So you just got a fresh tattoo and it’s your first. After all the time you spent choosing or inking the design and after the pain you went through, the whole tattoo process has finally paid off. Now you are a proud owner of a beautifully made tattoo.
But does the tattoo process end there? Unfortunately not, in fact, the most important part of the process lie on your hands, which is tattoo aftercare.
Tattoo aftercare is crucial with the outcome of a healing tattoo. This one part of the tattoo process that is sometimes difficult to do, because even veteran tattoo patrons who got several inkings sometimes get their fresh ink infected. Nothing can get a tattoo looking ugly than a healed tattoo that got infected. Most likely you’ll be visiting your artist again for a touch-up and the whole process starts over again. So it’s best to get it right the first time around.
Below are the basics of tattoo aftercare:
- First, you need to buy the things you need before visiting the studio. You will need: cotton towels or lint free paper towels, antibacterial soap and a premium tattoo aftercare cream or lotion. It is important that you get all of these before getting your tattoo instead of the other way around. This will lessen the risk of getting your fresh tattoo from being exposed to any pathogens.
- After the tattoo session, ask your tattoo artist to wrap your fresh tattoo with cotton gauze. There are two types of bandages being used to wrap a fresh tattoo: a cotton gauze or plastic wrap, always go for the cotton gauze because it allows the wound to breath, also it absorbs excess ink and body fluids.
- After wrapping, go straight home. Do not show off, peel off the bandage, take a peek or poke your fresh tattoo. This is very important, the risk of infection the minute you step out a tattoo studio is the greatest, so do not touch it and go straight home.
- Remove bandage after two hours upon reaching home. If it sticks, that’s probably dried up blood, moisten the gauze with warm water and gently pull it out.
- Thoroughly wash the tattoo using an antibacterial soap, making sure to remove excess ink, blood and other bodily fluids.
- After washing, pat dry using your cotton or paper towels, do not rub. Allow to air dry for a few seconds, and then apply a thin layer of tattoo aftercare lotion.
That’s it, your basic tattoo aftercare.
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