Keeping tattoos fresh and colorful

Got a tattoo? Seems so many -- young and old -- on Long Island do these days. But tattoos need aftercare, and a Long Islander has come up with a hygienic wipe that keeps the body art from drying up and harming color.

Wild Willy's Tattoo Wipes, based in Massapequa, is the invention of Greg Pomponio, a former Merrick bar owner who has his own set of tattoos.

Wild Willy's is the first such product on Long Island. It comes in a packet, eliminating the need to touch your tattoo with a finger. It's also "non-greasy" and "fragrant free," according to its website at tattoowipes.com.  Click here to connect.

Tattoos must be kept moist for two or three days after they're drawn on the skin. "Our product is very thin," Pomponio said. "You could slip two or three packets into your pocket, as opposed to a big tube of goop" you might buy at the drugstore.

Pomponio said Wild Willy's is now in tattoo parlors on the Island and he's signed a deal with a distributor, Technical Tattoo Supply, in West Babylon. He's going to make a run at getting the product into drugstores too, Pomponio said.

"The tattoo industry is booming," said Pomponio. "It's a new form of expression."