Your Guide for Tattoo Aftercare
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Keep your bandage on as long as the artist tells you to.
Times vary, but your artist will probably instruct you to keep your bandage on from one to three hours after getting new ink. This is to collect access blood and ink, protect from overexposure, and prevent nasty stains on clothing.
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Wash your tattoo several times a day.
Use an antibacterial soap like Dial to prevent infection on your tattoo. Do this for a few weeks, until the tattoo is fully healed. While you’re in this transition period, try to only touch your tattoo with freshly washed hands.
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Avoid the sun like the plague.
The sun is the number one killer of tattoos. Keep your ink covered if you’re in direct sunlight, because UV rays can cause tons of damage in no time at all. The sun can also blister a tattoo which prolongs the healing process, fades the ink, and puts you in a world of pain.
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Refrain from picking scabs or peeling off loose skin.
Scabbing is pretty normal, especially if you have sensitive skin. Pulling off light scabs could result in pulling off the ink, which is not only gross, but costly. The same goes for peeling skin. When the scab heals and the skin begins to flake away, it’s important to remember to keep your hands off and let it happen naturally.
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Apply ointment to keep skin hydrated.
For the first three days, apply ointment to keep your skin hydrated. Then move to a non-scented lotion. But whatever you do, don’t smother your ink–a thicker layer of ointment will prevent your skin from getting enough oxygen.
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Stay away from bodies of water.
Don’t submerge your tattoo in a bath, pool, lake, pond, sink… just keep it dry to prevent germs from festering on your new tattoo. If your asshole friend pushed you into a pool anyway, just make sure you utilize some antibacterial soap as quickly as possible.
