Tattoo Aftercare
Fresh Tattoo
This is the “standard” method and most common for tattoo aftercare. We suggest this method for those with smaller tattoos, and those that have had good results with it in the past. Your new tattoo has been bandaged, and this should be removed after at least four hours (but no more than 12). It is very important that your new tattoo be protected from the sun and dirty environments, as it is a rather large open wound at this time. You should wait to remove the bandage until you can properly clean it with mild soap and warm water. Rinse it well, and pat it dry, then allow it to air-dry for 5-10 minutes before applying ointment.
The days after
You should apply either A&D ointment or Bacitracin regularly throughout the day, massaging a very small amount into the skin to keep the tattoo slightly moist, but NOT smothered. Use just enough ointment to make the tattoo slightly shiny, and blot off any excess. For the first day or two, your tattoo will require more cleaning, as it will still be losing a bit of fluid—this is normal. You want to make sure that the tattoo stays clean and that extra moisture doesn’t get trapped under the ointment (hence the air-drying).
DO NOT GO SWIMMING
The healing tattoo should never stay submerged in water either. This means that short showers are fine, but any kind of baths or swimming is not. We recommend washing your tattoo a couple times throughout the day, using only mild soap, and rinsing and drying well. Frequency of cleaning depends on your lifestyle—use your best judgment, but don’t overdo it.
Final Remarks & Reminders
You should only apply ointment for as many days as it takes for your tattoo to peel, will be anywhere from three days to 1 week, depending on your body, your general health, and the area of skin that was tattooed. When the peeling begins, the tattooed skin will flake like sunburn—just let this happen on its own, and don’t pick at it. When the tattoo has fully entered the peeling phase you should NOT apply any more ointment. The area will become dry and itchy, and a good hand lotion should help with this.The following are some problems to look out for with this method. If any “bubbling” of your tattoo occurs, you should stop applying ointment and just let it start to peel on its own. This bubbling is caused from moisture (usually too much ointment!) getting trapped in your tattoo, and could lead to scabbing. If scabs develop, they can remove the color beneath them. It is very important that they are allowed to dry out completely, and not at any time get waterlogged. The scab will eventually fall off on its own, and your tattoo should be fine if there weren’t any deep cracks in it. Also, some people develop a small allergic reaction to the antibiotic agent in Bacitracin, which shows up as a red rash around the tattoo and disappears once the ointment is no longer used. A small percentage of people may develop a more serious reaction, and may require medical attention, so we suggest the use of A&D or a specially formulated product like Tattoo Goo.
