5 Skincare Tips To Follow After You Get A Tattoo

Getting your first tattoo can get the manliest person out there giddy and excited - it'll even show on his face! Why wouldn’t he be? A tattoo is a beautiful piece of artwork, and to some, it symbolizes strength and creativity.

The entire procedure is extremely painful, and trust me when I say this, some people even succumb to the pain and end up not finishing the tattoo. I personally know someone who, after five years, still only had the outline on the tattoo design he wanted. So are you man enough for a tattoo? 

If you answered yes, then read on because getting your first tattoo doesn’t mean it’s over when the buzzing sound stops as well. The aftercare procedures are more vital than the tattoo procedure itself. So you have to be man enough to take care of your tattoo afterward. Here are 5 skin care tips to follow after you get your tattoo. 

1. Leave The Bandage On After the Procedure

A bandage or a plastic covering - in my case - is usually left on the newly-tattooed area to prevent dirt and bacteria sticking on the bleeding skin. This is useful especially when you’re taking a public transportation going home; pollution, fumes, and other external elements might be detrimental to the new tattoo. Tattoo artists use different techniques. It’s a good advice to adhere to their instructions. Usually, the covering is wrapped for two to three hours. Then again, this depends on the artists.

2. Keep Your Tattoo Clean

After carefully adhering to your tattoo artist’s instructions pertaining to the bandage or covering, it’s time to take care of your tattoo by making sure to keep it clean all the time. If you do otherwise, an undesirable infection might occur. You have to keep in mind that this is an artistic open wound so fend it off from the risks of infections. First off, always wash your hand when touching your tattoo. Then to keep it clean, wash it with lukewarm water and mild, antibacterial soap. Do this gently.

3. Apply The Recommended Antibacterial Ointment

Your tattoo artist will either recommend or hand you an antibacterial cream that you need to apply on the tattoo. Obviously, this is to protect your tattoo from getting bacteria that’ll likely cause infections. Before you do this, remember to wash your hands with mild soap. Then make sure the tattoo is dry by using a paper towel or a clean cloth to pat the tattoo gently. Next is to apply a thin layer of antibacterial ointment until the skin absorbs it. Do not use just any kind of ointment. Your tattoo artist will recommend a suitable one for you.

4. Resist The Urge To Scratch Your Tattoo Or Pick the Scabs

Your tattoo will heal as time passes. Healing time may take up to two to three weeks depending on, well, how you take care of it. The ink fragments will slowly come off and turn into scabs. Never, and I mean never, pick at the scabs deliberately. Let all the scabs fall off naturally. Then, the tattoo will also start to itch. It’ll really make you want to scratch the heck out of it, mind you. Resist the temptation to scratch it and there’s no other way around it.

5. Sunlight And Water Are A No-No

 You want the colors of your tattoo to heal nicely. Two factors that are culprits in fading tattoo colors are direct sunlight and water. Try to skip your average beach trips until your tattoo heals completely. It’s also a must to never lay it under direct sunlight. If you have to go out under a scorching heat, make sure you have a covering over it. Also, wear loose clothes so the tattoo won’t stick to the clothing material.

The way you adhere to these skin care tips will make or break the final outcome of your tattoo. Let it heal nicely and thoroughly and you can strut that new tattoo in public whenever, wherever!

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Written By:

Kerry Brooks, driven by the passion for blogging, writes about beauty, fashion, food, travel and more. She loves to spend her time traveling and researching the latest fashion trends. She also blogs at Ink Blasters, which uses the safest and most effective laser on the market, providing scar-free tattoo removal with Quanta's Q-Plus C.

Reviewed By:

Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.