• Always wash your hands before touching your tattoo.
•As soon as you get home you can remove the bandage (or within 1-2 hours after being tattooed).
•You do not need to re-bandage your tattoo at any time.
•Using only clean hands, wash your tattoo with warm water and a gentle soap.
•Avoid heavily scented soaps or anything with additional chemicals, dyes, or exfoliants in it.
•Rinse the tattoo well and pat it dry with a clean paper towel.
•Lightly moisturize your tattoo three or four times a day, with a product you are familiar with– Coconut oil, Shea butter, Bacitracin, Neosporin, A&D, or Triple Antibiotic are all fine as long as you are not allergic.
•Use a small amount of ointment/oil and rub it into the skin until it is completely absorbed.
•Leaving a greasy shiny layer of ointment/oil on the tattoo can cause poor healing and also promote bacteria growth leading to infection.
•Always keep your ointment clean by washing your hands before handling the container.
•Always clean and pat dry the tattoo before using more ointment.
•Never pick, scratch, peel, slap, rub or irritate your tattoo.
•You can shower, but you may not soak (swimming, hot tubs, etc) your tattoo for at least two weeks.
•You may not expose your tattoo to the sun for at least 3 weeks, after that you must use sun block or protective clothing.
•Never wear tight or abrasive clothing, jewelry, or shoes that rub against your tattoo in the first two weeks of healing.
•Do not let anyone touch your tattoo while it is healing, unless they wash their hands.
•Beware of coming into contact with anything in a public setting. Hand rails, doorknobs, countertops, gym equipment, and similar items can increase your risk of infection. Never allow your tattoo to come into contact with these things while it is healing.
•Taking OTC medication for inflammation is acceptable while healing your tattoo, as long as you are not allergic.
•Wrapping an icepack in clean plastic cling-wrap or zip lock bag and icing your tattoo can also help reduce inflammation.
•If you do not care for your new tattoo properly, you increase your chances of infection. Signs of infection include excessive redness around the outside of the tattoo, thin red lines extending from it, excess ooze, pus, or abnormal bleeding. If you think your tattoo is infected, seek medical attention immediately.