New York's chicest tattoo artist breaks down the best tips

If you’ve never gotten a tattoo, the idea can be daunting: a needle poking into your skin repeatedly which can be, as you might expect, quite painful. However, in the end, it seems worth it—you’ve been left with a beautiful, possibly meaningful, piece of artwork on your body to remember forever. However, getting the tattoo is not the end of the process, but rather the beginning.

Post-tattoo care and maintenance are two vital pieces of the process in the following weeks—sometimes months—after. Without it, you could find yourself with scabbing, scarring, or even infection. Luckily, experienced tattoo artists like Mira Mariah, better known as Girl Knew York, are educating their clients on the best tattoo aftercare practices and products.

Immediately after, the area was still red and inflamed, which is normal. Technically, a new tattoo is still an open wound, so over the next three to four weeks, the priority is to keep the area clean and hydrated daily with fragrance-free products. Mariah recommends applying the Avène Cicalfate+ Hydrating Skin Recovery Emulsion several times a day for at least three weeks. The lightweight lotion not only hydrates the skin but has been proven effective following dermatological procedures and tattoos. The cream imbues the skin with common skincare ingredients like hyaluronic acid and niacinamide which help plump and soothe the skin, as well C+ - Restore, Avène’s trademark restorative ingredient that works to rebuild the skin’s barrier with a protein-rich formula.

Another point of concern is itching. As the inflammation of the tattoo dies down and the hair on the skin grows back in, it’s easy to want to scratch the area, but that will only lead to more complications. Instead, Mariah suggests Avène’s Thermal Spring Water, a product clinically proven to calm sensitive skin. “What you’re gonna do is spray [Avène Thermal Spring Water] on your tattoo. You can let it air dry or use a paper towel. And that should give you some relief.” You can also use the product to clean the tattoo.