Tattoo Care and Feeding

Refrain from listening to anyone’s advice other than your artists’ (this includes other tattooers. . . ) It’s amazing how soon your friends become ‘experts’ when you show up with fresh ink.

• Wash the tattoo in warm water and Dial anti-bacterial soap. Avoid things like Coast/Irish Spring/anything smelly--because fragrances can be irritating to broken skin). Use your hands only,no cloth! Pat dry gently with a clean towel, or paper towel.


• Keep your (and other people's) fingers off of it unless you’re washing it. NO picking or scratching. and be wary of pets.


• Optimally, you should be washing the area as often as possible. Every couple of hours is best, for the first 2- 3 days, and twice a day thereafter. This is not always possible in the real world but do the best you can.


• Apply a THIN layer of Aquaphor found at your local drugstore.


• Apply lotion when it starts to peel and feel dry but do so sparingly. Rub it in, and stay away from lotions with fragrance, aloe, and lanolin. if it itches slap it, no scratching!! and apply a small amount of lotion.


• Your tattoo WILL become dry, flaky, and rather unattractive in a few days. It may look as though it is fading. This is normal. Also, if you fail to wash it often enough, it may scab and scabs can pull color. if touch up is needed That’s ok, just keep it clean and leave it alone and schedule one . Once it is finished peeling, it will be beautiful again!


• NO SUN!!!, SWIMMING (or soaking of any kind), PICKING, SCRATCHING, VIGOUROUS SCRUBBING, OINTMENT, DIRTY CONDITIONS, TIGHT CLOTHING, SUNSCREEN, OR SAUNAS until your tattoo is healed (usually 2 to 3 weeks).