How you initially care for your tattoo immediately following your appointment accounts for 80% of the overall aesthetic value of your tattoo once it is healed. That is a very significant amount, meaning that you could get the best tattoo in the world and if its not cared for properly, it will literally look terrible.

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This is why artists make such a big deal about aftercare (or always should). If you are a serious tattoo collector then you are probably familiar with how your body heals, and you probably have also realized that almost every artist has different recommendations about what the best method really is. As frustrating as this may seem, it should actually be taken seriously each and every time because although you may be 'experienced' in getting tattooed, the artist is going to be even more experienced with their own methods and techniques and will have seen how their specific tattoos heal and therefore what seems to work best for the work that they produce.

 

That being said Ive been tattooing for over 10 years now and am versatile in a wide variety of styles and over the years have been present for the healing process of many of my tattoos and so the following will be my account on the absolute best way to ensure a happy and healthy heal in anywhere from one week - six weeks with minimal ink loss, infection, and skin damage.   

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People are most susceptible to infection during the first four to six hours after receiving a fresh tattoo. This is why artists will recommend wearing a bandage for this time period. (this is referring to a typical medical bandage or simple plastic wrapping, so excluding the 'second skin' bandages, see the blog page for more information on 'second skin')

 

Once the recommended time has passed the best thing to do is to hop in a lukewarm shower. (your fresh tattoo will be very sensitive to hot or cold so room temperature water is best at this stage) Do your best to actually keep the bandage in place while you complete your regular shower routine with soaps, shampoos and etc. Be conscious of the tattooed area and do your best to avoid rinsing the products off over the tattoo. This will minimize any irritation that the chemicals may cause.

 

Once you are certain that the water is running clear of product, remove the bandage at this time and allow the water to hit your body above the new tattoo rather than directly onto it, because doing so will be potentially painful and/or cause irritation. Let the water run down over the tattoo for about 5 minutes. This will loosen any excess ink or plasma that may have seeped onto the surface. It will most likely be somewhat tender however you absolutely must remove any gunk on the surface of your tattoo as soon as the bandage comes off because if any of it hardens onto the tattoo it will turn into scabs and cause a difficult heal.

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Avoiding scabbing is the most essential part of aftercare because premature loss of scabs makes you prone to infection again and will increase ink loss as well as the chance of scarring. The best way to avoid scabbing is by thoroughly washing the tattoo immediately after the bandage has come off. If you have followed the instructions up until now and have just taken your bandage off in the shower and let the water run down over top of the tattoo then your hands will be perfectly clean and you must massage the area gently to ensure nothing sticks to any of the linework or any other part of the tattoo, this will not feel pleasant but is %100 critical.

 

Once the tattoo is totally clear of biomaterial and ink, hop out of the shower and pat it dry with a very clean towel. The use of soap directly on the tattoo should not be necessary at this point because it would have been completely sanitary when it was bandaged, and experimenting with soaps unnecessarily will likely cause irritation and do more damage than good.

 

Let the tattoo air out for an hour if possible before you cover it with clothing or resume your daily activities. A fresh tattoo is sponge-like in the sense that it will draw in any moisture or water excessively, so allowing it adequate time to release the moisture from the tattoo application and the shower is highly recommended.

 

No matter what, never re-bandage your tattoo, once it has come off leave it off and immediately rinse as previously described.  A good indication that your tattoo has released the moisture and is probably ready for a lotion or aftercare product is that the tattoo will feel very tight, as if its pulling your skin at the edges. Once you feel this sensation feel free to apply your choice of aftercare product (it should be something natural, as organic as possible as well as a light formula, meaning it should evaporate rather quickly after you apply it without leaving any residue) a tried and trusted example is non scented Lubriderm.

 

Technically the lotion is simply for your own comfort when the tattoo starts to itch and to appear 'crunchy'. Remember, the tattoo will look great when it is freshly done, then after a couple days it will go through a stage where the skin appears to crumble a bit, this is completely normal and will eventually fall off naturally. DO NOT PICK ANY SKIN OFF THE TATTOO EVER. People tend to panic and worry that the tattoo is losing its color or changing its shape at this stage, but once the top layer of 'crunchy' skin falls off, the tattoo will go back to looking as good as new.

 

Lotion actually does nothing to heal the tattoo and anytime that it is moist, it is not healing. It is air that heals the tattoo, so it is definitely much better to let it completely dry out than to over moisturize it. This may feel like going against your desire to keep it moist, however it is very easy to overdo lotions. (think back to the plasma gathering on the surface, too much lotion will actually cause your tattoo to scab over and it will be difficult for it to release the moisture, it will start to feel heavy and get extremely painful if lotion is overdone)

 

A good rule of thumb is to never apply any lotion more than 3 times per day, and you will actually get more moisture into the tattoo by doing multiple small applications rather than glopping a large amount on top and leaving it to soak in.

 

The worst situations for new tattoos is direct contact with any of these 3 things:

1. Hottubs

2. People's Dirty Fingers (including your own!)

3. Animal Hairs

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My favorite aftercare product is called Bactine. It's in a spray bottle, so you never use fingers to apply it at all. It's a hospital grade disinfectant; meaning that it quickly evaporates and leaves behind no residue whatsoever., because of this it also means that it's impossible to over do Bactine applications. You can literally apply it 30 times a day if you want to, with no negative effects on the tattoo. You simply spray it on and let it dry. It classifies as an antiseptic anesthetic; so it completely sterilizes the skin upon application, and it also has a bit of a numbing effect which is soothing on the tattoo for any tenderness and especially when the itchiness starts to become hard to ignore. I've used it with all of my clients for over 4 years and not a single one has had a reaction or any complaints whatsoever and almost all of them have had successful, beautifully healed tattoos. Congratulations on your new ink!

 

Please leave any questions or comments below as I am happy to help, and would love to hear other opinions as well. 

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