How do you heal an infected tattoo?

There is no sure-fire fast way to speed up the healing process of a tattoo. The way a tattoo heals is a result of a few different things. First off, make sure your tattoo artist properly bandages your tattoo immediately after you are finished. Bacitracin ointment, saran wrap and medical tape are the most commonly recommended methods of wrapping. It is recommended that the bandage remain on the tattoo overnight, this helps prevent the tattoo from drying out, which can set the tone for how the healing process goes. Once you remove the bandage, its recommended that a mild, anti-bacterial soap is used. 'Dial Gold' hand soap is most recommended and affective. Wash the tattoo for 20 to 30 seconds and rinse with warm water. Make sure to pat dry with a towel, do not rub the tattoo. Apply a non-alcohol, un-dyed, non-fragance based lotion. It's most recommended that professional aftercare lotions are used, examples are H2Ocean and AfterInked. If you do not have access to these kinds of aftercare products, lotions like Lubriderm work just fine. Repeat the washing process and lotion application every couple hours, or as needed if you notice the tattoo drying out. It is also important to resist the urge to pick, scratch or pull on your new tattoo. This can not only slow down the healing process but it can permanently damage your skin and your new tattoo. Finally and most importantly, make sure your tattoo artist is communicative and knowledgable about aftercare. Its important that you feel you can address any concerns or questions you may have with your artist, if you don't think you are healing correctly, your artist should be more than willing to take a look.