How to take care of your new tattoo

Wash your hands well before touching your tattoo.
After removing bandage and plastic, wash your tattoo and surrounding area with warm water and mild soap (pH nutral preferred and fragrance free).
If bandage sticks to your tattoo soak it in warm water until it falls off.
Pat it dry with single use paper towels, until your tattoo is completely healed.(DO NOT RUB)
Apply a thin layer of the cream provided by your tattoo artist. (e.g. Panthenol Plus, Panthenols tattoo cream).
Do this (wash tattoo and apply cream) 3-4 times a day to keep tattoo from drying out.
After 3 days, depending on the rate of healing, switch to a high quality fragrance free lotion (e.g. Bepanthene, Aveeno, Eucerin). Keep skin moist,not wet.
Tattoo will "peel" in about one week. This is normal. It will look like color is coming off. It isn't. It is simply dead skin shedding itself. Your fresh tattoo will be underneath.
If the area around the tattoo becomes more and more red, discontinue lotion, let tattoo dry out, and wash with an antibacterial soap and water 3 times daily.
In the event of an infection of the tattoo, consult with your physician.

DO NOT:

Do NOT re-bandage tattoo. Only do so if you are going to sleep (so the tattoo doesn't stick to your clothes), or if you have to be in a dirty environment e.g. dust,dirt (so you protect your tattoo from contamination and possible infection).
Do NOT apply alcohol, peroxide, or betadine to tattoo.
Do NOT rub, pick or scratch your tattoo.

Do not expose tattoo to sunlight for at least 2 weeks.
Do not soak in bathtub, hot tub, sea water, lakes or pools for 2 weeks. Showers are ok.