[ TATTOO CARE ]

It is important to care for a tattoo properly so that it will heal properly and will stay bright and sharp for a very long time. Caring for tattoos is a little more complex than most people think, but its not hard to do. A tattoo is something that you will probably have for the rest of your natural life and therefore requires some level of commitment. After you leave your tattoo artist you should keep the bandage on for about 3 hours. The new tattoo should be washed clean with soapy cool water. The best kind of soap to use is anti-bacterial soap without fragrances or dyes. (lever 2000, dial, etc.) After you rinse off all of the soap and pat dry,. Apply a THIN layer of bacatracin or Neosporin CREAM ointment. Be sure to wipe away any blood that may bead up on the skin. Ointment should be gently spread over the tattoo for the first 3 days. As a general rule I like to put ointment on after I shower at night and again in the morning when I get dressed. Sometimes a little extra needs to be put on during the day. Your healing tattoo needs to be kept moist but no goopy. After 3 days Luberderm lotion can be used to keep your tattoo moist. Try to avoid any lotions containing fragrances, dyes, or alpha hydroxy. DO NOT REBANDAGE!!! 

During the first week or so you should avoid taking long showers. Also try not to allow the shower to beat directly on your tattoo. Avoid long baths, pools and especially the beach during the healing process for two reasons : tattoos don't like sun, chlorine or salt water ! Although it is important to protect your tattoo from the sun at all times, it is especially crucial during the healing process. Religiously you should keep your tattoos protected with a sun block with an SPF of 15 or higher. Sun makes tattoos fade and blend together.

Ohh, before I forget :DON'T SCRATCH YOUR TATTOO !!! ....I know it gets oh-so-itchy...but you have to exercise some will power and don't do it : you can tickle it, slap it, blow on it, any thing but SCRATCH !

It’s not uncommon to wake up in the morning during the first few days and find that your shirt or p.j. pants are stuck on your tattoo. DON’T PULL IT OFF ! Pulling it off is like scratching or picking at your scabs...which is what ? A big NO-NO. So what do you do then ? Get in the shower and soak it...then it will peel right off !

So now you might be saying to yourself "but I know this guy who didn't do any of that !he got inked and didn't follow the care instructions and his tattoo looks fine." Well, the key word here is fine. Truth be told, you can get inked and never do a thing and your tattoo may look fine...but wouldn't you rather your tattoo look GREAT ? Next time you meet someone who doesn't care for their tattoos-take a closer look : are the lines sharp and defined ? Is the color bright ? Is the tattoo only a couple of months old but it looks like they have had it for a couple of years? Everyone's body heals differently so you can not compare your self to any one else. What may work ok on someone else may be a complete disaster on you. So if you want to take your chances then go ahead, but the safest way to insure that your tattoo will heal properly and stay vivid is :

· Don't apply to much ointment...excessive application of bacatracin may actually draw some of the ink out. Neosporin/Polysporin is not recommended.

· Use soaps without fragrances or dyes...these may irritate your skin.

· Don't put alcohol or disinfectant on your new tattoo.

· Don't pick the scabs

· Don't scratch even though it itches like cruel and unusual torture.

· Don't expose your tattoo to too much sun, and ALWAYS use sun block !

· Don't take excessively long showers or baths during the healing process.

· Stay off the beach and out of chlorinated or salt water while your tattoo is healing (this is why the best time to get tattoos is in the winter months when you know you will not be heading out to the beach or pool).