Now that you’ve got your latest tattoo, Can You Shower After a Tattoo? you need to take good care of it. From this point on, the artist is not responsible for any illness or complications you may have with your tattoo that arise from insufficient care—all it’s about you. Aside from protection, a very pretty tattoo can turn into a nightmare if you don’t follow the proper aftercare instructions. Now that we’ve got your attention, here are a few things to do (or not do) to make the most of your investment in that gorgeous body art.
Leave the bandage alone
Open wounds are spawning grounds for bacteria yes infection—and, as beautiful as your latest tattoo is, it’s a cut. Your designer takes precautions to seal it up to keep the infectious bacteria out of it. Leave the bandage on for at least two hours. The joy of seeing a new tattoo will make you want to cut the bandage so that you can show your mates, but you must avoid the urge.
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The sole exception to this law is if the artist has hidden your tattoo with some sort of plastic. This would block oxygen from touching the skin and can be potentially damaging to the tattoo, so you can remove it immediately. You’re better off with no cover than suffocating your latest plastic wrap tattoo. Better still, ask the artist to use bandaging instead of plastic in the first place.
Wash And Treat
Can You Shower After a Tattoo? You should wash the tattoo after you cut the bandage. Use lukewarm water and soft, liquid antibacterial or antimicrobial soap to gently strip any ointment, blood or plasma and to thoroughly clean the region. Provon Antimicrobial Lotion Soap is a safe choice; it is a soft moisturising cleaner especially designed for piercing and tattoo treatment. Don’t ever use a washcloth; it’s too abrasive. Your hand is the perfect weapon for you. If your tattoo is slimy and slick, you’ve definitely had some plasma oozing. Try to gently remove as much of this as possible; scabs can form if they are left to dry on the surface of the skin.
Also read: Do Wrist Tattoos Hurt?
Then, pat—don’t rub—the region tightly with a clean towel or a paper towel to make it fully dry. Follow with very mild A&D, bacitracin, or equivalent antibacterial ointment—but not Neosporin. This is a great product for scratches and scrapes, but not for tattoos. A lot of people had allergic responses to Neosporin, which produces small red bumps. When the bumps go down, the dye does so, and you might end up with a polka-dotted tattoo.
You may also use a specialised substance such as Tattoo Goo Aftercare Salve if you choose. It’s oil-free and made from spices and oils that can soothe and cure the new tattoo. After that, keep the tattoo clean. When some time has elapsed, you should use a dye-and fragrance-free lotion instead of an ointment to keep the skin smooth.
Is It Okay To Get The New Tattoo Wet?
Getting the ink wet is all right, but it’s not soaking. Yes, you will (and should!) get a fresh tattoo tub, as long as you’re not absolutely soaking it. Avoid swimming—whether in a river, a lake or an ocean—and immersing the tattoo in a bath or hot tub for two to three weeks, though; this can inflict significant harm. If you have soap or sunscreen on your tattoo, just remove it easily with spray. No shave, either.
What To Do When There Is Peeling?
Within a couple of days, you’ll see some peeling and maybe some scabbing. Excessive scabbing might mean a badly done tattoo, but a little is common, and there’s no reason to worry. Apply wet, moist compresses to the scabs for around five minutes, two or three times a day, to smooth the scabs, and they’ll finally fall off on their own. (Do not add ointment or lotion to a softened scab; wait until it is dry.)
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Protection From The Sun
Your tattoo will begin to itch as it heals, almost like a sunburn. It could peel more, too. Don’t pick or scrape whatever you do! If the face is itching, slap it. Your tattoo is almost healed. Why do you spoil it?
After the tattoo is healed, you can still shield it from the ultraviolet rays of the sun. They will fade and ruin a brilliant tattoo really quickly. Make it a routine to cover your tattoo with a minimum 30SPF sunblock if you intend to be outside for some amount of time. This is going a long way to keep the tattoo bright for many years.
