Most people who decide to get a tattoo tend to worry only about the design and cost. What many take for granted, but should actually be one of the primary considerations before getting a tattoo, is the proper care and maintenance of a new tattoo. Attending to a new tattoo requires a lot of attention, so if you have neither the time nor the patience to care for your tattoo then you had best not get one at all. A tattoo is not like a sticker that you attach to your wall and then promptly forget about. Rather, it is a delicate wound that needs constant and gentle care until it heals enough to be left alone.

Making the commitment to take care of your tattoo properly is the necessary first step that you have to take even before you choose an artist and a design. Once you make this commitment, you should also make an effort to choose a good tattoo artist. The importance of choosing an artist carefully lies in the fact that the best tattoo artists ensure your safety at all times. They constantly clean the area being tattooed as they go along, and apply an antiseptic ointment as soon as the tattoo is finished. A bandage or soft tissue is then used to cover your wound in order to prevent dust and dirt from sticking to it.

An expert tattoo artist will also instruct you as to the proper care of your new tattoo, and some will even provide you with written instructions so you don't forget any of his instructions. If your tattoo artist does not freely give you these care and maintenance instructions, don't be afraid to ask. After all, it is your body, and you have every right to know how to take care of a tattoo that you paid for. One of the most important things to remember is to keep your tattoo dry for at least the first three days. But keeping your tattoo dry does not mean that you should not clean it. Quite the opposite, in fact. You should clean the wound and change the bandage at least twice each day. Keep your hands clean when doing so, in order to prevent infection.

In getting a tattoo, you usually take the time to choose the perfect design. You also take the time in choosing the right artist. Perhaps you may even have spent months saving up enough money to get the tattoo done. All of these efforts and all the money you spent will be wasted, however, if you do not take the proper care of your new tattoo. A tattoo deteriorates really fast unless it is properly taken care of. What's worse is that you may even have to spend more money if your tattoo becomes infected. So remember, before you take any other step towards fulfilling your dream of getting your very own tattoo, you have to make the commitment to take care of it first. More importantly, don't just make the commitment, but act on it!