Whats the best thing to put on new tattoos? I got one yesterday?

Question

and I dont know if I should put lotion or neosporin

yeah he was saying something but i couldn't remember if he say use neosporin or dont smart ***

Answer 1

OMG! who has the time to read all that stuff below! Give me a break. My husband was a tattoo artist and I am a nurse. Clean it with antibacterial soap, pat dry, and apply bacitracin ointment or triple antibiotic ointment (neosporin)....there is nothing wrong with applying those.
Keep it out of sunlight .
the end

Answer 2

I answered this question a month ago....copied and pasted it here again:


Best Answer - Chosen By Voters

OK I am amazed. You would think after all this time there would be some consensus on tattoo aftercare.
1. Antibiotic ointments are not a good idea - people are easily allergic to them and they think they are allergic to their tattoo.
2. Antibiotic ointments, Aquaphor, Vaseline, A &D ointment ALL contain petrolatum - we don't like that for healing tattoos (most also contain lanolin and many people are sensitive to these preparations because of that too)
3. Preparation H is for assholes not tattoos - get over it!


At least, thankfully, I did not see reference to plastic wrap a la Miami Ink!!! Plastic wrap is for left overs, not tattoos. It keeps the fluids on the surface of the tattoo that a nice dressing would absorb those first couple hours so there is NO SCABBING - that's right, NO scabbing. Scabbing is not normal in a well cared for tattoo. The slight peeling that should occur should be the top layer of skin that is mixed with the ink, similar to a sunburn peeling.

So your professional tattoo artist is going to tell you to take off the clean dressing and wash the area with an antibacterial soap and apply whatever healing agent they recommend SPARINGLY - this means barely covered. IF you apply too much, it will accumulate bacteria that gets stuck to it and the tattoo cannot get air. The tattoo healing agents may cost more but they are specially formulated for the healing tattoo so why not use them? You paid a lot of money for it, you went through pain for it, why not treat it the best way you can?

So yes, follow THEIR directions - not your friend's directions, not even MY directions - if a PROFESSIONAL artist did the work - respect his/her instructions.

Source(s):
I own a tattoo studio and tattoo since 1991
I have a medical background

Current notes - so of course, here I see reference to plastic wrap and it makes me wanna scream - check out the largest organization for tattooers....APT - even they talk about how bad it is to use plastic wrap.

Answer 3

DONT put Neosporin on your tatt. WHat neosporin does is heals your skin without making any scars.. So that would lighten up your tattoo. Use like coco butter, or any kind of moisturing lotion for sensitive skin. The BEST thing you can use is what the tattoo parlor is selling. They usually sell some kind of thick balm make for only tattoos. Those work best.

Answer 4

Use A&D ointment for at least a week. Wash it 2 times a day and then use the A & D. After about a week you should use lotion but nothing with perfumes or dyes. Never Neosporin!!!!

Answer 5

Unscented lotion like lubriderm!! Do not use neosporin!! You want the tattoo to heal and scab up on it's own....neosporin will speed up the process and make the scabs deeper which has potential of peeling the tat before it is healed.

Answer 6

Don't EVER use neosporin on it and don't use lotions as they are high in alcohol that dries the tattoo out.

Use A & D ointment...it's for baby's diaper rash but it is the BEST thing to put on your tattoo for the next four days. After that, put LUBIDERM lotion on it as this is the only lotion I know of that does not contain the alcohol that dries out tattoos.

Answer 7

no neosporin. use A+D ointment for three days or so (you can find it in the baby isle at your grocery store) and then switch to fragrance free lotion til the scabs fall off.

Answer 8

You need to take the time to call your tattoo artist instead relying on the hearsay of the people responding here.

Your artist is a professional and you know that. The people here can claim to be, but you have no way of knowing for sure. If you don't remember what they told you..they *should* have given you a written copy of the same instructions, and if not, you should call them.

Answer 9

I've always used the A&D ointment for the first 2-3 days, then switched to Lubriderm until it's healed. It's been advised to me for each of my six tattoos and they are turned out beautifully. (I have also used the Tattoo Goo, and found that to be equally nice)

Answer 10

Neosporin at first, and then lotion after a few days. Do not get it wet. the tatoo artist should have given you instructions.