Aftercare
Tattoo artists have had to recommend a variety of products available from local drug stores. These products were intended to prevent cuts, burns, scrapes, and abrasions from becoming infected and not for the healing of new tattoos. The majority of these products contain petroleum or lanolin which, when applied to a new tattoo, can clog skin pores and actually retard the body's healing process. There is also the possibility of allergic reactions to these products, and application to a new tattoo can cause skin reactions leading to loss of ink and permanent damage to a tattoo.

In the last few years, cosmetic and pharmaceutical aftercare products have been developed for the tattoo world. These products are safe, efficient, and dermatologically tested. Most tattoo artists recommend and sell them. A more natural way of healing is the use of the aloe plant, a very popular tattoo healing method in southern united states. It promotes healing without any unnatural chemicals, keeps the tattoo from drying up (a very important thing to avoid) and the lack of oil in the aloe helps the skin retain ink.

New tattoos are wounds which must be looked after properly. Immediately after completing the tattoo, most tattooists will cover the area to keep out dirt and keep the tattoo from oozing into clothes; sometimes the area is wrapped in clingfilm, paper towel, poultry packs (that come in chicken packs) or gauze. Some tattooists will recommend leaving the covering on for several hours or overnight, and then gently washing the area. Japanese people commonly soak the tattoo in hot water to clean it.

Criminal tattoos
Tattoos are used among criminals to show membership of gangs and record the wearer's personal history - such as his or her skills, specialities, accomplishments and convictions. They are also used as a means of personal expression. Certain designs have developed recognised coded meanings. The code systems can be quite complex and, because of the nature of what they encode, they are often not widely recognised.

British
ACAB is an acronym often integrated into prison tattoos in the United Kingdom. It is most commonly rendered with one letter between the knuckle and first joint of each finger, sometimes as symbolic small dots with or without the accompanying letters.

ACAB can stand for All Coppers Are Bastards, or Always Carry A Bible, but most likely All Cops Are Bastards depending on who is asking and whether the bearer is trying to make a good impression.

Japanese
Extensive body tattoos ('body suits') are commonly worn by Yakuza members. These traditional tattoos are known as irezumi in Japanese. Their size and elaborate nature show not only the wearer's affiliation, but also his ability to endure pain.

Starting in the Kofun period (300-600 A.D.), tattoos began to assume negative connotations. Instead of being used for ritual or status purposes, tattooed marks began to be placed on criminals as a punishment (this was mirrored in ancient Rome, where slaves were known to have been tattooed with mottos such as "I am a slave who has run away from his master").

At the beginning of the Meiji period (1868-1912 A.D.) the Japanese government, wanting to protect its image and make a good impression on the west, outlawed tattoos, and irezumi took on connotations of criminality. Nevertheless, fascinated foreigners went to Japan seeking the skills of tattoo artists, and traditional tattooing continued underground.

Tattooing was legalized by the occupation forces in 1945, but has retained its image of criminality. For many years, traditional Japanese tattoos were associated with the Yakuza and many businesses in Japan (such as public baths, fitness centres and hot springs) still ban customers with tattoos.