It is very important to start caring for your new tattoo before you even get it, by knowing what can cause damage to your very susceptible new tattoo both during and after the process of getting it. You are going through a lot to get your new tattoo so make sure it was worth it by caring for your new tattoo properly – it will result in a tattoo that looks awesome, and will stay looking awesome for years to come. If you follow this guide on how to care for a new tattoo, then one to two weeks after you get your tattoo, your new artwork will be ready to show off to the world!
While Getting a New Tattoo
Prepare yourself for having to sit in one position for a long period of time. Bring a bottle of water with you so you have something to drink, but avoid drinking it too fast so you don’t have to run to the bathroom in the middle of the tattooing process. Bring an MP3 player or a book so that you have something else to concentrate on. Before you arrive to get a new tattoo, avoid drinking alcohol as it can thin the blood and make for a blurry tattoo once it heals and can also prevent the tattoo artist from doing the best job possible.
The First Few Hours After Getting a New Tattoo
Once the tattoo is complete, the tattoo artist will most likely apply a cream, and then either a sterile clear plastic or sterile gauze over the tattoo, fastening it with medical tape. This bandage is to prevent any bleeding that can occur in the first few hours after the tattoo is finished. The first step to caring for your new tattoo is going to be leaving these bandage on for four to six hours, while not pressing on or itching at the bandage.
After four to six hours have passed, remove the bandage very slowly and gently. Your skin will be very sensitive at this point, so take your time. Wash the area of your new tattoo gently with a mild soap and pat dry. You may have purchased, or your artist may have given you, a special tattoo soap to use that is specially formulated for washing new tattoos. Moisturize your tattoo immediately with an ointment containing vitamin E.
Again, your artist may have given you, or you may have purchased a special tattoo lotion that is meant for healing tattoos. Using a specially formulated tattoo ointment can ensure that your tattoo heals properly.
The First Week After Getting a New Tattoo
Make sure that during the first week after getting a new tattoo, that you don’t itch, scratch or pick at the new tattoo or the scabs that may have formed over it. Let the scabs come off naturally. Avoid covering your new tattoo with tight or abrasive clothing that can pull at the tattoo and force the scabs off of it. Light, loose clothing, or no clothing covering the tattoo at all, is the best way to go.
Cover your new tattoo generously with ointment or lotion containing vitamin E at least two to three times per day. You can moisturize it more often than that if the skin feels dry or if you would like to. While your new tattoo is still going through the tattoo healing process, make sure to avoid a lot of direct sunlight, and don’t go swimming, as both sunlight and chlorine can drain the colors from your new tattoo if your tattoo hasn’t fully healed yet.
So, if you follow these simple steps to caring for a new tattoo, then your new tattoo will heal perfectly and you will be ready to show off your brand new tattoo to the world! It’s not hard to care for a new tattoo as long as you follow the simple steps that are covered in this tattoo care guide.
Krysha Thayer - Krysha Thayer is curious by nature and writes with passion. If she didn't enjoy the topic, she wouldn't write about it.
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