Tattoo After-Care
Tips and advice:
How to care for your new tattoo.
To help your tattoo heal, it is important that you treat your fresh ink with special care, so that it doesn’t fade, damage or get infected.
- Your tattoo artist will likely leave your tattoo covered with a bandage or plastic once they have applied an antibacterial ointment. This will help to keep the wound clean. Check with your tattoo artist for the recommended time on your tattoo, but generally the covering should remain for approximately 3 hours.
- Make sure that you have clean hands when you do remove the plastic or bandage. You may wish to gently apply some warm water, to make the bandage remove without sticking to your skin.
- Gently wash your tattoo with lukewarm water and antibacterial soap. Avoid soaking the tattoo in water. Instead, gently apply the warm water and soap by scooping it with your handing and allowing it to gently trickle over the tattoo. Make sure that the antibacterial soap is unscented and mild.
- Gently rub the tattoo with the flat part of your fingers to remove any traces of blood or leaked ink. Doing this will help your tattoo to not scab too soon.
- Avoid using sponges, or face-washers and washcloths. Avoid placing your new tattoo directly under the water.
To dry the tattoo, you may pat it with clean paper towel, or even better, allow it to air-dry. Avoid any rubbing and avoid contact with any fabrics, other than clean paper towel.
more to come soon…
5. Apply a non-scented antibacterial cream. Once your tattoo is fully dry, apply a little moisturizing ointment, preferably an all-natural aftercare, to the tattoo. Make sure to apply only a very thin layer and pat it in gently until it’s absorbed by the skin. If you’re not sure what kind of ointment to use, ask your tattoo artist what they recommend for your skin.[5]
• Aquaphor is a good, recommended option for a moisturizer.
• Don’t use petroleum-based products, such as Vaseline or Neosporin, as these are too heavy and may clog the pores.
• Once your tattoo is clean and moisturized, avoid rewrapping it.6. Listen to your tattoo artist’s advice. Your tattoo artist will explain how you should care for your tattoo immediately after getting it, so try to follow their instructions. The way they bandage your tattoo may be different from other tattoo artists, so take the advice they give you seriously to ensure your tattoo heals correctly.[6]
• Write down the instructions they give you on a piece of paper or type them up on your phone so you don’t forget.
PART 2:
Helping Your Tattoo Heal
1. Wash and moisturize your tattoo daily until the scabs are gone. You should continue to wash your tattoo 2-3 times a day with antibacterial soap and lukewarm water until it’s fully healed. This can take anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks, depending on the size and location of the tattoo.[7]
• While moisturizing is important, be careful not to smother the tattoo in lotion or ointment—a thin layer is all you need.
• Continue using an unscented mild soap when washing.2. Avoid scratching or picking at your tattoo. As it heals, your tattoo will start to scab over, which is normal. Let the scabs dry out and fall off by themselves, and don’t speed up the process by picking or scratching at the scabs. This can cause the scabs to fall off too soon, which can leave holes or light spots on the tattoo.[8]
• Dry, scabbing or peeling skin can become very itchy, but scratching at your tattoo may also cause scabs to fall off.
• Keep using moisturizing ointment to combat itchiness if it is a problem.3. Keep your tattoo out of direct sunlight. The harsh rays of the sun may cause your skin to blister and bleach some of the colors from your tattoo. For this reason, it is best to keep your tattoo covered and away from the sun for at least 3 to 4 weeks until the initial healing is complete.[9]
• Once your tattoo is healed, you’ll want to wear sunscreen to prevent the tattoo from fading.
4. Avoid soaking the tattoo in water. Until your tattoo is fully healed, don’t swim in a pool or the ocean. Avoid soaking in the bathtub as well. Exposing your tattoo to lots of water can pull the ink out of your skin and do damage to the tattoo’s appearance. The water may also be carrying dirt, bacteria, or other chemicals that can infect your tattoo.[10]
• It will be safe to resume these activities once your tattoo is healed, but for now you should stick to rinsing your tattoo in the sink or shower.
5. Wear clean, loose-fitting clothing to avoid irritating your tattoo. Try not to wear tight or restrictive clothing on the area with your new tattoo, especially at first. As your tattoo heals, it will seep plasma and excess ink, which may cause the clothing to stick to the tattoo. The clothing will then be painful to remove and may rip off any freshly formed scabs.[11]
• If your clothing does stick to your tattoo, do not pull! First wet the area with water, which should loosen the clothing to where it can be removed without damaging your tattoo.
• Tight clothing will prevent enough oxygen from getting to your tattoo, and oxygen is essential for the healing process.6. Wait for your tattoo to heal before doing strenuous workouts. If the tattoo covers a large surface area or is near your joints (such as elbows and knees), it may take longer to heal if the skin is forced to move around too much during physical activity. The movement will cause the skin to crack and become irritated, prolonging the healing process.[12]
• If you work in a job that involves physical activity, such as construction or dance, you may want to consider having your new tattoo done right before you have a day or 2 off so it has time to heal before you return to work.
