First and foremost, you should make sure to listen closely to your tattoo artist’s aftercare instructions. This can be especially important if you’re getting more traditional old-school tattoo techniques such as hand poking, rake-and-strike, or Tebori. Different methods of ink infusion into and under your skin can call for very different aftercare instructions. For more common forms of tattoos, the general rule of thumb is to moisturize regularly. The key is to keep your healing tattoo from drying out (which can lead to scabs and scars). After your initial dressing comes off — which can vary depending on whether your artist chooses gauze, plastic wrap, or possibly even a ‘second skin’ style adhesive immediately after finishing your tattoo — make sure to clean and dry the area before applying moisturizer.
After that, you should plan on washing and drying your tattoo at least once or twice a day during the healing process, making sure to moisturize the area only when your tattoo has dried. If you live in a drier climate or at a higher elevation you will more than likely need to apply lotion more consistently than someone in a humid climate. Not only can moisturizing help you survive the peeling stage, but as the healing process progresses, regular moisturizing can also help to relieve the inevitable itching that accompanies tattoo healing. Make sure to pay close attention to your skin to keep track of whether you should moisturize more or less frequently.
