GGD Hygiene guidelines for tattooing:
It takes approximately a week for a tattoo to heal. General health and physical fitness play an important role in this. During the healing process it's possible for the tattoo to itch. Personal hygiene during the healing time of the tattoo is absolutely necessary. Directly after tattooing, the tattoo will be hedged with wound spray, a sterile compress or a sterile adhesive transparent foil. After a few hours you can remove the sterile compress or transparent foil and treat the tattoo as described below. You should leave the wound spray or adhesive foil until the wound is healed (3 – 6 days). You can take a shower with the spray or foil. The spray will wear off eventually. If exudates arises, the foil might fall off earlier. In this case, treat the tattoo as below:

• Try to avoid touching the tattoo with your hands.
• Wash the tattooed area twice a day with a mild unscented soap until the tattoo wound has healed.
• Carefully dab the tattoo dry with a clean towel or a tissue after washing.
• Rub the tattoo in, if desired (with washed, clean hands) with the ointment your tattoo artist provided you with. Do not use other ointments and do not let anyone else use your ointment.
• Do not use wound disinfectants, such as Sterilon® or Betadine® on the wound.
• Do not wear plasters or bandage on the tattoo.
• Do not wear tight or dirty clothes on the tattoo.
• Avoid swimming water during the healing process, such as chlorine pools, whirlpools and natural swimming water. Also try to avoid the use of sauna’s and steam rooms.
• Do not expose your tattoo to the sun, or tanning bed. Not even with sun protection. After the tattoo has healed you should always apply high sun protection on your tattoo.
• Ask your general practitioner for advice if redness, swelling, bleeding, pussing, exucation, discolouring of the wound or pain arise.