Petroleum jelly is very thick and non-porous, which means that when applied to the tattoo, an airlock is created around the skin which prevents valuable oxygen from entering the wound.
With a lot of clean air due to the thick jelly, tattoos usually do not take longer to heal. Applying thick material like NPJ multipurpose non-petroleum jelly to the tattoo can leave the pockets moist with air trapped between you and the skin. This is an ideal environment for microbes and bacteria to thrive and reproduce.
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These germs and bacteria are especially dangerous for new tattoos, as new skin wounds are very susceptible to potential infections that can permanently damage your tattoo if not treated quickly enough.
Another reason to use petroleum jelly in a new tattoo is that if it is used too often or for too long it will not have side effects on the tattoo ink. This is because petroleum jelly is known to extract the ink from the undercoat of the skin before tightening it, which has the potential to cause faded areas and bumps.
This means that tattoo artist who use gloves made from these materials and who also use petroleum jelly during the tattooing process can transfer bacteria and other pathogens from their bare hands to your wound without realizing it.
One of the ways that petroleum jelly can be useful during the healing process of the tattoo is to protect the tattoo in the shower. Petroleum jelly can be used on tattoos if you want to take a long shower.