Now, you have your fresh new tattoo, and you want to take good care of it! Remember, once you leave the tattoo parlor, your tattoo aftercare is your responsibility, take proper care of it. It is very important that you follow certain guidelines. A really beautiful tattoo can turn into a disaster if the proper aftercare is not taken.

Your artist took the care to cover up your new tattoo for a very good reason- to keep air-born bacteria from invading your wound. Yes, as pretty as your new tattoo is , it is still a wound. Open flesh is a breeding ground for bacteria and infection. Leave the bandage on for a minimum of two hours. Excitement of having a new tattoo will make you want to remove the bandage so you can show your friends, but your friends will just have to wait until later.

Make sure your new tattoo has not been covered with some form of plastic or other material that will not allow your new tattoo to breath. If so, remove as soon as possible.

After you remove the bandage, you will want to wash your tattoo. Use lukewarm water and mild, liquid antibacterial or antimicrobial soap. Avoid some of the harsher name brand soaps - generic brand antibacterial soaps can often be a better choice to gently wash away any residue, blood and/ or plasma and to completely clean hands are your best tool in this case. (If your tattoo feels slimy and slippery, you have probably been oozing plasma. Try to gently remove as much of this as possible - when the plasma dries on the skin surface, it creates scabs.)

Now pat (do not rub) the area firmly with a CLEAN towel or paper towel to get it completely dry. Follow with a very lught application of Tattoo Dermacare Tattoo Oil apply in light circular motion over entire tattooed area. Typically, 3 to 4 times a day is ideal for the first few days.