AFTERCARE:

1. Leave your bandage on for two to three hours. Then take it off and wash the tattoo. Make sure to gently get any blood or plasma off the tattoo. Use a mild, unscented soap that works well for your skin. Blot dry. Put on a thin layer of aftercare product. If you get too much, blot off the excess. The first night, re-bandage the tattoo before you go to bed.  If you get the tattoo late, leave the bandage on until morning. Use your aftercare product breakfast, lunch, dinner and before you go to bed for two weeks. 

GENERAL INFORMATION & CARE TIPS:

Most tattoos will weep a little, (blood and plasma) for about 24 hours. Smaller tattoos less, bigger tattoos more. 

For the first few days you may experience stinging, discomfort like you're sunburned or abraded, localized fever, slight swelling, redness, and/or bruising. If it's bothering you, take some aspirin.

After a few days most tattoos will start to flake and peel like a sunburn. How quick flaking starts and how long it lasts depends on the person. The tattoo may be itchy, dry and/or tight feeling. Use your aftercare product.

Tattoos shouldn't scab heavy if you take care of it right. If your clothes are rubbing it or if you forget to put on the aftercare product, you may get a heavier scab.

After two weeks, the tattoo may still look shiny, wrinkly, and/or dry. Just use a good lotion.

If you have sensitive or dry skin, any or all of the healing stages may last longer. It may flake more than once and the itching could be intense. Tattoos on the calf can look ashy even after it's healed. Just use a good lotion.  

Mild, unscented, dye free soaps like Ivory, Lever 2000, Kirks Castile, Pure and Natural, Dove, etc., work best. Don't use soaps like Zest, Lava, Irish Spring, Bath and Body Works, etc. Click here for information on antibacterial soaps.

DO NOT PICK, RUB OR SCRATCH THE TATTOO. Tattoos can itch during flaking . You can put firm pressure on it or use your aftercare product.

NO SHAVING OF THE TATTOOED AREA FOR THE FIRST 30 DAYS.

NO DIRECT SUNLIGHT OR TANNING BEDS FOR THE FIRST 30 DAYS. UV rays can cause scarring and fading. After 30 days, UV's will fade a tattoo. Please see the FAQ page for more.

AFTER 30 DAYS, PUT SOME SUNSCREEN ON YOUR TATTOO SO IT DOESN'T FADE.  See the FAQ page for more.

DON'T SOAK OR SUBMERGE THE TATTOO FOR THE FIRST 2 WEEKS. Hot tubs, lakes, swimming pools, oceans, etc., are full of crap that can make you sick.  Here are some of the diseases I found on the CDC website related to swimming: Crypto, E. Coli, Leptospirosis and Viral Hepatitis A.  

DON'T WEAR TIGHT CLOTHES UNTIL FLAKING IS DONE. You can cover it with a bandage but the tattoo will probably still get pissed at you. Light, loose clothing is the best.

DON'T LET PEOPLE TOUCH THE TATTOO. You don't know where they've been! And keep your animals and kids away from it too.

WASH YOUR HANDS BEFORE TOUCHING YOURSELF! Here's a few diseases you can catch by touching something or someone and then touching yourself without washing your hands: influenza, tetanus and Group A Streptococcal disease (strep throat, impetigo, flesh eating bacteria, toxic shock syndrome), Staphylococcus. 

WASH YOUR TOWELS AND YOUR SHEETS, YOU DIRTY BASTARD!

DO NOT COVER YOUR TATTOO WITH PLASTIC WRAP! Your skin can't breathe through plastic and the warm, moist atmosphere breeds bacteria. 

DON'T RIP THE BANDAGE OFF THE TATTOO IF IT STICKS. OUCH! Get it wet so it will release.

DON'T RE-BANDAGE your tattoo after the first night or it could delay your healing. But you can wear some old and soft clothing to bed, like a t-shirt or PJ bottoms, to keep you from scratching or waking up with skin flakes in your bed. 

DON'T SCRUB the tattoo until flaking is finished. This means loofas, washcloths, sponges or anything but your hand.

WHAT AFTERCARE PRODUCT TO USE:

I suggest something natural. Tattoo Lube or Tattoo Goo, or if you can't find any of these, try Aquaphor. It's not natural, but it seems to work great on most people's skin and you can find it at most stores like Walgreens and Walmart.

Here are a few reasons why I don't' like using antibiotic ointments or anything with petrolatum on tattoos:

Antibiotics treat bacterial infections. You're not going to leave me infected, so, if there is no infection, what are you treating? Would you take insulin if you did not have diabetes?

"Antibiotics are critical to the treatment of bacterial infections. However, after years of overuse and misuse of these drugs, bacteria have developed antibiotic resistance, which has become a global health crisis." Stuart B. Levy, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Mass. CDC website, Antibacterial Household Products: Cause for Concern.

"Support for the use of antibiotic containing ointments in the post procedure care of clean wounds is lacking." Smack DP, Harrington AC, Dunn C, et al. "Infection and allergy incidence in ambulatory surgery patients using white petrolatum vs. bacitracin ointment: A randomized controlled trial." JAMA 1996; 276: 972-77.

Petrolatum is synthetic, heavy and may "...clog pores and deprive skin cells of oxygen..." Information from the February 2000 issue of Better Nutrition Magazine.

Before you make your decision on a tattoo aftercare product, click here for information on antibiotics, petrolatum, antibacterial soap and what you can use instead