Before we say anything about "aftercare" let's talk about before you get your tattoo. Make sure you're going to a respected tattoo artist with a good understanding of hygiene and it's importance in the tattoo shop.

When your tattoo artist of choice has completed your tattoo, he or she will bandage your tattoo. Leave the bandage in place as to keep any air-born bacteria from landing on your tattoo area, which at this point is an open wound. It's probably best to leave the bandage in place a few hours at minimum. You'll be urged to show everyone and their dog your new tattoo but you really need to keep it covered in the beginning. Hopefully your artist is using medical gauze pads. We aren't big fans of Saran wrap.

After your skin has calmed down from all the needle excitement, you can remove the bandage. When you do, it's a good idea to lightly clean your tattoo. Use lukewarm water and a very mild antibacterial soap. Nothing too strong when it comes to the soap! Just use your hand (no towels) to lightly clean the area.

Be sure to pat-dry your tattoo with a clean towel or clean paper towel. After you've got the tattoo area completely dry, use a light sheen of A&D ointment for the next 5 days or so.

After 4 or 5 days you can use lotion to keep your tattoo maintained. It's best not to use a heavily dyed or fragrant lotion.

After a while you may notice some skin peeling and maybe some slight scabbing. A little scabbing is not bad, obviously the least amount of scabbing is best. The A&D Ointment and lotion should keep scabbing to a bare minimum.

If your tattoo itches, DON'T PICK AT IT, DON'T SCRATCH IT. It sometimes helps to slap your tattoo a bit if the itching is drving you crazy.

It's a good idea to protect your tattoo from the harmful UV rays of the sun. Use a minimum 30 spf sunblock. This will help keep your tattoo ink bright and vibrant.