lanolin.

A&D ointment is a good choice. So is Bacitracin.  Neosporin is NOT recommended because many people have reported allergic reactions to it when used for this purpose. That can result in tiny red bumps which will take the ink with them when they finally disappear, leaving empty dots where once there was smooth ink.

Q: After removing the initial bandage, how long should I keep a fresh one on? What other lotions should I apply after a few days?

A:You don’t. Leave the tattoo open to the air with no covering once the original is removed. You must carefully wash it at least two times a day for the first week or so and apply ointment to it about 6 times a day to keep the skin from drying.

 Keeping it moist will reduce the amount of peeling and reduce scabs and thus reduce color fade. And remember to always keep your hands CLEAN when doing this. After 3 or 4 days you should switch from the ointment to a moisturizing lotion. Be sure it is fragrance and color free to avoid irritating the sensitive skin. Lubriderm and Eucerin are both good choices. There are specialty products out there which also work well.

Some of these tattoo after care products are: Tattoo Goo, Ink Fixx, Tat Wax, H2OCEAN FOAM and others. Check out the ingredients of anything you are looking at to be sure it doesn’t contain something you are allergic to.

Q: How can I know if my tat is healing properly. It looks pretty muddy after 5 days and I don’t know if that is normal.

A: Unless you have developed an infection or did anything which has not been recommended (over-exposing it to sun, letting it scab excessively, covering it with a petroleum product, poor hygiene, scrubbing with a washcloth, etc.) it should be doing fine.

You can always check with your artist to be sure, but a normal tattoo goes through healing stages. You will be oozing plasma and there will also be some “bleeding” of the fresh ink. When the process is complete, usually in 10 days or so, you will see the tattoo colors in their new bright beauty.

Q: What are some other tattoo after care suggestions you can make which I can add to these already mentioned?

A: 
• You can shower with your tattoo. Getting it wet is OK, just don’t soak it. Hot tubs, baths and even swimming are not recommended.

• You will see peeling and some scabbing develop after a few days. If there is too much, that could indicate a poorly created tattoo, but a small amount is occasionally normal. Use warm and moist compreses for about 5 m inutes a couple of times a day to make them soft, and they will eventually fall of by themselves. Do not apply ointments to a scab. Let it get dry.

• You will likely want to scratch. Don’t!! A tattoo is a wound and when it heals it will itch. Slap it, don’t scratch it! If it is peeling, you can put some lotion on it and if it scabbing, let it be.

• When you go out in the sun always protect it from the UV rays. Be sure to keep it covered with at least an SPF30 protectant. This will be true for as long as you want to keep it,

And that just about covers most basic questions on tattoo after care. Respect your tattoo as you respect yourself. You’re one and the same from now on. Enjoy!

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