This is a topic that blows my mind, honestly. People make this so difficult (the customer I mean) for some reason. I’ll spend 5 minutes explaining how to take care of a tattoo and they go and do something completely opposite and/or totally wrong.

Now this is actually acceptable assuming the person has several tattoos and has had time to properly figure out a healing method that works great for them.

The Run Down

• Hour One – Remove Bandage, wash tattoo for first time.
• Daily – Wash tattoo 3-4 times a day, apply ointment.
• Do Not – Pick at it, scratch it, rub it constantly, soak it in water for too long, or put anything on it just to see if it works too.

Acceptable Products

• Dial Gold Hand Soap
• A&D Ointment
• Basic White Lotion

Explained

When you leave the shop you will leave with a bandage on your new tattoo and a pocket full of A&D Ointment packages (number varies by size of tattoo). Leave this bandage on for one hour and then wash tattoo for the first time with an anti-microbial soap such as Dial Gold. Then apply a thin layer of the A&D Ointment, it should be a little shiny, not gloppy and gooey, rub it in. From this point on wash it every few hours and reapply A&D Ointment. Do so right before bed as well.

Everyday wash the tattoo the same way as above and reapply the A&D Ointment every 3-4 hours. Do not bandage the tattoo again, the area needs oxygen to heal. If your a bath person switch to showers for the duration of the healing time.

After a day or two your tattoo may or may not start to scab over, not everyone does. If it does it’s important to be very gentle with scabs. If one was to rip off, by accident or not, it can, and probably will pull out ink with it. Ever seen a tattoo with random jagged blank spots? It’s because they pulled scabs off, 9 out of 10 times. This is why you shouldn’t water log it as well. You can soak a scab right off your body in a pool, bath, jacuzzi, etc…

During healing it will probably start to itch a little, this is actually a good sign, shows it’s healing up. But don’t scratch, for all the reasons listed above. If you just can’t stand it, gently pat the tattoo, if that doesn’t work then freak out and whine a little in your head until it stops. Just kidding, you can slap it a little harder, but not real hard.

You know it’s almost healed when you start flaking alot. This is just scabs, and dead skin cells from the first couple layers of skin. Do not help it flake, just keep up with daily washes and A&D Ointment. Once it has completely finished flaking you can stop the A&D ointment and switch to a non-scented and non-died hand lotion like White Jergens.

After flaking, the tattoo can have a vague white hue over it. Just keep applying lotion or A&D and in a day or two (sometimes longer) it will be a nicely healed tattoo and your done. You know it’s healed when the skin over the tattoo is not shinier than your skin around the tattoo, and that it’s the same texture. Although lotion once a day will help keep your skin looking good as you age, so the tattoo stays nice as well. But that part is your choice.

Now let me ramble for a minute on what you should not do

You should not pour alcohol or peroxide on it! I don’t care if your aunts a nurse or not, don’t freakin’ do it. Your mom did that when you where little to prevent infection from cuts and scrapes you got doing dirty things outside. The tattoo was done in a sterile environment, just wash it with soap.

Do not put triple anti-biotic ointment on the tattoo, such as Neosporin, or any other kind. Yes at one point most shops recommended them (years and years ago), and some shops still recommend Bacitracin. But most do not now. The reason why is mostly that everybody’s genetic make up is different and no two people heal exactly the same to exactly the same thing. So yes, your friend may use only Neosporin and have nothing but great results, but you might break out with an allergic reaction, or get “weeping” tattoo, where it scabs and cracks and leaks fluid, including ink, or both. The Dial-n-A&D method just shows the best results on the average person vs everything else (ie, odds are it’s going to work for you just fine).

At this point some people are thinking “Jeez….this guys really frustrated over something that doesn’t even affect him.” Well it does affect me. Most artist guarantee their work for life, which means they will touch the tattoo up for free if it fades, or doesn’t heal out right, etc… So when we explain, in detail, how to care for a tattoo, and you come back with a messed up tattoo and tell us you used Neosporin and removed the scabs daily with your fingernails and now want a touch up for free, it pisses us off!

Conclusion

That might sound a little rough, but you really would be shocked to know how much it happens. It’s ridiculous really. But just take care of it as stated and you’ll end up with a nice tattoo. It’s really not hard, and if you care how your tattoo heals out, which will affect it for the rest of your life, you’ll do it with ease.