Tattoo Care Information
Care of your New Tattoo
You were tattooed in a clean, modern tattoo studio with sterilized instruments.
If you follow these simple directions you will have a quick-healing and attractive tattoo.
Remember the life of your tattoo is dependent on the care it receives in the first few days.
What to do
Remove bandage after a minimum of 2 hours. If the dressing sticks, wet area with COOL water to loosen it and remove the dressing carefully.
Once your tattoo is exposed, wash it gently but thoroughly with a mild soap and COOL water. Be sure to remove any surface blood and rinse off any remaining soap.
Lightly pat dry and then, with clean hands, apply a small amount of lotion.
Use a good quality, light lotion without added fragrance or color and massage it in.
Try one of these: Lubriderm, Aquaphor, or A&D Ointment
Use a small amount to allow the skin to breathe.
Depending on the nature or location of your work, it may be necessary to wear clothing heavy enough to protect your tattoo, particularly if you work around grease, oil, metal dust, etc.
Your tattoo will develop a layer of dry skin. (It will be the same color as the tattoo.) Apply a thin layer of lotion as needed (3-5 times a day, or whenever the skin feels tight or itchy), until the layers flake off naturally.
After the tattoo has healed and the dry skin has flaked off, there will be a period of adjustment for the new skin. It is advisable to continue applying the same non-fragrance hand lotion.
You may notice redness, swelling and tenderness and this is to be expected but should not last longer than a few days.
What NOT to Do
DON’T re-bandage your tattoo, rub, scratch, or pick at your new tattoo.
DON’T apply alcohol, Neosporin, Vaseline, or petroleum jelly (they can trap dirt and germs and cause infection).
DON’T apply a heavy coat of lotion (remember the skin must breath in order to heal).
DON’T expose your tattoo to direct sunlight, swim, sauna, steam or tub for 2 weeks. The sun, salt water, and chlorine all act as a bleaching agent; any one of them can ruin your tattoo. The healing process usually takes about 2 weeks, however this time may vary from person to person.