Tattoo aftercare, so many contradictions on lotion used please advise?

all that Snake said i agree with i just used

Lubraderm unscented instead of the coco butter

Vaseline, the petroleum jelly does clog pores and suffocate the tattoo

all the ways work some just work alot better

Okay I have been tattooing for 10 years now and have heard many different ways of healing a new tattoo and used some and found one that works the best. I have been using it for about 3 years now and have never had any of my clients come back to me with a complaint... acctually quite the opposite... they come back and tell me that it was the best way and that they had no complications in their healing. After you get your tattoo you need to get some A&D ointment. It can be found at any pharmacy or grocery store. Use that for the first 2-3 days. After that you need to get Palmers lotion with cocoa butter and use that for the next 2 weeks. The cocoa butter is very easy on your skin and is great for it. Make sure you keep your tattoo moist at all times. Don't let it dry out. You see the thing with vasaline and petrolium jelly is that it creates a barrier between the air and your skin. your tattoo needs to be able to get air in order to heal. It also clogs your pores which is BAD. So get off of that stuff and go get some A&D and Palmers with cocoa butter. Trust me. Its amazing and your tattoo will heal and keep all of its color or black ink if thats what you have. Don't pick at it and dont rub it or scratch it... if your getting out of the shower pat it dry and if it itches tap it DONT SCRATCH! Good luck with your healing and if you ever get more tattoos use that stuff i told you about. I live by it and have healed most of my tattoos like that and they all look great.

I recently got a tattoo and was confused by all the different opinions as well. None the less, I followed my artists advice and washed my tattoo 2-3 times daily with and anti-bacterial soap, pat dry and applied a very thin layer of A&D ointment to it until it began heavily peeling. Then its all about keeping it moisturized! Don't use anything scented. and dont over do it because that can mess up your ink.

By following this my tattoo pretty much healed to perfection.

I used regular vaseline jelly on my tattoo and it turned out fine. My color hasn't faded and it's been over 5 years now. If it fades, it's probably because the tattoo artist used cheap ink or didn't inject the ink deep enough into the skin.

Every artist has their own recommendations. If your artist told you vaseline, then use that.

Personally, I like the petroleum jelly. However, for my first tat I used diaper rash creme, it's this thick stuff that comes in a tiny tin.

The whole point is to keep it moisturized. You want to look for a lotion that is scentless and won't irritate your skin. The concern is not moisturizing it and picking the scabs. Or using a scented lotion and irritating it.

With 20-odd tattoos between us, my partner and I have always used Bepanthen antiseptic cream. It's often used for nappy rash etc so can be found in the "babycare" section of most supermarkets. If not, definately a chemist. Keep out of the sun (preferably always, but at least till fully healed), wash with a mild soap and rinse well, apply Bepanthen in a thin layer and allow it to absorb. Good luck!

yeah use a&d ointment, it's a diaper rash cream but it works. i worked at a tattoo shop and know the drill. you can also get some stuff called tattoo goo but you can usually only get it at shops and it's more expensive. you can use a lotion, but make sure it is an unscented lotion or it's going to irritate your tattoo. but A&D is going to be your best bet.

unscented regular lotion works best.

All types of vasaline are bad, if the guy told you that and your tattoo looses ink, you should force him to redo it.

I have 10 and with every one I have used a&d ointment. not one of them has been dis-colored or faded from it.

A&D Ointment really works well..