Aftercare Instructions
With saniderm/second skin type bandages
*Please be aware* although rare, sometimes people have sensitivity to the adhesive in the bandage. If the bandage is irritating your skin remove it right away.
You will notice that the bandage may fill up with ink, blood & plasma, this is normal. After the first few days it will dry inside the bandage and looked smudged or blurry, but worry not! Your tattoo is totally fine.
Remove bandage after 2-3 days under running water. In the shower, allow the water to run over the bandage to help you peel it off.
Once the bandage is removed, wash the area with a mild, unscented soap. Gently wash the area (with your hands) making sure to remove any gunk or excess ink. I recommend Dial hand soap or Dr. Bronner’s unscented pure-castile soap. Avoid any body washes or scrubs in the area.
Once your tattoo is thoroughly cleaned, pat the tattoo area with a clean paper towel. Allow a few minutes to air dry completely. Avoid drying with a regular towel because it’s very abrasive and sometimes little pieces of fuzz and lint will get stuck to your tattoo.
Now it’s time to moisturize! I heavily suggest using pure natural cocoa butter, pure natural shea butter or hustle butter. You can use these products for the entire duration of the healing process. With clean hands, take a small amount of the butter and rub your hands together to warm up the product, then gently and evenly rub onto the tattoo area.
Always Make sure your hands are clean before touching your tattoo!
If you choose to use aquaphor to heal your tattoo, I suggest only using it for the first week and then switching to a plain unscented lotion (curel, lubriderm, eucerin, etc.) When using aquaphor make sure not to coat the tattoo, so it can’t breathe. If it’s shiny it’s too much, use a clean paper towel and pat off the excess
I tend to avoid aquaphor because it contains petroleum. It goes on thick and takes a while to absorb. you only need a very thin amount. If you use too much, it can clog the pores and cause little pimples in the area, so really be diligent about how much you are using.
Stay away from any sort of first aid products!
You should be cleaning and moisturizing your tattoo about 3-4 times a day during the first week. Once your tattoo is peeling or like dry skin you can moisturize as needed.
What to avoid
During the first two weeks of your tattoo’s healing you should avoid direct sunlight on the tattoo. After the tattoo is fully healed, sunblock should be used on your tattoo if you will be exposing it to the sun. This will prevent fading and color loss
Do not soak or submerge the tattoo in water for extended periods of time. This means no baths, swimming pools, hot tubs, oceans or lakes, etc. You can shower like normal.
Do not scratch or pick at the tattoo while it’s healing! At a certain point your tattoo may get itchy, this is a totally normal part of healing. I know it’s hard, but do not scratch the area!
Do not use any first aid products on your tattoo! Even though it is an open wound, we want to keep the healing process as natural as possible. Introducing chemicals may impede your healing and can irritate the skin. This may also result in color loss or fading.
During the first week of healing especially, do not let your tattoo come in contact with gym equipment. If you can avoid the gym until the skin is healed all together, that would be for the best. Gyms are a breeding ground of bacteria!
avoid strenuous movement of the newly tattooed area for the first week.
Avoid tight or abrasive clothing in the area you’ve been tattooed until it’s fully healed.
Try to avoid aftercare advice from non-tattoo artists. i’ve heard all kinds of aftercare nightmares. If you have any questions at all, please reach out to me.
Without saniderm/second skin bandages
after about two hours remove the saran wrap, wash with warm water and a mild, fragrance-free soap. I recommend Dial antibacterial hand soap or Dr. Bronner’s unscented pure-castile soap. Gently wash the area with your hands, making sure to remove any gunk or excess ink.
Once your tattoo is thoroughly cleaned, pat the tattoo area with a clean paper towel/ allow a few minutes to air dry completely. Avoid drying with a regular towel because it’s very abrasive and sometimes little pieces of fuzz and lint will get stuck to your tattoo.
Now it’s time to moisturize! I heavily suggest using pure natural cocoa butter, pure natural shea butter or hustle butter. You can use these products for the entire duration of the healing process. With clean hands, take a small amount of the butter and rub your hands together to warm up the product, then gently and evenly rub onto the tattoo area.
Always Make sure your hands are clean before touching your tattoo!
If you choose to use aquaphor to heal your tattoo, I suggest only using it for the first week and then switching to a plain unscented lotion (curel, lubriderm, eucerin, etc.) When using aquaphor make sure not to coat the tattoo, so it can’t breathe. If it’s shiny it’s too much, use a clean paper towel and pat off the excess
I tend to avoid aquaphor because it contains petroleum. It goes on thick and takes a while to absorb. you only need a very thin amount. If you use too much, it can clog the pores and cause little pimples in the area, so really be diligent about how much you are using.
Stay away from any sort of first aid products!
You should be cleaning and moisturizing your tattoo about 3-4 times a day during the first week. Once your tattoo is peeling or like dry skin you can moisturize as needed.
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Depending on the size of your tattoo, you may want to re-wrap using saran wrap for the first 3 nights before bed. If you choose to do this, be sure to wash the area really well in the morning.
Touch ups?
Sometimes, despite our very best healing efforts, touch ups are necessary. This is more common for certain areas of the body (hands, feet, elbows, etc.) large areas of solid color work, or with cover-ups. Most tattoos will not require any touch ups.
If you feel you need a touch up, please reach out to me either through email or stop by the shop, and we can set you up for a time to come back once your tattoo is fully healed and feels like normal skin.
I offer one free touch up after tattoos are fully healed within 3 months of getting the tattoo. Multiple touch ups of the same tattoo may require you to pay the shop minimum.
Questions/concerns?
something seems weird? can you use a certain product? wondering what to do for healing on a specific body part? i’ll say it again, ALWAYS reach out to me! even if it’s silly or ridiculous. Seriously!