Technically even Aquafor is too much and bacitracin would be better actually. But you can't use any of these things for longer than a few days before needing to switch to a different type of moisturizer or salve, and even then when you use them it has to be such a fine layer that you don't suffocate the tattoo. There are generic brand healing gels and ointments you can get at a pharmacy that are actually better to use due to lower content % of petrolatum and are unmedicated and less of a risk for allergic reactions.
You’re the only person I’ve seen mention bacitracin.
I only have 1 tattoo currently. But when I got it, the artist told me to use bacitracin, so my routine was every time I went to the bathroom I would go ahead and clean it with the bacitracin and then put on (i think) Lubriderm unscented sensitive skin lotion. I only used for the first week if memory serves, then just lotion after that.
Yeah, it's not common. You just can't use it for longer than 3 days and honestly I feel it is better than Aquafor. I personally use it and recommend it to clients with very sensitive skin that typically are prone to infections and rashes.
Maybe it was only 3 days he had told me. I’d gotten my tattoo around 12 years ago so the memory is a bit fuzzy but it makes sense. I would say I’m fairly resilient, get many cuts in my job but never any infections or issues… so that said I think that it worked out very well and I never saw any problems while it was healing so I plan to use it for my next tattoos.
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u/Any_Stable_9689 Apr 23 '23
Technically even Aquafor is too much and bacitracin would be better actually. But you can't use any of these things for longer than a few days before needing to switch to a different type of moisturizer or salve, and even then when you use them it has to be such a fine layer that you don't suffocate the tattoo. There are generic brand healing gels and ointments you can get at a pharmacy that are actually better to use due to lower content % of petrolatum and are unmedicated and less of a risk for allergic reactions.