AfterCare - Looking after your tattoo

After you heal your tattoo, there’s ways of preserving it for as long as possible. Keep in mind that this new art piece is now part of your skin, so the better you treat your body, and skin in particular, the better your tattoo will look for longer. A tattoo isn’t cheap. It’s an investment, and you’re going to want to keep it looking it’s best.    The best thing you could do for your tattoo is to keep it from getting too much sun. this means whether you go to the beach, go tanning, or even just working outside. If you are getting lots of sun exposure, whether it’s natural or not, it’s best to cover your tattoo. No amount of sunblock will prevent the sun from doing damage. You can make a simple cover by taping a paper towel to the tattoo, or make a permanent cover for it that you always have at your disposal,  NB: This applies to healed tattoos only, never re-bandage/cover a new tattoo that has not fully healed. Be creative if you need to, because keeping your tattoo sharp and vibrant for years is important. When you’re outside for a long period of time, be it mowing the lawn or anything else, remember to put some really strong sunblock on just your tattoo. Women can keep sunblock in their purses in the summertime, and men should keep a pocket sized one somewhere practical.

Another important thing to prevent is cutting or scratching your tattoo. When you do this, it leaves little white scars over your tattoo that aren’t always raised, but do detract from your tattoo. The only way to fix these are by getting it retouched, but matching the ink colors are often times very difficult. Although you cannot prevent every little scratch, it’s wise to contemplate ways to lessen the amount of abuse that area of your body receives.

Healing - Give your tattoo the best chance to heal.

To heal your tattoo, it really depends on your tattoo artists method of tattooing, so talk to them about it. More than likely, they’ll have a print out to hand you so that you don’t forget. However, here’s an extensive healing method that most shops use.

That day, after the tattoo, you may have your tattoo covered in vasoline and then saran wrap. You need to keep this “bandage” on for at least 3 hours, but no longer than 5. When you take it off, dispose of it into a garbage that is bagged and not contaminating anything/anyone.

Wash off your tattoo with clean water, with a gentle soap, such as a glycerin soap. This first washing will need to be with lukewarm water as to not burn yourself, because this skin will be very sensitive. When completely free of vasoline and fully clean, pat dry with clean paper towels. Do not use normal towels! Dispose of these towels in a plastic bag also. Do not put your tattoo under running water!!

With clean hands, put a small amount of bacitracin on your finger and smooth it over your new tattoo. This needs to just be enough to make your tattoo shine. Then put clean clothes over the tattoo, not ever using any bandage or saran wrap covering again.

For the next 5 days, wash your tattoo a few times a day, each time applying the light coat of bacitracin to it. Keep it out of the sun, do not go tanning,  do not submerge it in water or soak it, keep harsh soaps or chemicals off of it, and restrict the amount of rubbing or friction on it from clothes, do not put your tattoo under running water.

At this point it will start to peel like a sunburn, and it will peel in black or color. It might even peel twice. After that, you can apply small amounts of lotion to it when it gets dry.

At any point if you develop any scabbing, leave that area dry, and don’t pick it!

This should heal your tattoo up nicely. All other questions should be asked of your tattoo artist, but if you are ever really worried about it, or if it gets inflamed or infected, be sure to visit your doctor as soon as possible.