How to Take Care of Your New Tattoo

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How to take care of your new tattoo

The traditional aftercare method

Always wash your hands before touching your new tattoo

On your first night wash your new tattoo with a mild soap and water using your fingertips. Take care to remove all traces of blood and excess ink. Please don’t scrub or use a wash cloth. Dry with a clean paper towel. Your tattoo may weep excess plasma and ink durning the first few days. That’s OK. Be sure to keep washing it off and all will be well.

Wash and apply ointment to your new tattoo 3 times a day for the first 3 days

We recommend Aquaphor or After Inked.

Starting Day 4

Wash and use mild lotion each day as needed especially if it’s feeling stiff or dry. Non-medicated lotion like Aveeno, Lubriderm or Curel is recommended. Do not use lotions that contain color, fragrance or sparkles.

As your tattoo heals It will form a protective layer of skin. Keep it washed and clean so it doesn’t form a hard cracking scab. This layer peels off similar to a sunburn. It’s normal to see small flakes of colored skin falling off during this stage of healing. DON’T PICK IT! It also may become itchy during the healing time. DON’T ITCH IT!

A sunburn on a new tattoo will fade and scar your work before it is even healed. Exposure to sunlight even after healing will cause your tattoo to fade, lighten or colors to turn brown. Always use a high quality sunblock any day your tattoo sees the sun.

Call or message us with any questions. Our art is represented on your body and we are here to help during your healing process. If you enjoyed your experience we would love a good Yelp review to help others find us.

Want a PDF version of this handy guide?

Download Aftercare Method