Leave the bandage on your tattoo overnight. Your artist will cover your new ink with a thick layer of A&D ointment or petroleum jelly and tape a piece of plastic wrap or a non-stick pad on top. This helps to seal the tattoo and keep dirt and bacteria from getting into it in the first hours of its life.
Remove the bandage in the morning. Lather a dime-sized amount of fragrance-free antibacterial soap in your hands and gently wash the ointment off your tattoo with your fingertips. Rinse your skin with warm water and pat your tattoo dry with a clean paper towel.
Rub a thin layer of vitamin A&D ointment onto your tattoo. You can also use a tattoo healing ointment recommended by your artist; some artists sell ointment in their shops. The important thing is to leave the tattoo moisturized but not sticky.
Switch to fragrance-free lotion for sensitive skin after four days. Your tattoo will begin to scab and flake off. The flakes will be the same color as the ink; this is normal. Continue to wash your tattoo with antibacterial soap and moisturize your skin with lotion two to three times a day. Resist the urge to pick at the scabs.
Avoid sun exposure for the first two weeks after getting your new tattoo. Once the tattoo is completely healed and no longer shiny, cover it with sunscreen before sun exposure. Sun fades tattoos quickly.