Best tattoo care for old and new tattoos

Tattoos are a very unique and personal way to distinguish yourself. And usually, you will have them for life. And then it is very important to take good care of your tattoos of course.

That means tattoo care the first 48 hours, but also when you already have them for a while. Older tattoos can lose some color and start to fade, but with proper tattoo care you can keep your tattoos in great shape longer. That is why I wrote this blog post, so that you know the best care for your precious tattoos.

Tattoo care for new tattoos

After care for your tattoo is very important, especially when you just got it. It takes the most effort then, because your skin needs to heal and you do not want to damage your tattoo.

Usually your tattoo shop will put some ointment on it and a bandage before you leave. It is best to keep the bandage on for about 24 hours before removing it.

When you take off the bandage, it is important to clean your tattoo properly and keep it hydrated. Wash your tattoo twice per day with water and a tattoo wash or a antibacterial soap. Pat-dry your skin gently afterwards.

When your skin is dry, then it is best to apply a good lotion, like vaseline, or a tattoo lotion, for example. In the Moquer shop we have multiple products that have been manufactured to provide you with the best tattoo care.

Tattoo care products for men

It is also very important to stay out of the sun for the first two weeks and you should also not go swimming. Wait with these activities and repeat the steps mentioned above for at least 2 weeks ,and preferably 4 weeks, for the best tattoo care routine.

What you should and should not do with (new) tattoos

What should you do with new tattoos to expediate the healing process and keep your tattoos in great shape? There are multiple things to keep an eye on.

This is what you should do when having new ink:

1. Stay hydrated, so use tattoo lotion or Vaseline frequently.
2. Wear clothes that will not stick to your tattoo.
3. Make sure you clean your tattoo twice per day with a tattoo wash or antibacterial soap.

This is what you should not do with new tattoos:

1. Do not scratch or peel the scabs. This can cause an infection and even effect the brightness of the color.
2. Do not go into the sun without any sunscreen. Apply at least sunscreen with SPF 40-50 on your tattoos. It is even better to cover up your tattoo when you are going to spend a long time outside into the sun.
3. A final thing that you should not do, is showering with very hot water. That also does not help your tattoo and the color of it.

Tattoo care for older tattoos

Perhaps you already got your beautiful tattoos some years ago and now you want to make them a bit more vivid and bright again.

It is the harsh reality that tattoos do fade over time and you cannot stop that. Especially tattoos on your hands and other parts on your body that deal with the elements more often, will fade quicker.

What can you do to make your older tattoos brighter and more colorful again?

1.      If you have not been using a good moisturizer or tattoo lotion for a while, then that is a first step to reboot your tattoo care again. Hydration is very important for your skin, so also for your tattoos. A better hydrated skin will lead to brighter colors and refreshed tattoos.

2.       In addition to step one, it is also important to take great care of yourself in general. Smoking, too much alcohol and bad food are all bad for you skin, so also bad for your ink. It is also very important to drink plenty of water to hydrate your skin from the inside out.

3.      Even when your tattoo is not new and everything has healed properly, you still need to use sunscreen or a moisturizer or body lotion with proper SPF.

4.       Exfoliating your skin is also part of a healthy tattoo care routine. Scrubbing is not bad for your tattoos, because we are talking about different skin layers. A body scrub helps to remove dead kin cells and dirt that can cause skin infections.

5.       Trying to keep your weight within an acceptable range is also helpful. Skin is the largest organ of the body, so it will stretch with you and so will your tattoo. Monitoring your weight is not only good for your ink, but also for your health in general of course.

What if tattoo care alone is not enough?

How much your tattoo fades over the years is personal and when you notice that hydration with a tattoo lotion or Vaseline is not sufficient enough, you could look into more drastic solutions.

Touching up your tattoo

Every ten years you can have your tattoos touch-up to make them more colorful and bright again. A good tattoo studio can do this for you and then you will be able to enjoy your tattoo again for years to come before potentially touching them up again.

Laser treatment

A more drastic solution is to laser your tattoo away. When your tattoo really does not look that great anymore or when you just do not like it anymore, you could choose to laser it away.

Always talk with your dermatologist before considering this, because it is not an easy decision. The result is almost never perfect and you sometimes will see that your skin texture is different as well, after treatment.

Conclusion

Tattoos are very unique and personal. That is why it is so important to have a proper tattoo care routine to keep them bright and colorful as long as possible. Luckily there are products available that can help with that. In the Moquer shop we have a couple of them, including a tattoo care kit.

If none of these things help, then there are other solutions to consider, but with a proper tattoo care routine you will get pretty far already. It is a matter of maintenance mostly.

And then this...

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