Tips to help keep your tattoo clean and fresh.
Tattoos require attention and care after you get them to guarantee that they stay the way they first looked when you first got them. Here are some tips to help keep your tattoo clean and fresh.
IMPORTANT: Listen to your artist because your aftercare will be specific to the tattoo you received. The care your artist recommends is based on different skin, the placement of your tattoo, different styles of tattoos, the lightness of hand, and the bandage your artist uses.
Your city may require your artist to have an aftercare pamphlet which the city approved. If you are at a good shop or a professional artist, you should expect to receive something for aftercare.
Right after
The first tips start immediately after receiving the tattoo. The tattoo artist should apply a bandage or plastic wrap over your tattoo. First things first, remove the bandage then wash your hands with lukewarm water and soap then gently wash the tattoo with fragrance-free soap and water.
Week-by-week process
IMPORTANT: This process depends on the tattoo and its placement. The scale of time is approximate depending on each case.
First Week
Wash your tattoo with clean fingers only. Cloth or towel may irritate the skin and prematurely remove any scabs that may have formed. Scabbing often occurs in the first couple days. The reason is that the ink rises to the surface of your skin, and because of this needs to be washed away. Scabbing is an important process and must not be picked or scratched off. Scabs will often form in the first few days, and ink may still come up through the skin and should be washed away. It is important not to pick the scabs or scratch the skin.
Any redness or mild swelling usually goes away near the end of the first week[s].
Second Week
During the second week your tattoo should be flaking, small scabs and bits of dead skin may appear, but these will also clear up as the healing process continues.
Third Week
The outer layers of skin should completely heal by the end of week three. The inner layers of skin can take longer to heal but require much less care. The chance of infection is reduced once the outer layers of skin have healed, as there is no open wound for bacteria to infect. Moisturizing regularly in the months following the tattoo will help keep it looking bright and clear.
Remember To
Wear sun-protective clothing whenever you go outside
Call your tattoo artist or doctor if you have any signs of infection or other problems
Do Not
Cover your tattoo with sunblock before it is fully healed
Scratch or pick at the tattoo
Wear tight clothing over the tattoo
Recover your tattoo. You can wear loose one sleeves
Go swimming or immerse your body in water (showers are fine)
Listening to the advice of your tattoo artist will help decrease the chances of skin infections and will help keep your tattoo clean and fresh. Do not rely on online research. Always refer back to your artists if you have any specific questions.