So you looked through a lot of tattoo designs and came up with that perfect design for you.

You found the perfect tattoo artist and the ink has been laid down. So what do you do for the next few weeks and for the rest of the life (your life) of the your tattoo designs? With the proper care, your tattoo designs will look brand new for years to come.

If you understand how tattoo designs work and what can happen if they do not get all the TLC they call for, it will be easier to get in the habit. Care for your new tattoo designs like an investment. The tattoo artist employs a gun that is around the same size as the drill a dentist would use. The number of needles it holds at one time hinges upon how much ink needs to be deposited to attain the desired affect. Your skin has two layers: the dermis and the epidermis. The epidermis makes up the surface layer, and the dermis is underneath. The ink is deposited approximately a millimeter beneath the skin in the dermis.

Good tattoo artists will cleanse the tattoo after each session and apply antiseptic cream to your tattoo. Your tattooist will bandage his latest work of art before you depart his shop. Skilled tattoo artists know that this helps keep your tattoo designs healthy until the original protective bandage is removed. Keep it covered for at least 10 to 12 hours. This protects the tattoo designs while the skin is its most vulnerable, and affords it time to properly scab over. Once the bandage is removed, don’t cover up your tattoo designs again. Re-bandaging could entrap foreign particles such as dirt and lint beneath the gauze, irritating your skin and increasing your chances for infection.

Once the tattoo designs are completed, the artist should tell you how to take care of your new tattoo designs. Many of the more practiced artists will talk to you and give you a detailed sheet with all of the information you require. If you went to a tattoo artist who did not explain this to you, you may be wondering exactly what you should do. Taking care of  tattoo designs isn’t difficult and as long as you recognize what you can and can not do.

When you first arrive home with your brand-new tattoo designs, you should never jump right into the shower. The next time you do take a shower you want to cleanyour tattoo designs with light soap and water, applying gently with the tips of the fingers or the hand. Do not scrub or apply any exfoliating soaps to your tattoo designs. Before you touch the tattoo or clean it, you should always make certain that your hands are clean. If you keep your hands clean, you won’t have to worry about an infection. Upon getting out of the shower, pat dry (again no rubbing) and apply your protection to your tattoo designs once the skin is dry.

There are many recommendations for the proper lubrication and protection of tattoo designs, but a couple of facts hold true. Petroleum-based products used to be the aftercare of choice, because it was affordable and could be found almost anywhere. It’s since been determined that they can remove color from your tattoo designs, and does nothing whatever to encourage healing and ward off infection.

For a long time, Neosporin was the favored choice. It has antibiotic properties and preserved the color beautifully. However, some individuals developed small, red bumps on their new tattoo designs. The bumps typically healed without a lot of problems, but they removed some color with them when they went. Hoards of Neosporin users are walking about with spotted tattoo designs.

Bacitracin is the big thing in tattoo aftercare right now. It’s good for combating infection and keeps the tattoo designs moist to keep the healing skin healthy. It’s not perfect; a few people still experience allergic reactions. There’s no one thing that will work perfectly for everyone. A&D Ointment is a good alternative.

A&D is a great option for people who don’t do well with antibiotic ointments. Although it doesn’t deliver infection-fighting properties, it does contain vitamins that promote healing. A&D ointment is intended to aid in the care of any abrasion, which a tattoo is. A&D will keep your tattoo designs clean and shiny and should be applied for the first few days. Unless you’re prone to infection, keeping your tattoo designs clean should be adequate. If your immune system is compromised for any reason, you don’t want to get any tattoo designs  until your health back to normal.

Whatever your choice of ointment, apply it frequently. Don’t ever let your fresh tattoo designs dry out. Keeping the tat moist will prevent your scabs from falling off too soon. Eventually, the tattoo will develop a layer of dried skin over the top. Defy the urge to peel, or scrub, it off. That’s just another way to get it infected. Allow it fall off naturally. Don’t scrub or scratch your new tattoo designs. Don’t pull at the scabs. They’re nature’s means of protecting recently traumatized skin. Picking them off is not only disgusting, it’s painful, will bleed and you’re just inviting infection. It will make your tat look horrible, and who wants to show off that?

After 5 or 6 days, you could quit using the lotion, but let the condition of the tattoo designs determine if the time is right. One option is to use the A&D ointment for the initial 3-5 days to keep your tattoo healthy, then move to an unscented body lotion, such as Curel Fragrance Free for the following week. You want to avoid body lotions that have fragrances, since they can easily irritate the delicate skin that rests beneath your tattoo designs.

After 9-14 days, you’ll be able to stop using anything – your tattoo should be healed. Some tattoos, after they’ve healed, might leave a scab in some areas. If your tattoo has a scab, you should be careful and never pick at it. If you aren’t careful, you could end up damaging your design. The best thing to do is you have a scab is to leave it alone. You can put A&D ointment on it if you want, as most of the time a scab will itch.

The color in your new tat is especially susceptible to fading during the first two weeks. During that time, avoid direct sunlight. Soaking in the bathtub is a bad idea as well. As a matter of fact, spending time in any water, specifically water than has chemicals in it, such as swimming pools or hot tubs should be avoided as well.

For longevity remember to keep your tattoo designs protected with sunscreen anytime it may be exposed in the outdoors. If you are often outdoors or your tattoo is on an area that is always exposed, such as the forearm, look for a daily lotion that has an inherent SPF. This will afford some level of protection in addition to keeping the skin moisturized.

You’ve spent good money for your tattoo designs, for less than $10 you can assure it heals properly and looks its best. Taking care of your tattoo designs today will keep them healthy and infection free in the end.

If you follow the above advice on how to take care of your tattoo designs, you won’t have anything to worry about.

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