Abstract
ABSTRACT: Permanent skin tattoos are becoming increasingly more common in today's society and culture. As tattoos become more prevalent in the mainstream, healthcare professionals need to understand how to properly care for tattoos, and this understanding will not occur without more available research into the subject of tattoo aftercare. The purpose of this study was to investigate tattoo aftercare methods by interviewing experts in this field, tattoo artists. The data analysis revealed the most recommended tattoo aftercare methods included the use of antibacterial soap and petroleum-based or unscented lotion two to three times a day. More than half of the participants recommended no dressings and leaving the tattoo open to air to heal, and almost a third of the participants recommended an unscented petroleum-based product for moisture during tattoo healing. Many participants stated the source of their knowledge to be trial and error or from directions passed to them from other artists. From this study, it was also discovered that there is a lack of instruction concerning proper aftercare hygiene with 12% of participants providing only verbal instructions to their clients, forcing clients to rely on remembering aftercare instructions.