by Heather M Davis

Created on: August 27, 2009   Last Updated: August 28, 2009

Tattoo aftercare starts the minute you walk out of the tattoo shop, and at that point, it is solely up to you to make sure it stays gorgeous for the rest of your life. I'm a full time piercer, have extensive tattoos, and have worked with quite a few artists, so I know a lot of different aftercare regimens. The one that I will put here is the one most commonly recommended and easiest tattoo aftercare regimen I know. Most tattoos take approximately a week to seem mostly healed, and around a month to actually be healed. Once your tattoo is healed (no longer flaky, scabbed, or dry-looking), take a close look at it to check for fading or color loss. If you have any issues, go see your artist for a touch up, and repeat aftercare while the touched up parts are healing.

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 your tattoo to wash or lotion it. After you have washed your hands, wash your tattoo gently with a mild antibacterial soap (like dial or softsoap) with no dyes or colors. Lather up the soap and warm water, and gently use your hands (and only your hands) to clean your new tattoo. Rinse carefully wtih warm water, and gently pat dry with a disposable, clean, paper towel.

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 recomended. Spread a thin layer onto your tattoo, dabbing any excess off with a clean tissue or paper towel. Lotion may

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