Tattoo Care, about life time investment

The first thing to remember about your tattoo is that this is a lifetime investment! Do not rely on information from friends about the care of your new tattoo. The artist will provide you with the proper care for the tattoo.


Generally, if your tattoo has been bandaged, leave it on for approximately two hours.
Then, wash it gently with luke-warm water using antibacterial soap. Pat it dry, do not rub. This washing should occur three to four times a day. Do no apply another bandage to the tattoo. Allow it to be exposed to air. This will help the healing process. Also, try to avoid tightly fitted clothing. Clean, loose clothing will be the best. After washing, apply very thing coasts of Bacitracin or A&D Ointment and work it into the skin. Do not over apply. Apply just enough so that the tattoo appears shiny. If you can see the ointment on your skin, you are using too much.


Do not soak the tattoo in water or let the shower directly spray hard onto it. Also, avoid swimming pools, the ocean, hot tubs or any other source of water, aside from the shower, until the tattoo is healed. Also avoid getting the new tattoo sunburned until it is healed. All of these can fade the tattoo and hinder the healing process.
When the tattoo begins the healing process, do not directly scratch the tattoo.

Itching means healing and a little bit of alcohol will relieve the itch. Also, do not pick the scabs that may form. Let them fall off gradually. This will usually happen in one to three weeks. If swelling or redness occurs, you can use ice packs to help the swelling go down. Most importantly, notify a doctor if you have even the slightest sign of infection. The healing process can be as little as one week or as long as six weeks or more depending on the size and complexity of your particular design. (taken from tattoo unlimited).

Beginner's Guide to Getting a Tattoo

The main concern when thinking about getting a tattoo should be finding something that you really like as well as the location on your body. Keep in mind that this will be with you for the rest of your life, so you must be comfortable with this decision.

Custom tattoos tend to be more expensive and time consuming because they demand the artist to pay closer attention to the detail and design. In addition, it is a design that they have never done before. Simple, more common designs are generally less expensive and take less time.

Another aspect of the design to consider is color or black. Black tattoos are very attractive because they tend to stand out more on the skin due to more of a contrast. Color tattoos generally are more expensive but there can be more creativity involved because the possibilities are endless with color.

The location of the tattoo is key. You must consider some things when thinking of location. Will others see it easily? Do I want this to be easily seen by others? Do I want it in more of a private place so only those close to me would view it? Which body parts hurt more than others?

Generally, places that have thinner skin tend to hurt more. These places include, but are not limited to, due to differences in all of our bodies, the ankles, head and the lower back. Less painful places include the upper arm, back of the shoulder and the chest.