Dear Reader,

A tattoo that eventually will be an adornment is a skin wound during the time it is healing. A tattoo should initially heal within 5 to 10 days, but complete healing will take up to 45 days, which is the amount of time it takes for skin to regenerate itself after being damaged.

It is important to take proper care of a new tattoo during the healing period, not only for the sake of the skin, but for the appearance of the tattoo as well. The bandage that a tattoo artist covers a freshly made tattoo with needs to be removed within one to two hours. Then, for the first 3 to 4 hours, the tattoo has to be washed every 15 to 20 minutes with soap, warm water, and a soft cloth. Blood or plasma may seep to the surface, and these should be blotted off (dabbing with a towel, rather than wiping across the skin). After the first day, the tattoo area needs to be cleansed at least twice a day (once in the morning, once at night), using a hand instead of a cloth to wash the area (the cloth is too abrasive for the new skin that is forming).

Beginning with the first time the tattoo region is cleaned, antibiotic ointment is to be applied to the area when it's dry. This should be done after every wash for the first two weeks of the healing period. Several kinds of ointment are available, but the best choice is one with bacitracin. Some of these ointments contain bacitracin as bacitracin zinc, but the zinc may cause allergies in certain people; if one has used an ointment with bacitracin zinc before, and hasn't experienced any problems, then it'll probably be fine. Check the packaging for the active ingredients and other information. After applying the ointment, wait five minutes and then gently blot off any blood that has risen to the surface or leftover ointment. If blood is left on the skin, it will form a scab. Do not re-bandage the tattoo area.

At three to seven days into the healing period, the skin around the tattoo will start to peel like a sunburn. Do not pick at the skin, or scratch, as difficult as that might be. This will damage the tattoo. By the seventh to tenth day, the skin should have peeled away and left shiny, wrinkly new skin. Applying antibiotic ointment, or a dry skin moisturizing lotion if you choose, to this area is still necessary. Most tattoo artists recommend that people stay away from petroleum jelly, as it supposedly damages the color of a tattoo.

During the two-week healing period, avoid hot tubs, swimming pools, and lake or ocean water. They harbor bacteria that could cause an infection. And, avoid exposure of the area to any water for longer than 5 to 10 minutes — that includes the shower or bath.

By the end of two weeks, the tattoo should look like it's healed, though it will take the full 45 days for the skin to completely regenerate itself.

If you are reading this for preparation before you get your tattoo, you might want to take a look at Tattoo safety guidelines for tips on choosing a good tattoo artist, who will certainly be able to help guide you through the healing process afterwards as well. Your tattoo artist might give you instructions that vary slightly from the ones given above, as every artist has his or her own recommendations. It's important to take the time to find a good artist, so that you feel comfortable following his or her advice... and calling him or her back if you experience any problems.

Alice

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