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One of the most important things you can do now that your tattoo artist has given you an awesome tattoo is to take care of it properly. It is likely that the tattoo artist applied a coat of ointment and some sort of covering to protect the area of the skin that was recently tattooed. This is to protect the affected area from any initial airborne infection. Beyond this point you should not need to apply anything yourself other than basic skincare.
At minimum, keep the covering on for 1 hour after leaving the tattoo studio, but preferably keep this on overnight. The next day you can remove the applied covering. Keep in mind that a tattoo would clinically be categorized as an abrasion therefore the following steps should be taken to assist in the healing process:
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lightly rinse the area with soap and water: if this is being done while showering, try not to allow a direct water spray on the tattooed area. Lather the soap with your hands and gently apply the lather to the entire area. If this is the initial rinsing you should do just enough to completely remove any ointment applied. From there let water run over the area until any soapy solution has been rinsed away.
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gently pat dry the area: as opposed to rubbing dry the tattooed area, lay the towel over the area and gently pat until dry.
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lotion the area to assist the skin in keeping hydrated: gently apply a thin layer of lotion over the tattoo (Curel's fragrance free lotion works well). You will want to avoid anything too fancy here as some lotions have other additives that might not help in the healing process.
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repeat this process until the area has healed completely: this process may take up to 14 days after the tattoo was applied. Your efforts here will make sure your tattoo is as beautiful as intended for years to come.
In addition to these immediate steps to help heal, below are some items to watch out for during this process:
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