First Tattoo?
What Are The Steps For All Tattoo After Care?
Tattoo aftercare is crucial no matter which healing method you choose, dry or wet. Here are a few necessary steps every new tattoo owner should keep in mind regardless of your chosen healing method:
Wash Your Hands
Always wash your hands before touching or cleaning your tattoo. Your hands will spread bacteria and germs to this delicate area if they are not adequately cleaned. Wash your hands with anti-bacterial soap and warm water for 20 seconds and dry on a clean, lint-free towel. Keeping your hands so fresh and so clean presents germs and bacteria from spreading into the new tattoo site and causing possible irritation or infection.
Don’t Replace The Bandage
The tattoo artist places a bandage over the tattoo before you leave the studio. This bandage protects the raw, delicate skin from initial exposure to environmental elements. Your artist informs you of how long to keep the dressing in place, usually within the first 24 hours. Wash your hands, then remove the bandage carefully. Do not replace the dressing with a new one, as this can prolong the healing process.
Wait Two Weeks
Most tattoo artists tell the client to wait two weeks before getting the tattoo wet. Ask your artist how long they recommend you wait. Avoid swimming and taking tub baths during the first two weeks after getting your new ink—but no, this is not an excuse to skip your shower. While showering, simply be mindful of your tattoo and do not allow the water to run down on the tattoo.
Keep It Clean
Keeping you tattoo clean is crucial—you don’t want a skin infection. After waiting two weeks, using a gentle, alcohol-free, fragrance-free tattoo cleanser and warm, sterile water to clean the new ink two to three times per day. This cleansing prevents the spread of bacteria and germs, which may cause infection and skin irritation.
Practice Safe Sun
If the sun wreaks havoc on healthy skin, can you imagine what it dose to freshly inked skin? The newly tattooed skin is raw and delicate and needs protection from the sun’s rays. Regardless of where your tattoo is located, make sure it is covered loosely with breathable cotton clothing. If you are directly exposed to the sun, check with your tattoo artist to determine if mineral-based sunscreen 30 SPF or more is acceptable to use over that delicate new ink. After the tattoo heals, always protect it and the rest of your skin with SPF 30 or more. Apply 15 minutes before sun exposure and reapply at least every two hours. Sunscreen prevents your tattoo from fading, prevents sunburn, and may precent some skin conditions such as melanoma and skin cancers.
Don’t Pick The Scabs
Whatever you do, DON’T PICK THE SCABS!!! We realize it is tempting, but avoid picking, scratching, or pulling the scabs at all cost. Doing so will prolong the healing time, cause infection, and lead to unsightly scarring. When the scabs peel away prematurely, the tattoo may heal to look different than you expected, or worse—it may cause scarring. The horror!