How to Take Care of Your New Tattoo

Recently, we reached out to artists and collectors alike in order to improve our aftercare instructions. Some of the responses were extremely helpful, and even those that weren't helpful were supportive of rewriting the aftercare instructions we had posted. After careful consideration and a lot of thought, here are the new tattoo aftercare instructions we came up with... In order to try and avoid offending any of the people who contributed to this effort, we started things off with the most important part of caring for your new tattoo- LISTEN TO YOUR ARTIST!!!

Tattoo Aftercare

Your artist will give you aftercare instructions which may vary depending on what kind of tattoo you get and the area you have tattooed. Your artist is familiar with their work and the healing process, so by all means, follow those instructions as closely as you can.

In general, there are a few guidelines you should follow:

• Leave the bandage on for at least an hour, or until you are able to wash the area you just got tattooed. This helps remove any excess blood and allow your skin to start healing without unnecessary exposure.
• Most importantly during the healing process, you want to keep your tattoo clean. It's a shame to see people spend their hard earned money on a tattoo, only to have it ruined with an infection. As long as you visit one of Guam's licensed tattoo studios, you are in the hands of a professional tattoo artist who abides by the rules and regulations set forth by Public Health's Division of Environmental Health. The first step to preventing infection is getting your tattoo in a clean environment.
• When you wash your tattoo, lather your hand with soap and wash the area with your fingers with warm water. Excessive scrubbing can cause unwanted damage to your new tattoo, and it is painful to do so. Your tattoo will feel slippery when you wash it, and once that slippery feeling is gone, your tattoo is clean. Pat it dry with a clean towel and allow it to air dry for 10-15 minutes to remove any additional moisture before applying ointment or other aftercare products.
• For the first few days (usually 3), apply ointment to the tattoo. This goes a long way toward preventing infection, and A+D ointment or a similar tattoo aftercare product is perfect for this. After the first 3 days, it is best to let your tattoo breathe. Switch from ointment to an unscented moisturizing lotion for the remainder of the healing process. Some peeling is normal during this stage, so that is nothing to worry about. It will itch as well, and that is a good indicator that your tattoo is drying out. Instead of scratching it, apply some lotion to the area and that should help relieve the itching. It is important to wash your hands before applying your aftercare product!! Your tattoo is still healing, and it is best to be safe.
• If there is any scabbing, just leave it alone. Do not pick at it or remove the scab prematurely.
• During the healing process, avoid swimming and prolonged sun exposure. In general, anything that irritates your tattoo is not helping the healing process.

***As many tattoos as your friend may have, he/she does not know better than your artist!! If they tell you anything contrary to what your artist says, do not take their advice!***

In the long term, there are things you can do to help your tattoo stay in top shape. Generally, healthy skin equals a lifetime of good looking tattoos. Avoid letting your skin get too dry for long periods of time, and use sunblock when going out in the sun. Especially here on Guam, it's hard to avoid the beach... There is no reason you have to sacrifice the quality of your tattoo if you are going to enjoy the island's natural beauty!

We will still be taking comments and suggestions for a little while longer, but you can expect the aftercare portion of our menu at the top to be updated soon. Thank you to everyone who provide input so far!!