Tattoo Aftercare:
The aftercare of your tattoo will greatly determine the way your tattoo will look once it has been fully healed.
Wear your bandage for around 1 hour then remove it and wash your tattoo gently with dial antibacterial soap.
Gently pat dry with a paper towel do not rub it back and forth. Dont use a regular towel because it is to rough on the new tattoo.
Apply a VERY THIN layer of vitamin Aquaphor to your tattoo a few minutes after washing it. pat off any extra Aquaphor if you applied too much. You should have no build up of ointment on your tattoo.
You will need to wash your new tattoo every 2-3 hours, especially first thing in the morning, and before you go to bed. other than that, its every 2-3 hours so you should be washing it about 5-7 times a day. Repeat this process for about 4-5 days.
After using the Aquaphor for 4-5 days, keep washing it every few hours but instead of Aquaphor, apply a small amount of lotion to your tattoo after it dries. rub it in good like if you were putting it on your hands, you don't want it to be goopy like the Aquaphor. Continue this for the next couple of weeks.
DO NOT PICK SCABS!!!!! This will cause your tattoo to bleed and will pull ink out of your skin and might cause more damage to the tattoo like scar tissue and pro longed healing.
Avoid body wash, lotions and shampoos that have dyes or fragrances.
DO NOT swim or go into any hot tubs for at least two weeks. you want to avoid soaking your tattoo for this can cause the scabs to soften and come off prematurely.
Avoid direct exposure to the sun.
To keep your tattoo looking bright and new after it has fully healed, you will want to wear sunscreen over it when spending long periods in direct sunlight. Do not put any sunscreen on a tattoo that has not fully healed.
Wear loose clothing over your new tattoo while it heals to avoid any rubbing that may pull off scabs.
If you think or are concered that you may have an infection please call your doctor cause the only way to fight an infection is with antibiotics. Infections rarely happen as a result of tattooing but just incase.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to stop by East Coast Tattoo or call your artist at
(401) 331-5623
