Yes I know I’m bumping an old thread, but I might as well stay on topic here instead of starting a duplicate thread. Anyway, just like the threadstarter stated, tattoo artists will provide different and, at times, conflicting advice on aftercare. And as stated, what works for one, doesn’t work for the others. Here’s what I currently do:
1. After getting inked and having my saran wrap bandage placed, I remove it after several hours.
2. Wash with antibacterial soap then apply neosporin.
3. Re-bandage the piece and sleep on it overnight. This method works for me and is great at preventing scabs from forming. When I got my first tattoo, I left it uncovered during the first night like most everyone does, but scabs formed. In my case, this is bad because of the high chance of a scab getting scraped off prematurely, leaving a blotchy area with less ink. Re-bandaging and sleeping on it will collect oozy plasma by morning.
4. Remove bandage after waking up, re-wash with soap and gently remove plasma gunk with finger tips.
5. Apply neosporin for about a day or two, washing and reapplying three to four times per day.
6. After this, I won’t wash as much (because the wound is pretty much sealed), but I will lotion three to four times per day for about a week. In my case, I heal by one week (peeling stops, itch isn’t as intense).
Hope this helps.
