Must Do Aftercare Techniques

!±8± Must Do Aftercare Techniques

Often tattoo-care instructions vary from artist to artist. However, the bottom line is that if your tattoo is done correctly, very minimal aftercare is needed. Most aftercare instructions are designed to speed up the healing process.

Now I am sure most of you would have heard of the TV show Miami Ink or LA Ink at one point or another either from friends or in the search for you dream tattoo. Here we have got some help from Kat Von D to break it down for you.

Here is what Kat suggests doing for your best tattoo outcome:

Kat's Steps to Follow

1. Remove your bandage, after an hour or so. Once the bandage is removed, gently hand-wash your tattoo with warm water and antibacterial soap.

2. Apply very thin coats of Aquaphor for the first five days. (You can find this fragrance-free ointment in the lotion section of any drug store.) You can apply the ointment two to three times a day. However, never over-saturate the tattoo.

3. Once the tattoo starts peeling lightly, you can switch to a non-fragrant white lotion.

That covers the basic immediate steps to follow after getting inked, but there are also some general tattoo care tips that need to be adhered to:

Remember to Avoid

* Direct sunlight for the first two weeks.

* Submerging your tattoo in any type of water for the first two weeks.

* Picking or scratching at your tattoo.

* Washing the area with soaps or lotions that contain lots of ingredients, especially fragrance. Fragrance can irritate your skin or even cause you to have a more serious reaction. The least amount of chemicals you put on your tattoo, the better.

Once the tattoo has healed, however, you can pretty much put anything on it!

And Don't Forget

Another thing we would add to Kat's expert advice is to make sure that you always apply plenty of sun-block to your tattoo when you are out and about. This is a simple, yet really important step if you want to avoid needing a touch up and retaining the bold color and detail of your tattoo.

Have you found your dream tattoo or are you still looking for inspiration?