Caring for a New Tattoo

A few tips to help you care for your new tattoo

Next to the beautiful creation of your tattoo, tattoo aftercare is the most important part of your tattoo experience. For the next several days after you receive a tattoo, you must make sure to keep the area clean and bacteria free. Your tattoo artist will give you all the instructions you will need for proper tattoo aftercare.

Beginning with the immediate moments after your tattoo is complete, make sure to keep your bandage firmly in place for at least three hours. When caring for your tattoo, remember it is a work of art, but it is also an open wound that needs to be treated and cared for as such.

Once the bandage is removed, the caring for your tattoo involves cleansing the tattoo area, then drying the wound. Once that step of tattoo aftercare is completed, apply an antibacterial ointment layer to protect your tattoo and prevent scabbing. If your tattoo artist doesn't provide you with an ointment, ask them to recommend one. Apply the ointment a few times a day (or as instructed by your artist) to keep the area moisturized. Proper aftercare of a tattoo can make this tattoo experience very worthwhile or very unsuccessful depending on how committed you are.