Tattoo Aftercare
Now, you have your fresh new tattoo, and you want to take good care of it! From this point on, we are 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.
Leave That Bandage Alone!
Your artist took the care to cover up your new tattoo for a very good reason – to keep air-born bacteria from invading your wound. Yes, as pretty as your new tattoo is, it is still a wound. Open flesh is a breeding ground for bacteria and infection. Leave the bandage on for a minimum of one hour after leaving the shop. Excitement of having a new tattoo will make you want to remove the bandage so you can show your friends, but your friends will just have to wait until later.
Wash and Treat
After you remove the bandage, you will want to wash your tattoo. Use lukewarm water and mild, liquid antibacterial or antimicrobial soap to gently wash away any ointment, blood and/or plasma and to completely clean the area. Do not use awashcloth or anything abrasive. Your hand is your best tool in this case. If your tattoo feels slimy and slippery, you have probably been oozing plasma. Try to gently remove as much of this as possible, when the plasma dries on the skin surface it creates scabs. Then pat (do not rub) the area firmly with a CLEAN towel or paper towel to get it completely dry. Follow with a very light application of your choice of ointment. Vitamin A&D enriched ointment would be our first choice, but if you don't have any, Bacitracin or a similar antibacterial ointment is acceptable. Do not use Neosporin. This is a wonderful product for cuts and scrapes, but not for tattoos. Some can have an allergic reaction to the Neosporin, which causes little red bumps. When the bumps go away, so does the ink, and you end up with a polka-dotted tattoo.
Specialty Products and Lotions
If you prefer, you can also use a specialty product such as Tattoo Goo. Use these products as directed and repeat for 3-5 days. After that, continue to keep it clean, but you can use lotion when needed instead of ointment, to keep the skin soft. Whatever lotion you use, it should be dye and fragrance free. We recommend Lubriderm or Eucerin.
Bathing, Showering, Hot Tubs, and Swimming
Yes, you can (and should!) shower with a new tattoo. It's OK to get your tattoo wet – just don't soak it. Submerging your tattoo in a bath or hot tub can cause serious damage, so you'll want to avoid these for 2-3 weeks, but showering is perfectly fine as long as you don't saturate your tattoo. If you get soap or shampoo on your tattoo, just remove it quickly with water. Swimming, whether it be in a pool, lake, pond, river or ocean, fresh water or salt water, should be avoided for at least 2 weeks.
Scabbing and Peeling
After a few days, you will notice some peeling and possibly a little scabbing. Apply warm moist compresses to the scabs for about 5 minutes 2-3 times a day to soften them and they will eventually come off on their own. Do not apply ointment or lotion to a softened scab – wait for it to dry. You will also start to itch, just like with a sunburn when it begins to heal, the advice here is, don't pick, and don't scratch! If the skin itches, slap it. If it is peeling, put lotion on it. And if it is scabbing, just leave it alone. Your tattoo is almost healed, and now is not the time to ruin it!
Protection from the Sun
After your tattoo is healed, from now on, you will always want to protect it from the sun's ultraviolet rays that can fade and damage a brilliant tattoo very fast. Before spending a lot of time in excessive heat, protect your tattoo with a minimum 30 SPF sunblock. This will keep your tattoo vibrant for many years, and it will continue to be a source of great pride.
Shaving
So, when is it safe to shave again? Your tattoo will go through several different stages, one of the last being the peeling stage. Once the peeling has finished, your skin will start to regenerate and produce a new protective layer over your tattoo. Once this new layer has appeared, it is usually safe to shave again. Depending on your tattoo and your own body's ability to heal, this can take anywhere from 5-10 days in most cases. Do this simple little skin test to see if it would be safe for you to shave:
Close your eyes and run the tips of your fingers across and around your tattoo. Are there any bumps? Raised areas? Hard scabs? The tattoo should feel the same as the skin around it - if you can tell where the tattoo begins and ends or feel any skin irregularities, you might need to wait a little longer.
Sometimes a tattoo can remain raised slightly for as long as a couple months. This can be very frustrating and itchy to the wearer. In this case, if the tattoo is completely healed with no open sores or scabs, an electric razor is you best option. Even a chemical hair remover would be better than a blade, but be sure to leave it on for the minimum time required to remove the unwanted hair. If you must use a blade razor, exercise extreme caution. Your tattoo is so close to being successfully healed - the last thing you want to do now is open it up.
Once a tattoo is completely healed, you can shave the area without worry.