What's the best aftercare for a tattoo?

Question

I hear all these different ways of taking care of a tattoo.... but for those of you who have tattoos, which way has worked the best for you?

Answer 1

Palmer's Cocoa Butter or Shea Butter, Neosporin. It healed in 8 days. You can also take vitamin E capsules soft gel 400 eu. Vitamin E restores cells and promotes fast healing. It can also benefit the look of your skin and hair

Answer 2

Now, you have your fresh new tattoo, and you want to take good care of it! From this point on, your artist is not responsible for any infection or problems you may have with your tattoo if you don't take proper care of it. It is very important that you follow these guidelines. A really beautiful tattoo can turn into a disaster if the proper aftercare is not taken.
Leave That Bandage Alone! Your artist took the care to cover up your new tattoo for a very good reason - to keep air-born bacteria from invading your wound. Yes, as pretty as your new tattoo is, it is still a wound. Open flesh is a breeding ground for bacteria and infection. Leave the bandage on for a minimum of three hours. It is even better if you can just keep the bandage on overnight. Excitement of having a new tattoo will make you want to remove the bandage so you can show your friends, but your friends will just have to wait until tomorrow morning.
If you think you just absolutely cannot resist the temptation to show off your new possession, ask your artist if they can cover it with clear cellophane wrap, so the tattoo can be viewed without the protective layer being removed.
Wash and Treat After you remove the bandage, you will want to wash your tattoo. Use lukewarm water and antibacterial soap to gently wash away any ointment and to completely clean the area. Do not use a washcloth or anything abrasive. Your hand is your best tool in this case. Then pat (do not rub) the area firmly with a CLEAN towel or paper towel to get it completely dry. Follow with a very light application of ointment. Bacitracin would be the first choice in ointments, but if you don't have any, A&D vitamin enriched ointment (medical grade - not the kind used for diaper rash) is also acceptable. **Do not use Neosporin. This is a wonderful product for cuts and scrapes, but not for tattoos. Some can have an allergic reaction to the Neosporin, which causes little red bumps. When the bumps go away, so does the ink, and you end up with a polka-dotted tattoo.** Continue this procedure at least twice a day for two or three days. After that, continue to keep it clean, but you can use lotion when needed instead of ointment, to keep the skin soft. See also: Aftercare Contradictions: Why there are so many views on what ointment is best.
Scabbing and Peeling After a few days, you will notice some peeling and possibly a little scabbing. Excessive scabbing indicates a poorly-done tattoo, but a little is sometimes normal and no need to panic. You will also start to itch, just like a sunburn when it begins to heal. The advice here is, don't pick, and don't scratch! If the skin itches, slap it. If it is peeling, put lotion on it. And if it is scabbing, just leave it alone. Your tattoo is almost healed, and now is not the time to ruin it!
Protection from the sun After your tattoo is healed, from now on, you will always want to protect it from the sun's ultraviolet rays. These can fade and damage a brilliant tattoo very fast. Before spending a lot of time in excessive heat, protect your tattoo with a minimum 30SPF sunblock. This will keep your tattoo vibrant for many years, and it will continue to be a source of great pride.

Answer 3

TATTOO AFTERCARE

DAY 1 � 3
1. Wash your tattoo 4 � 5 times daily with a mild antibacterial soap and pat dry with a soft CLEAN cloth � DO NOT RUB.

2. After Washing your tattoo, apply a very thin layer of A & D ointment or INK FIXX.

DAY 3 � 30

During this aftercare, your tattoo will itch. the itching feeling is part of your tattoos healing process - DO NOT ITCH your tattoo, you may damage the healing skin causing the tattoo to have light spots - DO NOT ITCH

1. Wash your tattoo 2 � 3 times daily with a mild antibacterial soap and pat dry with a soft CLEAN cloth � AGAIN - DO NOT RUB.

2. Discontinue use of A & D ointment on your tattoo. Instead apply a vitamin E moisturizing lotion 6 � 10 times daily - This will help with your healing and keep the itching down.

DO NOT:

DO NOT expose your new tattoo to direct sunlight for 1 month.
DO NOT allow your new tattoo to dry out.
DO NOT soak your new tattoo in water. This means no swimming or baths. (Showers are fine, but try not to let your new tattoo to get very wet.)
DO NOT scratch or pick at your new tattoo.
DO NOT apply gauze or bandages to your new tattoo for any reason.
THESE CARE INSTRUCTIONS ARE A MAJOR PART OF THE HEALING PROCESS FOR YOUR NEW TATTOO. THE TATTOO IS NOW YOURS, SO PLEASE TAKE GOOD CARE OF IT.

Once you are finished healing your tattoo, you can apply lotions, like TATTOO GOO LOTION to keep your colors looking bright and it is also good for your skin.

Answer 4

I have ten years of tattoo experience. I have a chest piece, a full back piece made up of multiple pieces, I have some little pieces, and an upper arm piece. I lead a very active lifestyle and my tattoo care is contingent upon that. I will say that my aftercare isn't for everyone, but it worked for me. I have very fair skin and is sensitive as well, so I am somewhat limited in the products that I can use, but here it is:

1. Saran wrap, not plastic wrap.
2. Nexcare medical tape
3. Bacitracin NOT NOT NOT Neosporen (I'll spare you the rant but the sh!t is evil)
4. A&D Ointment (non-zinc)
5. Dial orange anti-bacterial liquid soap
6. Vaseline Intesive Care Advanced Healing lotion

The key is to prevent scabbing by hyperhydration of the skin and of the body. So follow the instructions below and drink LOTS of water, as much as 64 oz. a day if possible.

Ok, day one:

1. Make an ointment of 1 part Bacitracin and 2 parts A&D before you get tattooed.

2. Leave the tat covered for about two hours, resist the urge to show it to your friends!

3. Carefully remove the covering, and wet the tattoo with warm water. Put some soap into your hands and work up a lather. Gently using a circular motion, clean the tattoo, trying to gently get as much blood/ink off as possible. It could be really gooky.

4. Pat dry with either a soft cloth, or low-lint paper towels.

5. Apply a small amount of ointment to the tattoo and gently rub it in to the tattoo and surounding skin.

6. Apply Saran Wrap to cover the tattoo completely and secure it with the Nexcare tape.

From then on, clean the tattoo every time you bathe and every 4-6 hours for the next three days. (In this time, I always kept my tats covered with Saran Wrap because I was working two full time jobs. I have never had an infection or irritation.) If at anytime clothes or sheets stick to the tattoo DO NOT RIP IT OFF! Take everything you are stuck to into the shower and soak it off.

After day 3-4 depending on your healing rate, switch to using Vaseline Intensive Care Advanced Healing lotion every 30 minutes or more if you feel like the tat is getting tight or dry. Keep covered as needed if your clothes will rub, and while you sleep. Wash with Dial 3 times a day.

From day 7 to day 14, use the lotion as needed. The trick of it is to keep your skin super hydrated. Wash the tattoo when you shower daily.

If you develop scabs, DO NOT pick at them, but use the ointment more often if you are in the first few days, or go to A&D if the lotion isn't working, and keep it covered with Saran Wrap to hyper-moisturize. Air it out for about 30 minutes every 6 hours or so.

Answer 5

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Keep the bandage on for approximately one hour, and no more than six. Once you remove the bandage, wash it every 4 hours with antibacterial soap (never dish soap) Some use A&D ointment but I never have and in most cases, you don't need to. After 4 days, begin applying unscented lotion. I use lubriderm but curel works equally well. Any good unscented lotion will do. Your new tattoo is going to produce plasma. A pussy clear fluid that looks like it is seeping. That is normal. If you don't wash your new tattoo it will get infected and ruined, so washing is the most important step. Never put any petroleum based creams like carmex on it. Petroleum jelly holds in germs and will cause your tattoo to become infected. Do not expose your tattoo to excessive sunlight for at least a month. After, make sure you use a good, high SPF sunblock on your tattoo or the colors will fade. Now the biggest thing. Do NOT pick the scabs. Or scratch at your tattoo. You will damage it!. If it is on your back, you may want to get some non stick gauze and cover your new tattoo at night. This will prevent it from sticking to your clothes of sheets while you are sleeping. In the morning, make sure you wet the bandage, so as to make sure you don't pull the ink or scabbing off. Your tattoo needs to breathe as much as possible. So, when you can, uncover it and allow it to get as much air as possible. Any further questions or if you would like more specific info, I am available via email.

Answer 6

It's going to be tough to find lotion and caring for tats after getting them. Reason being is, almost every lotion the tattoo artists suggests you use or buy contains alcohol in the ingredients. Alcohol strips the color off of your skin even before it begins to heal. I've tried neosporin.. or lubriderm (sorry if spelled wrong) only to find that alcohol exists in the ingredients. Those work but I used Cetaphil. It worked for me. If you can, try buying natural lotions for sensitive skin without alcohol in them. Also, I don't recommend taking a shower the first day. If you do shower, make sure that the water DOES NOT directly hit the skin where you've just been newly tatted. It can be painful for you and the healing. I got a tat on my upper back...what I did was turned on the tub facet and filled cups of water and poured it over my shoulder and down my back slowly. If you're comfortable ask a friend to help you bathe etc. Oh! Use very mild soap! Like ivory for babies or jergens... almost everything contains a bit of alcohol tho. Oh! And keep your tat out of the blazing sun. The sun tends to bake you... and you want to keep your tat moisted with lotion. If you have to go out in the sun, make sure you cover your tat but if it were me, I stay away from it. Carry an unbrella to block the sun off if you have to. I did. =) Keeps me cool too. Different places and artists have different recommendations. Either way you're tat will need to be touched up sooner or later after you've healed. Just use very mild lotion and soap and you will be fine. Oh and stay away from alcoholic beverages it will fade the ink as well! Good luck! =)

Answer 7

Using Corn Husker's lotion as needed throughout the day is one of the best things to use. You can usually find this lotion at any drug store (Walgreens, CVS, ect.). DO NOT scratch your tattoo-as itchy as it may get!! When you shower, just gently cleanse with normal soap and water, and DO NOT pick at the scabs!! The itching should go away in a about a week and the scabs-maybe a little longer. After your tattoo is healed, make sure when you go out in the sun, to use sunblock on it, or the colors will fade much quicker! Oh-the things we do for beauty!! LOL!

Answer 8

I have multiple tats, and the best results i have had ar as follows:

1) where loose clothing over tattooed area
2) First 3 days, use aquaphor or A&D ointment. this prevents infection from the intial wound. Discontinue use after third day, you dont want to speed the healing process and force the ink out of the work.
3) On the 4th day, begin using unscented Curel body lotion, keep it very moist until the end of the healing process, which will take about 2 weeks.

Hope this helps

Answer 9

Keep the plastic wrap they place over the tattoo on for about two or three hours after you get your tat. Then put bacitracin on the tattoo and refresh this four or five times a day for a week to ten days. Then switch to Curel lotion. Keep the area that has been tattooed moist and wash it with soap and water regularly. Do not pick at it or scrathc it. If it gets itchy just lightly slap the spot until the itching goes away.

Answer 10

My tattoo just finished healing and I had no problems and it looks great. My tattoo artist wrapped my tattoo in a lubriderm bandage, which I was told to keep on for a whole week. The bandage was very helpful because I didn't have to wash it or apply ointment. This is something new in tattooing so not many places do it yet. After I took it off I was advised to wash it in anti-bacterial non-scented soap and apply a fragrance free lotion every 3-4 hours. I used Aveeno daily moisturizing lotion. My tattoo is healed now but I continue to put lotion on it every day and night to keep it lookin' sharp! good luck!!

Answer 11

You should use a vitamin E lotion and keep it very moist, but not covered. Air helps it heal. Neosporin sometimes can remove color, especially bright ones. It should never scab - just like a cut or skin abrasion, a scab can cause a scar and ruin the tattoo! Your skin will peel, and it may seen like the color is coming off, but that is just the skin adjusting to the ink. DO NOT PICK AT IT! Put plenty of lotion on it several times a day, and it should heal in a couple of weeks.