by Heather M Davis

Created on: July 30, 2009   Last Updated: November 02, 2010

Taking care of your new tattoo is a very important part of making sure your tattoos look great for life. Once you have chosen a really great artist to do your work, and gotten your tattoo, aftercare is up to you. Taking good care of your skin before getting tattooed, and proper care of your tattoo during it's healing process once it's healed will make your tattoo brighter, smoother, last longer without fading

Everyone's skin is different, so the proper care of it before a tattoo, and after the healing process is over, will be different. Every tattoo artist has different experiences with aftercare, and so will give you different aftercare instructions, but this (or a variation of it) is the most common aftercare given in tattoo shops today.

During the healing process of your tattoo, aftercare is extremely important. Improper care can cause fading, loss of color, and infection. Remember, your tattoo is an open wound and should be treated as such. Immediately after you get tattooed, your artist will probably cover your tattoo with some sort of clear wrap or a bandage. This is to prevent your tattoo from leaking blood, plasma, and ink on people and things as you go about your day. Always remove your bandage within two hours unless otherwise directed by your artist.

Initially, some 'weeping' (leaking of plasma, blood, or some pigment) is normal. Tattoos may also be swollen, sore, warm, or reddish. Most redness will fade over the course of a few hours. Swelling in joints, on feet or hands, or lower legs, may cause some pain (like a bruise) or inhibit movement. To prevent or treat swelling, take ibuprofen or aleve. All weeping, swelling, and redness, should fade or stop within two to four days.

Always wash your hands before you touch your tattoo for any reason. You should only be touching

After your tattoo is washed, and any time during the day that it feels dry or tight, carefully apply a thin layer of an unscented, undyed, lotion with no petroleum base. Lotions such as H2Ocean, Curel, Lubriderm, Aveeno, and Aquaphor are most commonly recommended. Spread a thin layer onto your tattoo, dabbing any excess off with a clean tissue or paper towel. Lotion may be applied anywhere from 2 to 6 times a day on average. Not putting enough lotion on will cause your tattoo to dry out and scab, resulting in patchy color loss. Too much lotion will cause your tattoo to 'bubble up', and eventually scab, which will also cause uneven color and loss of pigment.

During your healing process

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