Tattoo aftercare advice varies wildly between studios and online sources, and some commonly repeated advice is more folklore than evidence-based healing guidance.
Keeping a fresh tattoo clean with gentle, fragrance-free cleanser and appropriately moisturized with a thin layer of fragrance-free lotion or balm is broadly supported across professional aftercare guidance, since both excessive dryness and excessive moisture can interfere with proper healing.
Avoiding sun exposure and swimming in pools or natural bodies of water during the initial healing period is widely recommended, since both UV exposure and prolonged water exposure or contaminated water can interfere with healing or introduce infection risk.
Some folk remedies — certain home recipes -based ointments, for instance — lack supporting evidence and in some cases may irritate healing skin rather than help it. When in doubt, the aftercare instructions provided by your specific artist, who has direct experience with their own ink and technique, are generally the most relevant starting guidance.