After Care for Tattoos
Now, you have your fresh new tattoo, and you want to take good care of it! From this point on, your artist is not responsible for any infection or problems you may have with your tattoo if you don’t take proper care of it. It is very important that you follow these guidelines. A really beautiful tattoo can turn into a disaster if the proper aftercare is not taken.
1. Most tattoo artists will cover your tattoo with a bandage, gauze or cling wrap. Leave this covering on for between one and four hours to prevent any bacteria from entering and to allow any blood to clot.
2. With clean hands, remove the bandage and wash gently with warm water and a mild anti-bacterial soap. Make sure you remove all traces of blood. Do not use a washcloth to wash your tattoo. This will be too abrasive to a new tattoo. Pat the tattoo dry with a soft clean cloth. Do not rub it dry. Do not use alcohol or hydrogen peroxide to clean your tattoo. It needs to stay moist in order to heal, and these products will dry it out.
3. Cover the tattoo with a very thin layer of an anti-bacterial ointment, such as Neosporin or Bacitraycin. Tattoo Goo, Tattoo Lube and other tattoo-specific ointments are also good to use. Do not use Vaseline or petroleum jelly. It will fade the color of your tattoo.
4. Once the tattoo’s initial covering is removed, do not cover it again during the healing process. The tattoo will need to be exposed to the air in order to heal.
5. Wash the tattoo at least twice a day for the first week. Apply ointment 5 or 6 times a day for the first three days, especially when you feel the tattoo is dry. Keeping it moisturized will ensure the least amount of scabbing and peeling, thereby reducing the fading of the color. Make sure your hands are clean each time you rub lotion on it. The introduction of bacteria or dirt will cause the tattoo to become infected.
6. After 3 or 4 days of using ointment, switch to a moisturizing lotion. Use a fragrance-free lotion to prevent irritation. Lubriderm and Eucerin are two good lotions to use.
7. The tattoo will “bleed” ink during the first few days of healing. Wear clothes that you wouldn’t mind getting a bit of ink on. The ink will wash out of most clothing, but it might require bleach. Depending on the area of your body you have tattooed, you might want to put a towel down or wear some pajamas at night to avoid getting ink on your sheets.
8. Do not swim, soak in a hot tub or take a bath for two weeks after getting your tattoo. Chemicals like chlorine and the bacteria found in most lakes will cause the tattoo to fade and/or an infection. Soaking the tattoo will also cause the scab to come off faster, and along with it, some of the ink.
9. Do not tan for at least two weeks after tattooing to allow it to heal. After two weeks has passed, you can lie in the sun or go to the tanner as long as you put a light layer of SPF 25 or higher sun block over the tattoo. Sunlight will fade the ink, especially in bright colors or black. If you expose it to too much sun, you might end up having to get it redone in a few years to brighten up the color.
10. Like any other wound to the skin, your tattoo will itch during the healing process. DO NOT SCRATCH IT. Scratching or picking will remove the scab and possibly some of the color from the tattoo. Slap skin or rub lotion into tattoo to relieve itching.
Following these simple steps will ensure that you end up with the best result with minimal complications.
Taking Care Of A Tattoo
Once your tattoo is done, it’s not too hard to make sure it heals the best that it can. And it is worth the few days of special care after all that cost and discomfort it took to get it:
- Whatever you do, do NOT pick at the scab on your new tattoo. If the scab comes off too soon, you run the rick of having the ink “heal out,” which leaves a blank spot in the design and then you’ll have to get that part redone. This can happen a little bit during natural healing, but picking at a scab pretty much guarantees it. No matter how much it itches, don’t scratch it.
- You can shower with your tattoo, but don’t let it sit under the spray and get soaked. Wash it gently with a mild, natural soap using just your fingertips, and try to roll or scrape off as little scab as you can. Rinse quickly and make sure when you dry off to pat (not brush/scrape) the tattooed area.
- Tattoos that are totally brand-new get a light smear of antibiotic ointment on them, until the scab forms. Once the scab starts, you will want to switch to a natural or organic, unscented lotion to keep the skin moisturized. You do not want to use anything that contains lanolin or petroluem jelly in it for healing your tattoo, as these will clog the pores and often contributed to the ink healing out. I personally tell people to avoid diaper rash creams (aka A&D ointment or bepanthen), as these very often do contain lanolin and petroluem. I’ve also learned that the Australian product Lucas Paw Paw Ointment contains petroleum jelly (although it doesn’t say so on the label) so avoid that one too!
- While tattoos are healing, you want to avoid skin trauma. This can include clothes that rub the area too much, any activities where the tattoo would get hit hard, anything that scrapes or scratches the healing surface and heavily sweating. Sweat is how the body cools itself AND gets rid of toxins. That toxic sweat can cause your new tattoo to become infected.
- Initial healing from new tattoo to scabbed is about 3 days on average and the scab often falls off around days 7-10 but your individual skin healing can vary. The tattoo usually still has some dry skin on top (nicknamed “the saran wrap” phase by many because the tattoo can look shiny) after the heavy scab comes off and after two weeks the skin surface is often healed. The tattoo may be flat to the skin at this point, or it might take a little longer to become flush with the skin. Until the entire surface is healed you want to avoid any swimming or soaking in a hot tub!
- Now and for the rest of your life, your tattoo needs as much sun protection as it can get. If the surface is still raw, do not put sunscreen on it, as it can can skin irritation. Keep it covered with soft clothing and out of the sun. Sunburn causes tattoos to lose colors or fade in intensity, and it can make fine lines and details turn blurry.
Remember: your individual skin healing and reactions may vary! If you think you are having a problem, go back and talk to your tattoo artist or see a doctor!
How To Recognize An Infection
- Tattoos can be red, swollen (raised-up), weepy/bleeding and just plain sore when they are done. The more complex a design and the longer you sat there, the greater the chances for these symptoms. If your tattooist had a really firm grip on you or if you tend to be sensitive to it, there might even be a few bruises.
- If your tattoos increase in redness, become more painful, and either the skin or the fluids weeping out become yellow-greenish in color, those are all classic signs of an infection. In those cases, either go back to your tattoist or doctor to have the infection confirmed and evaluated.
- If left untreated, infections can not only damage the tattoo itself, they can potentially lead to something life-threatening like blood poisoning.
- Some people have allergic reactions to tattoo inks or and experience adverse skin reactions. To determine this, you need to see a doctor or dermatologist.
