Staying healthy (23)
- Vaccines for adults: Which do you need?
- Medical history: Compiling your medical family tree
- Hand-washing: Do's and don'ts
- see all in Staying healthy
Dental care (7)
- Oral health: A window to your overall health
- Oral health: Brush up on dental care basics
- Calcium and calcium supplements: Achieving the right balance
- see all in Dental care
Skin care (15)
- Sunless tanning: A safe alternative to sunbathing
- Tattoos: Understand risks and precautions
- Piercings: How to prevent complications
- see all in Skin care
Nail care (1)
- Fingernails: Do's and don'ts for healthy nails
Eye care (9)
- Contact lenses: What to know before you buy
- Eye injury: Tips to protect vision
- Eye exam
- see all in Eye care
Sleep (7)
- Sleep aids: Understand over-the-counter options
- Sleep tips: 7 steps to better sleep
- Napping: Do's and don'ts for healthy adults
- see all in Sleep
Mental health (10)
- Mental health: What's normal, what's not
- Anger management: 10 tips to tame your temper
- Denial: When it helps, when it hurts
- see all in Mental health
Healthy relationships (9)
- Infidelity: Mending your marriage after an affair
- Domestic violence against men: Know the signs
- Domestic violence against women: Recognize patterns, seek help
- see all in Healthy relationships
Healthy at work (12)
- Workplace exercises: How to burn calories at work
- Desk stretches: How-to video collection
- Travel workout: Fitness tips for business travelers
- see all in Healthy at work
About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
continued:
Tattoos: Understand risks and precautions
Insist on safety precautions
To make sure your tattoo will be applied safely, answer these questions:
- Who does the tattooing? Go to a reputable tattooing studio that employs only properly trained employees. Keep in mind that regulation requirements and licensing standards vary from state to state. Check with your city, county or state health department for information on local licensing and regulations.
- Does the tattoo artist wear gloves? Make sure the tattoo artist washes his or her hands and wears a fresh pair of protective gloves for each procedure.
- Does the tattoo artist use proper equipment? Make sure the tattoo artist removes a needle and tubes from sealed packages before your procedure begins. Any pigments, trays and containers should be unused as well.
- Does the tattoo artist sterilize nondisposable equipment? Make sure the tattoo artist uses a heat sterilization machine (autoclave) to sterilize all nondisposable equipment after each customer. Instruments and supplies that can't be sterilized with an autoclave — including drawer handles, tables and sinks — should be disinfected with a commercial disinfectant or bleach solution after each use.
Also ask yourself whether you truly want to invest in permanent body art. Choose the location of the tattoo carefully. Don't get a tattoo if you're under the influence of alcohol or drugs or worry that you might regret the tattoo later.
Take good care of your tattoo
How you care for your new tattoo depends on the type and extent of work done. Typically, however, you'll need to:
- Remove the bandage after 24 hours. Apply an antibiotic ointment to the tattooed skin while it's healing.
- Keep the tattooed skin clean. Use plain soap and water and a gentle touch. Pat — don't rub — the area dry.
- Use moisturizer. Apply a mild moisturizer to the tattooed skin several times a day.
- Avoid sun exposure. Keep the tattooed area out of the sun for at least a few weeks.
- Choose clothing carefully. Don't wear anything that would stick to the tattoo.
- Allow up to 2 weeks for healing. Don't pick at any scabs, which increases the risk of infection and can damage the design and cause scarring.
If you think your tattoo may be infected or you're concerned that your tattoo isn't healing properly, contact your doctor. If you're interested in tattoo removal, ask your dermatologist about laser surgery or other options for tattoo removal.
Previous page(2 of 2)
- Schmidt RM, et al. Tattooing and body piercing. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 29, 2009.
- DeBoer S, et al. Puncturing myths about body piercing and tattooing. Nursing. 2008;38:50.
- Braverman PK. Body art: Piercing, tattooing, and scarification. Adolescent Medicine Clinics. 2006;17:505.
- Do's and don'ts when considering tattoos or piercings. American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. http://www.asds.net/_ConsumerPage.aspx?id=912&terms=body+piercing. Accessed Oct. 29, 2009.
- Tattoos and permanent makeup. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/ProductandIngredientSafety/ProductInformation/ucm108530.htm. Accessed Oct. 29, 2009.
Find Mayo Clinic on