- Your fresh tattoo will be bandaged and should remain that way for at least 2 hours. Do not try and peel back your bandage to show your friends, they can wait to see it. The bandage is there to keep your tattoo clean and minimize the risk of infection.
- After removing the bandage, wash immediately. Using warm water and an antibacterial, unscented soap. With your fingertips only, lightly remove all dried ink and blood then rinse thoroughly.
- Gently pat the tattoo dry with a clean paper towel.
- Once dry apply a small amount of AQUAPHOR, just enough to make your tattoo shine. Keep applying AQUAPHOR to the tattoo twice a day for the next 3 days.
Your tattoo will now start to scab and flake which will cause it to itch. An unscented lotion like LUBRIDERM will help keep your new tattoo from drying out and help with the itch. Keep applying lotion as needed until your tattoo is free of scabs and healed.
While your tattoo is healing there are a few things you will need to avoid. The risk of infection is high due to it being an open wound so we need to treat it with caution. Most heal within 2 weeks but this time may vary based on placement and the individual. In the mean time avoid the following.
- No pools or hot tubs.
- No tanning or saunas.
- No baths or swimming in lakes.
- Keep out of the sun.
- No picking or scratching.
Try and keep your tattoo as clean as possible and use common sense. If it doesn’t seem right then it probably isn’t. We are here to answer any and all question regarding your tattoo so please don’t hesitate to call.