Dial Soap Question

I have seen several refrences to not using Dial soap, and wondered why? The reason I am asking is I have been using the unscented antibacterial Dial soap for my Black & grey Tattoo and would hate to screw it up. Blacktri

Blacktri, stop using anti-bacterial soap on a fresh tattoo, scented or not does not really matter that much, it is NOT good for your tattoo or hopefully, neccessary! Use a good brand, unscented hand soap instead, make sure you rinse it all off, of course. Besides, ALL soap is actually 'antibacterial, although they do have their place, it ain't in taking care of fresh tattoos...Doc

Thanks Doc, I will stop using it! Blacktri

If worried about infection isn't A&D a better choice? It was what I was given for my first tat nearly 8 years ago and it still looks vibrant and didn't seem to fade.

Actually I am not worried about infection, as My tattoo is healing very well, and with very little scabbing, My Tattoo guy had said after the bandage was taken off to wash with antibacterial soap, and well I just keep using it. As a side note to Doc and Taz and everyone else thanks for making me feel welcome to Tattoo:Now, Blacktri

Blacktri, no, Thank YOU for your intelligent post and support, glad to have you here...Doc

kaez, no, if infection is a concern, A&D is not a good choice as A&D has no anti-bacterial properties, Bacitracin would work far better and does have anti-bacterial properties...Doc

Thanks Doc, I heard soft soft is milder that Dial. I know many that use it for cleaning piercings because it doesn't dry out the skin like Dial. Would it be better to use than Dial? Should it possibly be used for cleaning?

Also what about Neosporin? I know it can help heal minor cuts faster and it is antibacterial. Is it bad for tattoos? P.S. Doc I was confused (I was given A&D but got it confused with Triple Anti-bacterial)

I am courious why people are so anti dial soap? Im looking for reasons, (facts), not opinions on why not to use it? Just because i am a professional i dont claim to know everything....but i have been using dial for many years, as have most people i know, and never had a problem. Its a mild hand soap, anti bacterial or not. All the work i get or give is clean when it leaves my shop, and i feel dial has done a great job keeping it that way durring the healing process. If theres a legit reason i would surely share it with my customers, because their results are my reputation. In my humble opinion, i feel there are way too many people giving out aftercare info that is biast, and not at all reserched intelligently. So far the research i have on the matter is the many possitive results useing dial have yielded. I would love to hear what people think (or more so KNOW) is bad about it.

Davy, i'm no pro, i can only speak as a collector. but i know that for me personally (and a few other friends) dial soap was actually too harsh and caused more problems in the long run for me. i was ok the first few days, but after that i was torturing myself by continueing with dial. so i switched to black cat aftercare soap -- and well. it was like heaven to my skin.

Dial soap as opposed to pure soaps like Ivory bar soap, neutragena tec is that The DIAl is full of harsh surfactantants plus Triclosan ( that antibacterial agent) that can and frewquently does attack pigment in a fresh tattoo and also has the added problem of killing the beneficial bacteria as well as the bad bacteria Just use a mild soap to avoid the problems

As for neosporin...look it up in the back posts I have answered this about a dozen or two times...!

anti-bacterial soap also kills the GOOD bacteria your body contains and needs to heal tattoos and other wounds. Not only do you not want to kill the good bacteria, but bad bacteria can also become more and more resistant to the soap, evolving into something that the soap won't kill and increasing the dangers to your body.

Antibacterial products include chemicals such as triclosan, which targets a certain enzyme that bacteria need to live and may linger in the environment. Bacteria can mutate to adapt to such chemicals. Soaps with such bacterial-killing agents, such as "Safeguard" and "Dial" have been used for years and are now common households products. Excessive use of the products, like overuse of antibiotic drugs, will create bacteria-resistant "superbugs." "Bacteria are not going to be destroyed. They've been here, they've seen dinosaurs come and go... so any attempt to sterilize our home is fraught with failure," Signs of drug-resistant bacteria in hospitals show the bugs are already adapting. You most certaintly dont want theses soap in contact with open wounds.

Thank you all for your replies, it does make sense. I believe that my tattoo is healing very well, I have had very little scabing if any, but with your advice I have switched soaps. Blacktri