So you’ve gone and done it. You’ve gotten your first piece of ink. Now to ensure its life and beauty you need to know how to care for it. You obviously have done your research and picked a reputable parlour to get your tattoo done in.

If you have indeed picked a reputable artist, he will teach you how to care for your new piece of art work. During the process they will be cleaning the tattoo as well as applying an ointment to help in the healing process. Once the tattoo is completed, they will wipe it down once more, apply another layer of cream and bandage it up using gauze or tissue.

Once all that is completed, the artist should explain to you how to care for your new ink. Some will provide you with a checklist of the do and don’t for your new tattoo. If the artist you choose didn’t explain any of this to you I’m sure you are wondering “What Next”. Well, taking care of your new ink is quite easy as long as you follow the do and don’t of caring for your new tattoo.

When you arrive home from the shop you may be tempted to hop into the shower for a rinse off, Don’t! You should try and keep your new modification clean and dry for the first few days. If you have to rinse off make sure you have your tattoo sealed well under bandages or something of the sort. All you need is to have paid for and sat through the pain of the tattoo and ruin it by taking a shower right away. A vital part of ensuring your ink stays looking great and heals properly is to apply the cream regularly. Make sure you only do this with clean hands, you don’t want to infect your new tattoo.

If you weren’t provided a tube from the parlour head over to your local drugstore and pick up some antiseptic cream ( I used Polybiotic, it was provided by the shop.) You will be applying this every few hours for the first couple of days. Anytime the old application has dried, simply wipe it off ( Don’t rub, you will only end up aggravating the sensitive skin) and apply a new fresh layer. This will help in the healing process. After 5-6 days ( or longer if you take longer to heal) you can discontinue the lotion. Even though you are no longer using the cream be careful of what you do apply to the skin as it may still be tender and easily aggravated for a few weeks. Try using unscented lotion if you must apply a lotion to it.

If a scab appears, which they commonly do, try to be careful around it, don’t pick at it as this can injure you or ruin your nice new design. If need be apply some lotion to it to prevent the itching of the scab.

Your new tattoo can be a great piece of art work, if you care for it. Remember you went to the time and trouble of picking a design, artist and studio, continue the process is the caring of your new tattoo and it will be around for years to come.