Lasonil
Lasonil is a heparinoid ointment manufactured by Bayer, closely related to warfarin. It is widely available as an over-the-counter preparation with no script or prescription.
It looks similar to Vaseline and is applied to the tattooed skin and immediate surroundings. It acts as a vasodilator, encouraging the blood vessels to expand, and thereby increasing the blood flow to the area on which it is applied.
Possible benefits include a reduction in healing time; a decrease in skin flaking due to the moisturizing effect of the ointment; a reduction of tenderness in the tattooed area, and a decrease in the itchiness sometimes experienced in tattoo healing.
In the civilian medical scene, Lasonil is used primarily to break down bruising and to reduce inflammation in the surface tissues of the body following "superficial soft-tissue injuries" (British National Formulary, March 2003). It should be applied 2-3 times daily.
