Days 1-3
Treat your tattoo with care – it is still an open wound for the next 2-3 days. Wash your hands and gently remove wrapping, bandages, and tapes from your tattoo. Do not rebandage. You want to allow oxygen to reach the skin cells – wear breathable fabrics.
Rinsing
Lightly rinse away excess ink and plasma on and around the tattoo site with cool water. Don’t be afraid of dead/old skin pilling off – new skin will replace the surface and protect the work.
Cleaning
Use anti-bacterial, non-fragranced soap to gently clean your new tattoo and rinse. Don’t use abrasive, exfoliant, or astringent products like retinols and isopropyl alcohol. Each time you clean your tattoo, a bit of old skin will pill off until the tattoo is fully healed. Clean your tattoo at least twice per day until it is fully healed.
Drying & Healing
Air dry the tattoo or use a dry, clean towel to pat the tattoo dry. Use a freshly cleaned laundry if possible to prevent infection. Avoid rubbing/scratching the tattoo until it’s fully healed by 2-3 weeks. It will feel itchy as the tattoo heals – don’t scratch. Small applications of Bactine can help relieve the tattoo. DO NOT scratch/pick the tattoo!
Moisturize
Keep clean and lightly moisturize with a water-based, non-fragranced, lotion (bland is best). Drugstores regularly carry Lubriderm, Aveeno, Eucerin, and Curel. Some accessible drugstore alternatives for extra moisture: Palmer's Shea Butter or Aveeno body butter. Avoid 100% petrolatum products. “Less is more.” Moisturize as needed, not too much.
Infection Prevention
Avoid heavy activity, although you can still perform daily exercise. Do not expose your tattoo to sunlight or communal/public bodies of water such as pools, saunas, jacuzzies, or lakes/beaches.
Sunscreen can be used to protect tattoos after they are fully healed.
