How to Properly Care for a New Tattoo or Piercing

After spending months agonizing over the impending decision, you find yourself spending a brief amount of time in a vinyl chair, a stranger with a needle in hand leaning over you. Maybe he is older, long silver-black hair hanging halfway down his back. Maybe she’s young and beautiful. Maybe it’s your first time in the chair. Maybe it’s your tenth. Either way, the outcome is the same. You’re getting that fresh new tattoo or piercing, the latest and greatest in your customization of your own body. Whatever you’ve decided on, as long as you have chosen a reputable professional and as long as you properly care for your new art, it will be amazing. Finding a reputable professional is up to you and Google. Learning to properly care for your new art is considerably simpler.

In March of 2006, the Journal of the AmericanAcademy of  Dermatology did a study involving 253 women and 247 men, selected at random, between the ages of 18 and 50.  The results were 24% of the respondents had at least one tattoo, and 14% had at least one body piercing.  Tattoos were found to be equally common among both genders, but body piercing was found to be more prevalent in women.  While none of the respondents had any of their tattoos removed, 17% were considering the possibility.

There several schools of thought as to what exactly are the best ways to care for a new piercing. The basic idea during the healing process is to keep the area clean and dry, keep the jewelry’s ability to move within the skin, and keep infection away. What exactly this means varies depending on the location of the piercing. Improper care of a piercing can result in localized injury to the affected area. The same study found that 33% of respondents with body piercings reported medical complications associated with the piercing.

A good artist will instruct the patron in his or her recommended method of aftercare. Some professionals even offer an aftercare service. This means that the patron can come in two or three times a day for a certain period of time after receiving his or her new piercing and the artist will clean the piercing, tighten balls if necessary, and answer any questions the patron may have.

Body piercing is almost always done with a hoop or with a barbell that is slightly longer in length than necessary to facilitate cleaning and healing. Every piercing is different, but generally speaking, body piercings take six to eight weeks to heal, and should be cleaned two to four times each day during that time, and at least once per day thereafter. Properly cleaning and caring for your new piercing will reduce healing time, reduce the chance of infection, and prolong the life of the piercing.

There are several products available that were developed specifically for piercing aftercare. The most popular of these is a product called H2Ocean, which is a full line of piercing and tattoo aftercare products. Other commonly used antiseptics are often recommended, such as peroxide and alcohol. There are strong opinions in the piercing community when it comes to using rubbing alcohol on a new piercing. While it undoubtedly kills bacteria and effectively cleans the piercing, some artists believe that it may be too drying to the skin, resulting in unnecessary scarring. The simplest and most widely recommended solution other than the products specifically designed for this purpose is to dilute iodized sea salt in distilled water at a ratio of one tablespoon of sea salt to one ounce of distilled water. The iodine and natural minerals in the sea salt help the wound to heal quickly and kill bacteria. It is important to note that distilled water MUST be used, not tap water, as tap water often has fluoride, minerals, and bacteria that are unhealthy to enter an open wound on a regular basis.

When cleaning a fresh piercing, first liberally wet a cotton ball, cotton swab, or other clean, soft cloth with whatever solution is being used for the purpose. Allow the solution to sit on the piercing for a moment. This will dissolve the scabs that are likely to have formed and loosen them so that they come off easily when rubbed with the cloth. Replace soiled cloths as necessary. When the scabs around the jewelry have been removed, ensure that the jewelry is wet with the solution and slide it back and forth through the channel in the skin several times, cleaning it with the cloth and solution as necessary. Check to be sure that the ball(s) are properly tightened to prevent losing them, the jewelry, or both. If a piercing comes out prematurely, it is likely that it will be necessary to re-pierce it. This should only be done by a qualified professional, due to the nature and inherent dangers of body piercing and the natural healing processes of the human body.

In the case of the ever popular tongue piercing, other precautions should be taken. For the first hour or two after getting a tongue piercing, smoking is strictly contraindicated, due to the possibility that the chemicals in cigarette smoke can cause “dry socket” similar to when a tooth is pulled, causing infection, pain, and irritation. For 24 hours after the piercing, performing oral sex is also strictly contraindicated, due to the increased risk of infection and pain. During the first two to three days, swelling and pain may be present. These may be reduced by drinking cold drinks and using ice on the affected area sparingly. During the first two to three weeks after the piercing, swish generously before and after eating, smoking, kissing, and performing oral sex with either a product specifically designed for oral piercings, or a mouthwash that is low in alcohol. If these are not available, dilute Listerine with distilled water on a 1:1 ratio.

Genital piercings are considerably more sensitive and prone to infection than other body piercings. Sub-dermal implants are also a special class of piercing requiring special after care. The most common infection to occur in any body piercing is an abscess, or an infection within the piercing. When this occurs, many people think that the best course of action is to remove the jewelry. This is in fact the worst possible course of action, as the body will then heal the holes the jewelry had been keeping open, which seals the infection inside the body with no way to escape. The best course of action in any case is to consult the artist and follow his or her aftercare instructions to the letter.

Properly caring for a new tattoo is necessary to keep the ink bright and the details vivid. After your tattoo is finished, the artist will clean and lubricate it with his or her own preferred aftercare crème and may loosely tape some non-stick gauze over the tattoo. This is to keep bacteria and dirt out while still allowing the skin to breathe, which will facilitate the healing process.

The first twenty four hours are simple…do NOTHING. You may wish to remove the bandage after two to four hours, and this is fine, but other than that, keep contact with the fresh ink to a minimum.

After that, and for the one to three weeks following, only anti-bacterial soap, free of dyes and perfumes should be used to clean the area. Do this gently, with a soft cloth, not more than twice a day. Be sure to dry the area thoroughly with a clean, soft cloth immediately after every washing.

After washing and thoroughly washing and drying the area, and whenever necessary, lubricate the area with whatever aftercare product the artist is most familiar and comfortable with. The goal of aftercare, regardless of what product is used, is to facilitate healing, prevent infection, and set the ink. Basically, keeping the area clean and moisturized while allowing it to heal. DO NOT scratch at a fresh tattoo. The scabs that will soon form are connected to the ink just below the surface. Removing the scab removes the ink, causing a blotchy or spotted tattoo. A fresh tattoo WILL itch, as this is the natural result of the body’s healing process. When the tattoo itches, slap the skin several times until the itch subsides.

There are several lines of products designed specifically for tattoo aftercare, the two most popular being H2Ocean and Inkfixx. There are also several over the counter products which are readily available at any drug store that are commonly used in tattoo aftercare. This is a touchy subject with many artists, as each has his or her STRONG opinion on what is best and worst for a tattoo. One such commonly debated subject is the use of Neosporin (or Bacitracin, another commonly used name) for aftercare of tattoos. Some artists swear by it and others swear that it is the worst possible thing to use for a tattoo. Other recommended drugstore finds include Vaseline, A&D Ointment, and deep penetrating healing lotions (such as Gold Bond Ultimate Healing or Jergens Ultimate Moisture). Each has its benefits as well as its downfalls. Vaseline, for example, moisturizes the skin and makes it very pliable, but it is messy and tends to wear off quickly, usually all over whatever clothing is covering the area. Further, irritants such as bugs, lint, dust, and dirt, like to stick to it if it is not covered by clothing. A&D Ointment is thicker and stays on longer, however, it also tends to block the ink in the skin, causing the ink to “bleed” or “run” longer than usual. This has no affect on actual healing time; it just looks like it’s taking longer than necessary. The lotions are usually not strong enough or too irritating to the skin to be used during the first week, but are usually wonderful after that. Keep cleaning the tattoo twice daily and moisturizing the tattoo several times daily until all scabs fall off and the skin no longer feels tight and itchy.

I have several tattoos and my personal favorite regimen is to use A&D ointment each time I moisturize the tattoo for the first three days, being careful not to exceed three uses per day. Day four through seven, I use A&D Ointment immediately after washing and drying the tattoo, and Gold Bond Ultimate Healing Lotion several times throughout the day. On days eight through whenever the tattoo is completely healed, I skip the A&D Ointment, using the Gold Bond instead, unless the skin feels especially dry or irritated.

Piercing, or tattoo, big, or small, the basic idea is simple – keep the affected area clean and dry, and the art will come out beautifully in the end.  Always follow the artist’s aftercare instructions, and feel free to consult him or her with any concerns or questions that develop along the way.  The artist would rather have a silly sounding phone call than an angry patron who is permanently scarred for life because of some small oversight or miscommunication in regards to aftercare.  It is easier, less painful, and less costly to prevent a problem in the piercing or tattooing realm than it is to fix it.