How To Clean A Tattoo

How To Clean A Tattoo. So after some deep soul searching and research you finally found that perfect tattoo design and the tattoo artist to make it happen. What matters now is how you handle your tattoo over the next few months because good tattoo aftercare is extremely important. Cleaning your tattoo is one of the most important jobs you need to get right during your healing process. Follow the steps below to ensure that you clean your tattoo in right manner to promote quick healing and prevent infection.

Steps for cleaning & care of a tattoo

Step 1: Wash your hands

Washing your hands is extremely important. Yes, this sounds like basic common sense but you would be surprised how many tattoos get botched up because someone didn’t wash their hands properly. Always use a good antibacterial soap to clean your hands thoroughly before touching the tattoo area. After washing your hands, use warm water to rinse the soap off before you proceed with the cleaning process. We recommend H2Ocean’s Blue Green Foam Soap which will help to reduce any excessive dryness with moisturizer.

Step 2: Wet the area

After cleaning your hands, run the tap until the water becomes lukewarm. Don’t make the mistake of making the water any warmer since the skin is very much sensitive and the warmer water may turn out to be painful. Warmer water may also open up your pores which could potentially cause the ink to be drawn from your skin. Don’t stick your tattoo right under the tap, instead cup the water with your hands and gently pour it on the tattooed area. You should then rub the water gently around the tattooed
area in a circular manner with your hand until the whole area becomes damp.

Step 3: Add soap

Once the area has been sufficiently dampened, rub soap onto the area using our fingers. We recommend H2Ocean’s Blue Green Foam Soap which is antibacterial, fragrance free, vegan friendly and is also a moisturizer. Never use a towel or wash cloth to scrub the tattooed area since the material is quite sensitive to your skin and is full of bacteria, use paper towels. Then use your hands to clean the tattoo for at least one month. Just in case the hardened pieces of ink doesn’t come off with gentle rubbing, don’t force it off, just leave it alone and it will come off over the next few days as you continue cleaning your tattoo.

Step 4: Rinse

Make sure that any excess soap doesn’t dry up over the area. Just use your hand to cup some more lukewarm water and wash away any soap that may be present over the area after you have gently cleaned the area. Don’t worry if you notice some ink coming off from the area as you wash, this is completely normal. The ink may come off over the first few days after you get your new tattoo.

Step 5: Dry the area

Once the cleaning is complete, you have to make sure that the area dries up. You can achieve this by gently pressing a paper towel onto the area or you could let the tattoo air-dry naturally. If you are using the paper towel to dry the area, be careful when pulling the paper towel away from the area since it may stick slightly over the area.

Step 6: Apply a lotion

Once the tattooed area is completely dry, use an ointment to aid in healing and hydrate the area. We recommend H2Ocean’s Aquatat Ointment which is designed to protect your new tattoo. Just apply a thin layer, just enough to cover the area. Repeat this 2-3 times a day.