Aftercare For Your Tattoo

Wash and Treat

 

You will want to wash your tattoo. Use lukewarm water and mild, liquid antibacerial soap. Dial tends to be too harsh, so a generic brand is actually better. Gently wash away any ointment, blood and/or plasma and completely clean the area. do no use a washcloth or anything abrasive. Your hand is your best tool in this case. (if your tattoo feels slimy and slippery, you have porbably been oozing plasma . Try to gently remove as much of this as possible - when plasma dries on the skin surface, it creates scabs)

 

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 your choice of ointment. A triple antibiotic ointment would be my first choice, but if you dont have any, Bacitracin works well too.

 

**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 a little red bumps. When the bumps go away, so does the ink, and you end up with a polka-dotted tattoo.

 

Specialty Products and Lotions

 

If you prefer,you can also use a specialty product such as tattoo goo or H2Ocean. It's not necessary, as many over the counter products work just fine ,but it's your choice. Use the products as directed as continue for 3-5 days. After that, continue to keep it clean, but you can use lotion when needed instead of ointment, to keep the skn soft whatever lotion you use, it should be dye and fragrance free.

 

Bathing, Showering, Hot Tubs, and Swimming

 

Yes, you can shower with a new tattoo. Submerging your tattoo in a bath or hot tub can cause serious damage , so you'll want to avoid those for 2-3 weeks, but showering is perfectly fine as long as you don't saturate your tattoo. Swimming - whether it is a pool, fresh water or salt water - should be avoided for at least 2 weeks.

 

Scabbing and Peeling

 

After a few days, you will notice some eeling and possibly a little scabbing.You will also start to itch, just like a sunburn when it begins to heal. The advice here is, dont 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 tattoon is almost healed, and now is not the time to ruin it!

 

Protection from the Sun

 

After your tattoo is healed, from now on, your will always want to protect it from the sun's ultraviolet rays. These can fade and damage a brilliant tattoo very fast. Before spending a lot of time in excessive heat protect your tattoo with a minimum 30SPF sunblock. This will keep your tattoo vibrant for many years.