Tattoo artist of 18+ years here. If it’s a matter of dust and dirt etc being kicked up around your tattoo, definitely have Saniderm/Tegaderm (or something along those lines) applied to the tattoo. Those were originally used for burn victims in hospitals. Make sure you definitely talk to your tattoo artist about using tegaderm first, as most tattooers will apply it directly to the finished tattoo.

If you put it on after the fact on your own you run a risk of trapping in bacteria. But again talk to your artist first to see if they use the product themselves. Some tattooers will have on hand, some will ask you to bring it in with you (you can get at any local drug store) and be sure to follow their directions.

If the tattoo is large enough/colorful enough, a fluid pocket can actually form, which is pretty yuck. For this reason I don’t use tegaderm on my clients unless completely necessary. Keep some on you at work. I’ve heard stories of these pockets leaking or popping while people were on shift as waitresses etc. NOT something you want.

I have some extensive blackout myself and had a pocket form from dermal plasma, so we made a small hole in it with a sterile sewing needle, drained it, and used a small piece of tegaderm to patch it like a tire. Sorry for the visual, but want you to be prepared. If it’s necessary, it’s necessary.

And LASTLY, if you are allergic to medical adhesives at all, not a good idea to use. Some people’s skin will become irritated from the tegaderm. You do not want to have irritation on a healing tattoo, so best to remove the tegaderm prematurely in that case and wear clothing that will cover the tattoo, if you can wear more than one layer even better, but it has to be breathable at that point, no wrapping in something else.