TATTOO GOO

Are certain products better for tattoo care?

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1. Counselling Conundrum: a real question from a patient

2. Concise Conclusion: a straight-forward patient-friendly answer 

3. Quick Wrap-up 

Clearly, there are nuances that may not be captured in this format. The goal here is to provide you with helpful counselling tips which often draw from multiple sources or those which are not commonly accessed by busy healthcare providers serving the community.

Counselling Conundrum: "My tattoo artist recommended this expensive cream so that my tattoo heals properly. Do I have to use that stuff?"

Concise Conclusion: Simply put, what needs to be treated after a tattoo is the damage to your skin; just as in cases of dry/damaged skin or other. There is no reason to think a specific product is better. Apply any moisturizer whenever it feels dry and after cleansing, and cleanse at least twice daily with mild soap and water and pat dry.

Quick Wrap-up: Keep in mind it can take up to 4 weeks for tattoos to fully heal, and avoid scratching/sun exposure/swimming/hot tubs/tight clothing which could all further worsen that already underlying damage. Avoid any medicated topical products (i.e. with added antihistamines, steroids or antibiotics) as there's no data suggesting that these will help and they may even cause irritation. Refer patients with signs of infection/reactions, such as extensive redness, fever, pus, and so on to their providers.

Dive Deeper

1) Perm J. 2021 May 26;25:20.225

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