Do’s and Don’ts Tattoo After Care…..4 Things you should and should not do.

Here are a few do’s and don’ts after you get tattooed.  To maintain the life and vibrancy of a tattoo you have to ensure proper healing of your tattoo.



1.      KEEP IT CLEAN….. To ensure proper healing of a tattoo you must keep it clean. Rinse your tattoo several times a day with hot water and soap. The soap should not have any scents or additives in it. Really just think about a soap your grandpa may use and you should be fine. The high end fruity scented or antibacterial soaps can irritate the skin and even draw out some of the ink. It should go without saying however reframe from using a loofah or scrubbing your tattoo with a washcloth during the healing process.

 

2.     KEEP IT DRY…. After you rinse your tattoo use a paper towel to remove the excess water from your skin. Simply hold down the paper towel on your tattoo to absorb the water. Try not to use a towel since most of us often use fragranced detergents and softeners which are filled with additional ingredients and may irritate your newly tattooed skin.

3.      KEEP IT MOSITURIZED…. Simply apply a lotion or even my favorite, classic A&D Ointment to your tattoo. This should be applied sparingly, if you can see a coat of lotion or ointment on your skin you have applied too much. Remember it should be clean and dry not soaked in your aftercare option. The moisturizer you choose to use should not contain any additional fragrances or unneeded additives. You want to prevent your tattoo from getting too dry and irritated it doesn’t have smell like roses or have healing additives in it for it work properly. You may want to ask your tattoo artist what they use and recommend, remember your tattoo artist is the professional and can offer some great advice.

4.      DO NOT GO SWIMMING…. Our Tattoo Shop Rosebud Tattoo is located in Jacksonville, FL which as you can imagine gets pretty hot. Despite wanting to jump into a pool to cool off on 100+ degree day…..DON’T do it. The excessive moisture can cause the ink to not properly settle in and even cause your tattoo to not heal as it should. Just reframe from jumping into that pool until your tattoo heals. You may have to sweat it out for a couple days or even a week depending on the size of the tattoo but the end results will be worth it.

This list is a very simple overview of tattoo after care. The size and location of your tattoo may require additional measures to be aware of. Make sure to ask your tattoo artist for their advice. Your tattoo artist wants to ensure that their finished piece heals properly. You are a walking billboard for their artwork. There is no reason that your tattoo cannot be of the same quality a month down the road as it was when you left their shop.  The last nugget of advice is to enjoy your new tattoo and make sure to show it off to friends and family, your tattoo artist will appreciate it.