Tattoo Care After Getting Inked

How to properly care for your new tattoo

Have you just gotten a new tattoo, or are you planning to? Nice! A tattoo is a great way to express your individual style. But it is always a medical procedure where ink is placed under your skin with a needle. Any injury to the skin surface makes it more susceptible to infection and scarring. Proper tattoo care after getting inked ensures that your tattoo heals smoothly and looks good for a long time. In the following article, you'll learn everything about how to best care for your freshly tattooed skin.

What to expect:

What you should consider before getting a tattoo Tattoo care immediately after getting inked The right tattoo cream The next days & weeks: Let it heal! 5 tips: How to keep your tattoo looking fresh for a long time FAQ

Preparation – What you should consider before getting a tattoo

The first item on your to-do list is choosing a studio and artist: ask friends for recommendations, read reviews, get extensive advice, and meet with the artist beforehand to discuss the design and view initial sketches. Ultimately, the vibe needs to be right, as you’ll likely spend a few hours with them and wear their artwork on your skin forever. Found the right artist? On the day of the appointment, you should have a good breakfast, be well-rested, and come to the studio showered. By the way, you should avoid heavy drinking the day before, as alcohol thins your blood and could cause the fresh ink to bleed more heavily.

Freshly tattooed – How do I care for my tattoo immediately after getting it?

The first few hours: Keep it clean!

Immediately after getting inked, the tattooed skin is highly stressed. You should leave the tattoo alone until the skin has calmed down a bit. To protect the skin from germs, your tattoo will be disinfected and covered with foil at the studio. You should leave this dressing on for the next 6-8 hours, even if you’d love to show off your new tattoo to everyone. If your tattoo artist used a self-adhesive foil wound dressing, you should wait 2-3 days before removing it. After that, you must clean the tattoo.

Step by Step: How to care for your tattoo after getting inked

1. Disinfect hands

Always wash and disinfect your hands before touching your tattoo. This prevents bacteria from getting into your fresh tattoo.

2. Clean the tattoo

Carefully clean the tattoo with lukewarm water and pH-neutral, fragrance-free soap. Make sure you do not use scented shower gel or similar for cleaning!

3. Pat the tattoo dry

Pat the tattoo dry with a clean, lint-free cloth (e.g., a piece of paper towel). Never use toilet paper and make sure you do not rub the tattoo dry!

4. Apply tattoo cream

Now apply a thin layer of fragrance-free tattoo cream to prevent crust formation and to support skin regeneration. Make sure you never apply the cream too thickly. As a rule of thumb: rather more often, but only a very thin film.

The right cream for your tattoo

The market is full of tattoo creams that are supposed to help your skin heal. Whether you buy your cream at the pharmacy, online, or directly at Rossmann or dm - you should pay attention to these things:

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➔ Fragrances and colorants have no place in a good tattoo cream and only add stress to your skin.
➔ Water-based creams provide moisture, absorb quickly, and leave no traces on your clothes. Oily creams are richer but must never be applied too thickly, as your skin won't be able to breathe. In the worst case, bacteria can accumulate, or pimples can form on the fresh tattoo.
➔ Use a cream with as many natural ingredients as possible and healing active ingredients such as panthenol.

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The next days and weeks: Let it heal!

Now it's time to show patience and perseverance: Depending on the size of your tattoo and how quickly your skin heals, it will take 2-3 weeks for your skin to regenerate. During this time, it is important that you support its healing as much as possible. Therefore, you should clean and moisturize the tattoo several times a day. Ideally, your tattoo should never be completely dry during this time, but should have the perfect conditions for healing thanks to regular cleaning and moisturizing. If a thick scab forms on the tattoo or you notice persistent swelling and redness, you should consult a doctor as a precaution. Under no circumstances should you scratch the tattoo, even if it itches due to healing. This can lead to unsightly scars.

Long-term tattoo care

To ensure that the colors and contours of your tattoo look as fresh and sharp years later as they did right after getting inked, you should continue to care for your tattoo even after it has healed. In addition to sun protection (because UV radiation is unfortunately the biggest enemy of tattoos), you should use a moisturizing cream. Your tattoo cream is perfectly suited for this.

Last but not least: 5 tips to keep your tattoo looking fresh for a long time

Your tattoo is healing wonderfully? Congrats! Still, there are a few things you should consider to enjoy it for a long time:

Avoid sun exposure and solariums

Until your tattoo is fully healed, sun and solariums are an absolute no-go. UV radiation unnecessarily stresses your skin and can fade its color. Once your tattoo is healed, you should protect it additionally with sunscreen.

No full baths, swimming pools, or saunas

Avoid full baths, swimming pools, and saunas for the first 6 weeks. You can shower as early as the first day.

No sports

In the first week after getting tattooed, you should avoid sports to give your body time to focus on healing and not unnecessarily stress the skin. Increased sweating can also introduce bacteria into the wound.

Be careful with clothing

For the first 1-2 weeks, make sure your clothing does not lie directly on the tattoo to avoid unnecessary friction and contamination.

Care, care, care

For your tattoo to stay beautiful and healthy for a long time and for the colors not to fade, you should regularly wash and moisturize your tattoo - even after it has healed.

FAQ

Which cream is best for tattoos?

Ours, of course! No, just kidding. That's a question that cannot be answered generally. However, when choosing, you should make sure that the cream is free of fragrances and dyes and supports your skin's regeneration with healing ingredients such as panthenol.

Can a tattoo cream expire?

Yes! Like any cosmetic product, tattoo creams can expire. Information on how long a product can be kept after opening can usually be found on the back of the product in a jar icon (e.g., 12M means that the product is good for 12 months). For fresh tattoos, you should always use a new cream to avoid cross-contamination.

Can I shower with a fresh tattoo?

Yes! While full baths and the like are an absolute no-go for the first 6 weeks, you can shower immediately with a fresh tattoo. However, make sure that no perfumed shower gel gets on the tattoo and when drying, be careful to leave out the freshly tattooed skin and pat it dry with a clean, lint-free towel.