Tattood

Aftercare

After a tattoo has been done the tattooist should wrap you up in cling film and tell you to wait 3 or 4 hours, but what after? In my personal experience after this time and the three times a day you should wash the tattoo with warm soapy water, Note: do not drown the tattoo. after this is done you should then dry it off, dabbing with a towel is the best way, if you use a tissue, it will brake apart and get stuck on your skin which will then irritate it and cause it to itch which then leads to scratching and ink falling out. Once dry I have found that Bapanthen is the best option to buy as it has healed all my recent tattoos with reduced scabbing over, in fact my half sleeve didn't even scab over.

Savlon, Vaseline, Alcohol, Sudocrem and other scented creams will make the tattoo scab over near enough instantly which will make ink fall out and possible change in colour, the most common is black to blue and especially faded ink:

Here is a video on aftercare and tattoo prep:

http://www.luckyfish.com/pages/articles/tattoocare.htm

Other Considerations?

Tanning is what you should avoid as it is already not good for the tattoos and the ink will fade very fast due to ultraviolet rays which drain the life out of your tattoo and the more your tattoo turns from a brilliant one to a boring one

ALWAYS be sure to thoroughly wash your hands with antibacterial soap before touching your new tattoo. Contact with dirty hands is a major contributor of infection.

Once tattoo is exposed, wash it thoroughly with antibacterial soap and warm water. Be sure to rinse away any & all secretions and be sure that all soap residues are rinsed off.

After washing tattoo, lightly pat dry with clean towel, apply a small amount of Bacitracin ointment and massage into tattoo. DO NOT apply a thick coat as your skin must be able to breathe (If Bactracin is unavailable, alternatives are Neosporin or A&D ointment. If rash develops, Lubriderm or Dermassage lotion may be applied).

Depending on the nature and extent of your tattoo, it may be necessary to wear clothing heavy enough to protect it, particulary if you work around grease, oil, dirt, metal, etc.

Be sure that any clothing that touches your tattoo is soft and clean.

Your new tattoo will develop a layer of dry skin, DO NOT PICK this off. Apply ointment three times daily until the layer falls of on its own. After the dry skin has fallen off, there will be a period of adjustment for the new skin. It is advisable to use a skin lotion during this time.

DO NOT let the tattoo dry out.

DO NOT reapply bandage as the tattoo needs to breath to speed healing.

DO NOT use Vaseline, petroleum jelly, alcohol, or peroxide.

DO NOT rub, scratch, or pick at tattoo.

DO NOT expose new tattoo to direct sunlight for 2 weeks. After that, you can use sun block (SPF 35 or above) to help keep tattoo from fading.

DO NOT submerse tattoo in water for 2 weeks. This includes baths, swimming, and saunas. Saltwater and chlorine act as a bleach and can ruin your tattoo and too much water exposure can cause wrinkling and puckering of skin which can also damage your new tattoo.

The healing process usually takes between 2-3 weeks, but can vary from person to person.

At the end of the day

the tattoo is you're responsability