Can You Put Neosporin on a Tattoo?

If you’re getting a tattoo for the first time, you’re probably researching proper Tattoo aftercare instructions to make sure your art stays healthy and vibrant. A very common question that often comes up is **does Neosporin Pull Ink out of Tattoos and Can You Put Neosporin on a Tattoo? **It’s a great question. Let’s first understand exactly what Neosporin is, and how it reacts to a fresh tattoo.

What is Neosporin?

Before **Using Neosporin on a tattoo, **you must know what the product is all about. Neosporin is known as a triple-antibiotic ointment as it minimizes the effect of infections over your skin. It helps to heal skin injuries and is a common household first aid-kit item. Neosporin contains neomycin, bacitracin, and polymyxin, hence the marketing behind “triple-antibiotic.”

The ointment is beneficial in treating skin infections that are due to cut, scrapes, scratches, and burns over the skin's surface. Neosporin accelerates the drying process of wounds faster than other products, which helps normal injuries scab and heal quicker.

Can You Use Neosporin on a Fresh Tattoo?

As **Tattoo aftercare** is a top concern for people that just got fresh ink, instead of considering Neosporin, it’s recommended you go with a well-known product specifically made for tattoo aftercare, like these tattoo ointments or these tattoo creams from your favorite tattoo aftercare company. ☺ Neosporin ointment is often too harsh on freshly tattooed skin, suffocates the open wound and  actually dries out your skin which leads to scabbing. When getting a new tattoo it’s important to keep your tattoo properly moisturized, but not over moisturized. Understanding How often to moisturize a tattoo is important for your tattoo to properly recover, and Neosporin does not provide the ideal level of moisture required.

If you use **Neosporin on a tattoo, **it won’t be able to breathe correctly, and the tattoo will be unable to absorb the necessary moisture it requires to recover properly. The triple antibiotic formula is too harsh for the fresh tattoo, when it is a critical time for the tattooed skin to get adequately hydrated.  Using proper tattoo aftercare creams and ointments won’t have you questioning when is my tattoo fully healed? You’ll know.

**Side Effects of Using Neosporin on New Tattoos **

If you are using Neosporin on a tattoo as a measure for Tattoo aftercare, you could potentially face some side effects, and it could harm your new piece! Some of the side effects of using Neosporin on new tattoos can include the following:

• Red bumps and rashes
  • The triple-antibiotic Neosporin can cause an allergic reaction to some skin types, and is NOT recommended to use it on a fresh tattoo. Another side effect that has been known to happen when using Neosporin on a fresh tattoo are red bumps or even hives. As the skin absorbs the heavy antibiotics, it could reject it, which can result in bumps that eventually affect the tattoo severely. These bumps are different than tattoo bubbling. If you want your tattoo to be healthy and beautiful you need to choose the best Tattoo ointments. Your tattoo artist should be able to provide you with some direction on proper Tattoo aftercare instructions
• Increased risk of infection
  • Another side effect of **Using Neosporin on a tattoo **is potentially increasing the chance of infection to the tattoo. As the skin needs oxygen and moisture to recover from the tattoo procedure, the suffocating component of Neosporin makes it choke out all air. This results in congestion of the skin with the tattoo, as a healthy tattoo recovery requires great ventilation. This condition can potentially lead to infection on the tattoo. Though Neosporin is used on different injuries to keep them safe from the potential infection, it can bring adverse effects when used as a Tattoo aftercare. As the jelly base creates a block to the skin for breathing freely.
  • Loss of color and scarring
    • It’s possible that the tattoo can start to lose its color. If the Neosporin causing your tattoo to scab, those scabs can get snagged off early and can actually pull out tattoo ink in the process. So, the use of Neosporin as Tattoo Aftercare can even lead to scar the tattoo in some cases. Keep in mind the tattoo takes a minimum of 1 weeks time to recover ~80% of the way.