I admit it: I have a tattoo. It’s just one tattoo on my upper leg, and it’s high enough that almost no one can see it. It’s for me, not for anyone else. But I still wanted to take care of it, so I researched in advance how to take care of a new tattoo.
I was surprised by all the varying advice. Some people cover theirs in plastic wrap. Others say this prevents the area from breathing, so it slows down healing too much. Some people just coat them with Neosporin or Vaseline and hope for the best.
My research told me that the best approach is to get a tattoo care kit of a good brand and use it the way the directions indicate. That includes washing, protecting and keeping the area clean for several days so that the ink sets and there’s no risk of infection.
Surprisingly, the guy who did my tattoo didn’t seem too concerned about how I cared for it. That surprised me because he offered a guarantee that the ink would set right, and poor tattoo aftercare can ruin even the best work. If you don’t believe that, have a look around the Internet at some of the pictures of infected tattoos and those that faded in the sun in only a few months.
I’m not a tattoo expert yet, and I don’t know if I’ll ever get any more of them. But I can tell you this: my careful approach to tattoo aftercare worked well for me, and my private tattoo on my upper leg came out great. I’m actually very proud of it and surprised how bright the colors are.
It didn’t get infected, the ink colors didn’t bleed into one another and I didn’t have much discomfort or irritation, and that has to be because of using a tattoo care kit. The kit didn’t cost much, and it was an intelligent investment.
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