You have been working up the courage for months to have this design on your skin, and now that you finally have it, you are now convinced that it does look amazing on you. So what’s next? You have to make sure that it heals well to make it look as good as the first time you got it. Your tattoo artist may have given you some tips on how to care for your tattoo, but here are more important points for you.
Always Follow Your Tattoo Artists’ Advice
Aftercare advice will vary for each artist. Sometimes, different tattoo artists have different ideas on what to do to help the tattoo heal faster. So always to listen to his or her instructions. Most of the time, they will give you a leaflet with a list of the advice they mentioned to you before you left the tattoo studio.
How To Wash Your Tattoo
Eventually, you will need to wash your tattoo. Some people may advise you to leave the covering on for the first two to five hours. Then you can gently remove the covering and wash the tattoo in lukewarm water and mild liquid soap. It is crucial that you apply the best tattoo healing cream recommended for you to moisturize and help the tattoo heal faster. Make sure that you repeat this cleaning and moisturizing process 3 – 5 times daily.
Keep it Clean and Dry
After washing and moisturizing the tattoo, it is crucial that you keep it the clean and dry the majority of the time. Avoid soaking it in water. That means taking showers is okay, but baths should not be done at least for a month. If the tattoo is in an area of your body that is always rubbed by your clothes, cover it with a clingfilm or a gauze and secure it with a medical tape.
Avoid The Urge to Itch
While the tattoo is healing, it will scab or flake. Naturally, you would want to pick at it to at least relieve the itch. But when you do that, it can lead to fading patches or have the design completely destroyed. If it itches, just lightly slap instead of scratching it.
Keep it Protected From Direct Sunlight
Unless necessary, avoid exposing your tattoo in direct sunlight. Even if your tattoos are completely healed, continuously exposing it to the sun can make the coloured parts fade. So make sure that you apply high SPF lotions or sun creams if you want to go to the beach.
Your tattoo will not heal overnight. Also, healing times will vary for each person. This will also depend on the size of the design. Usually, tattoos heal around a week if you have simple and smaller designs. But for complex and larger ones, it can take up to a month. Follow what your tattoo artist instructed for you to do when it comes to aftercare.
