A common question we are faced with is “What is the best tattoo aftercare for my new tattoo?”. Many artists have different opinions on aftercare, often based on the information they were given from those who taught them to tattoo. Since the body does the healing on it’s own, there really is not a whole lot to do as far as aftercare is concerned.

Many times, we hear customers say that their friend told them to do this or that. Sometimes a friend’s advice may not be the where you will find the best tattoo aftercare advice. Over the years, we have heard some very interesting ideas on how to treat that new tattoo. Many of these, we would not ever recommend.

There are numerous products available to make your healing experience more comfortable. Here at the studio, we have a nice variety of products available including soaps, lotions and creams to aid the healing process. Upon completion of a service, each artist will walk you through the aftercare process. The receptionist will provide the customer with a printed copy of our best tattoo aftercare recommendations. If there are any questions after leaving the shop, our customers are always welcome to give us a call. We are always glad to help explain what is going on during the healing process.

It is always recommended that the tattoo area be kept clean at all times while it is fresh. I always tell people the first two or three days, the tattoo looks really nice and feels at bit like a bad sunburn. Then, the area affected starts to get dry and itchy. This is normal. Often times scabs will begin to appear. DO NOT PICK AT THESE!!!! It is highly recommended that you just leave the scabbing alone until it all flakes off. Most of this will happen when in the shower.  It is also wise not to go swimming or sit in the hot tub or ocean water for about two weeks. This is the amount of time the average tattoo takes to heal. Sometimes they may take a little longer, depending on the size of the piece.

Hopefully this will help inform you a bit on the subject of tattoo aftercare. Cheers!

Chas T. Spencer @21tat  Owner/Artist Studio 21Tattoo