Thread: Tattoo Care & maintenance/I have questions

I only have the one and can't answer all of your questions, but apply the ointment often, always keep the tattoo moist. Use a mild soap and only wash it when you have a shower NEVER rubbing it hard. The scabbing should show up in a couple of days and I have no idea about the cocoa butter, but you should probably keep it off until you find out for sure.

And the itching sucks, too bad, it's there for a little while

Shower as normal using dial antibacterial soap only. Do not wash tattoo area with washrag. Gently cleanse area with your hand only. Gently is the key word. The last thing you want to do is pull the scab off. Blot tattooed area after getting out of shower with paper towel. Blot not wipe. Then gently apply the ointment blotting off any excess with paper towel. I recommend washing tattoo 2 - 3 times a day with soap and water and apply ointment after washing. Cant do anything about the itching. The ointment should ease some of it. After about a week, you will be good as new. Anyways, this is how I care for mine. Im sure someone will have a different opinion.

Bottle of Jack, drink some and every now and then spit some on the tat.

J/K Do like Bulletproof says, try not to sleep on it or apply alot of pressure on it, I've seen a few that looked smudgy from this. I used the bacitracin for a week. Don't pick at the scab either.

Stay out of the sun or cover up your tat. That is the quickest way to damage it.

Also, some people are under the impression it should be covered up at all times ... not true. Obviously you must keep it clean but if youre just lying around the house, dont cover it with anything. It has to breathe in order to heal.

Thanks for the responses.

Originally posted by Diakonos
I recently got a tattoo, on my upper right arm.

So what is it? A butterfly?

Originally posted by irontime
So what is it? A butterfly?

It is an Aztec Bat. It starts from the tip of my shoulder to about the shirt-line of my arm. Althought it is a decent sized tattoo, it can only be seen if I wearing a tank top or no shirt at all.

Sounds cool

Originally posted by maniclion
J/K Do like Bulletproof says, try not to sleep on it or apply alot of pressure on it, I've seen a few that looked smudgy from this. I used the bacitracin for a week. Don't pick at the scab either.

I don't think sleeping on a tattoo will smudge it ... it's not a pencil drawing. More like shabby tattoo work. Although the first or second day can worry a tattoo newbie. When healing, the tattoo becomes a glob on ink ... I first thought, OPPS, a lifelong mistake that was ... and then it began to heal and I was happy that it did.

Originally posted by naturaltan
I don't think sleeping on a tattoo will smudge it ... it's not a pencil drawing. More like shabby tattoo work. Although the first or second day can worry a tattoo newbie. When healing, the tattoo becomes a glob on ink ... I first thought, OPPS, a lifelong mistake that was ... and then it began to heal and I was happy that it did.

My girl has a lavender rose on her butt that got messed up the first few days from sitting on it, the colors got smeared together giving it a blurred look.

Tattoos will not smudge. You do need to try to avoid sleeping on it though. The scabs need to fall off on their own. Forcing the issue can affect the quality in the coloring of the tattoo.