Tattoo Aftercare

Caring for your tattoo once you have gotten it can be one of the most important steps in the whole experience. If you do not properly care for it, you may as well have not gotten it. Or even worse you just paid for an infection! Not something many people would willingly do.

Your tattoo is a self-inflicted injury that you need to nurse back to health to ensure it looks just like the day you got it (minus all the red irritated swelling). So how exactly do you care for your new tattoo?

Once the artist is done applying your tattoo they will allow you to look at it, perhaps photograph it for their portfolio than will apply a thin layer of cream and bandage it up. A big mistake people do is to remove the gauze too quickly. They become eager to show off their new ink and in the end may actually end up doing it harm. It is a good idea to leave the gauze on for a few hours afterwards or even leave it on overnight to give it an even better chance to heal.

After you do remove the gauze you will need to clean the area. Stay away from soaps and do your best to keep it relatively dry. Gently clean it and then coat it with a thin coat of antibiotic ointment that was either supplied or that you purchased at the drug store.

Repeat this throughout the day as you feel the tattoo drying and to minimize the itch from the healing process. Ensure anytime you touch the tattoo you do so using clean hands. Continue with this process for the first3-7 days dependent on how you heal. (If you know you typically take longer to heal, make sure you apply the ointment for a longer period of time to prevent infection)

So what should you avoid well your tattoo heals?
First, the sun can be your tattoos worst enemy, even after it is healed. Try to ensure you always use a sunscreen over your tattoo to preserve the life of the colours.

Keep it well moisturized, letting the skin dry out will only cause your tattoo to fade and age well ahead of its time. Don't let it dry out. Don't pick your scabs.

If you pick your scabs as the tattoo heals you risk losing all the colour that has been placed in that area. Peeling is a healthy normal part of the healing process, if the itching is drying you crazy, moisturize the area and let it be.

Tattoo care is very basic and follows many of the same rules and principle of caring for any sort of wound, which is exactly what a tattoo is. You have self inflicted a injury (colourful one at that) that needs time to heal and return to its natural state (more or less).

If you ever have any questions or concerns about the care of your new tattoo do not hesitate to contact the shop or artist who applied it for you. They should be able to help you with your questions and ensure you do the best possible job of caring for your new tattoo so that it is with you for life. Here is a good tattoo aftercare product we highly recommend. Click here.