No, this picture is NOT me. Almost two years ago, I wrote an article on Metal Martyr called “So You Want T0 Get A Tattoo“? I recently got an old, bad tattoo covered because I just didn’t think it would flow well with my new place of employment. No, it wasn’t a gang related tattoo or anything like that. It just wasn’t a good tattoo and I’ve been wanting to cover it for years anyway. I got the tattoo covered last Tuesday and it has been the fastest healing tattoo I have ever had. Not only that, but it was a lot of ink and fairly large. I got to wondering why it would heal faster than any other tattoo that I have had and the answer was quite simple. I’ll get to that in a bit. Here are the basics that I set down before. After that, I set down some very basic tattoo care tips.

First thing you need to think of before you impulsively get any tattoo is to remember that it’s permanent. Sure they have methods of removing tats these days but they are expensive and more often than not take several treatments to remove.

Research the tat. Many tattoos have meanings and even links to extremist groups such as neo-nazi skinheads. It may look cool, but if you find yourself incarcerated for some petty crime, it just may get you hurt badly, killed or worst case scenario…butt-raped!

Location, location, location. When you get a tattoo usually your first thought is that you want it somewhere where everyone can see it. Employers are not too keen on visible tattoos. Tattoos on the face or hands are not easily covered and can be an immediate turn down for employment. Guys, don’t get a tat on your lower back (you’ve seen the T-Mobile commercials) and ladies, this is often called a “tramp stamp”, so make it pretty.

Make sure that you get your tattoo by a professional in a clean shop. Dirty needles can cause infections and disease. As they say, good tattoos are not cheap and cheap tattoos are not good.

Lastly, think about this: How is this tattoo going to look when I’m 50 years old and what your grand-kids might think when they see some topless pin-up girl on your forearm.

So there you have some basic things to strictly think about before getting a tattoo. Do what you like but think about the big picture before you get an inverted cross tattoo’d on your chin. Here are a few tips you may follow in order to make the healing process of your tattoo go smoothly and keep it as fresh and crisp looking as possible. I’m not an expert but this stuff works and most tattoo shops will give you a care sheet with most of the same tips.

• Do not cover the tattoo with a bandage after the initial packaging that the artist may have done. Leave his cover on there for about two hours and then remove it. You will be sore and maybe a bit swollen, depending on how large the tattoo is. Gently wash away any blood with a mild antibacterial soap, using your hands. Do not use a loofa, washcloth, etc.
• A&D Ointment. Some people say that you can use just about any non-alcohol based skin lotion. True, but just about every lotion you buy has some type of alcohol in it. Neosporin and Bacitracin have been black labeled by a lot of tattoo artists as they can sometimes draw some ink out. A&D Ointment can be bought at just about any drug store and is pretty cheap. You tattoo artists might even sell it. It’s all natural and contains no alcohol.  Use this about 5 times a day on your tattoo for about two weeks and all should be well. Make sure you wash the area with a mild antibacterial soap, gently, washing away the old ointment residue using the same way from the first tip. Pat the tattoo dry and spread a thin layer of A&D on to the tattoo being very gentle. This is the first tattoo I have used A7D ointment on and it works wonders.
• Your tattoo may itch during the healing process. Do not scratch it. It may also scab up a little. If it scabs up a lot, be very careful not to pick or pull the scab away. Let your body heal. Too much scabbing may be a sign that it is not being cleaned well enough and scarring may occur from large scabs.
• Avoid prolonged direct sunlight and prolonged soaking of the tattoo while swimming, bathing, etc, especially in Salt water like the ocean.
• Lastly, this is something I was never told, but is very important. This is my own personal suggestion and not an expert opinion, but I believe it helps a lot. Protein plays a large factor in cell repair and skin health. Unless you eat really healthy and get plenty of protein, I suggest finding a way to supplement your protein intake. If you take a protein supplement, continue to do so. If not, eat a protein bar or buy some cheap protein shake mix. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy and expensive with all sorts of added creatine or anything like that. Just a basic whey protein mix.

You’re going to have this tattoo for a long time and you are going to want it to look as good as possible. Take care of it. The first few days and/or during the healing process, the tattoo may look as if it’s fading a little. This is natural and once it heals it will look much better. Follow these tips and do a little research of your own and your tattoo will look great through time. Just remember; any tattoo is going to fade a little over time. It may be on your body permanently, but like everything else, it’s going to age too.