AFTERCARE

Taking care of your new tattoo is important to ensure its health and longevity. I suggest using one of the methods outlined below, but ultimately it's your body, so feel free to do some internet research and decide for yourself.

In general, just be smart with your new tattoo. Wash your hands thoroughly before touching your tattoo. DO NOT SOAK in any liquid, be it tub, pool, lake or ocean. NOTHING! No soaking, period. Avoid direct sun exposure, dirty environments, rubbing up on public urinals, etc. Your most important job during healing is keeping it clean. Don’t scratch, no matter what! As with most things in life, use common sense and don't be an idiot. 

Wet Healing

Step 1: After 2-4 hours, remove original dressing. The tattoo will be somewhat oozy from the plasma that has continued to seep out. This is normal.

Step 2: Gently wash the tattoo with clean hands, warm water, and unscented antibacterial soap. 

Step 3: Air dry or dab tattoo dry with clean paper towel.

Step 4: Apply a very, very, very, very, very thin layer of your preferred, unscented, ointment or lotion.

Step 5: Repeat steps 2 through 4 twice daily until the tattoo has healed (generally two to three weeks). Be aware of how much ointment or lotion you’re using; always just enough to hydrate the tattoo, and always apply gently. Too much may cause the tattoo to look milky once healed. Do not use petroleum based products for more than the first three days of healing, but lotion or coconut oil can be used for the duration of healing, in very small amounts.

Tegaderm Method

Tegaderm (or Saniderm, or a number of other names) is a medical adhesive product. It is designed to cover minor cuts and burns, abrasions, blisters, etc. As such, it's ideal for covering and protecting a fresh tattoo, and if applied correctly, will keep the tattoo clean, dry and protected. It's available at all major pharmacies, online, or at Walmart. If you find any discomfort with the tegaderm, or you know you have an allergy/sensitivity to medical adhesives, use the alternate healing method.

Step 1: Leave the original dressing, the one you left the shop with, on for 24 hours. Don't peek. Don't show your friends. Don't take it off to clean it. Just leave it alone.

Step 2: After 24 hours, or as close as possible, carefully remove dressing and gently wash the tattoo with clean hands, warm water, and unscented antibacterial soap. The tattoo will be very oozy from the plasma that has continued to seep out. This is normal.

Step 3: Once cleaned, turn the tap water on as hot as you can stand it, and without scalding yourself. Fold 6-8 paper towels together and run them under the hot water. Once fully saturated, very quickly wring out the paper towels and press firmly onto tattoo. This won't feel great at first, but do it anyway. Remove once the paper towels have cooled. 

Step 4: Allow tattoo to completely air dry, approx. 20 to 30 minutes.

Step 5: Cover the entire area, plus an extra half inch, of the tattoo with 3M Nexcare Tegaderm Waterproof Transparent Dressing. It may take several sheets, just overlap them, starting at the highest point of the tattoo, and working down. This product is waterproof but breathable, allowing oxygen to aid in the healing process while protecting the tattoo. Some minor oozing may happen after the tegaderm is applied, but just leave it alone. 

Step 6: Leave tegaderm on for 4-5 days, after which slowly and carefully remove the tegaderm. 

Step 7: That's it. The tattoo will still be healing, but from this point on, allow the tattoo to completely dry heal. Do not rub, twist, pick, scratch, or touch your tattoo, if at all possible. 

Troubleshooting

Your tattoo is an open wound and your body is trying to heal itself. Here are some things to keep in mind…

1. Your tattoo is not going to feel great for the first couple days and may appear red, weepy, irritated, slightly swollen, feel like a sun burn, and even be bruised depending on the body location. This is normal.

2. Your tattoo is going to be itchy as it heals. DON’T SCRATCH IT! You can slap it or apply a very very thin layer of unscented lotion or coconut oil, but scratching or messing or picking at it may lead to much worse problems.

3. Never use Neosporin on a healing tattoo.

4. If you’re worried about something let me know! I’m happy to take a look and see how it’s healing. It’s always best to reach out directly to the shop if you need to get in touch with me in a hurry.

5. After the first few days, continued or accelerated swelling, fever, extreme redness or pain, and puss are NOT normal and may mean there is an infection. If this is the case, go straight to the doctors, as I cannot help with infections, antibiotics, or adverse reactions to ink. Just to be clear, if you experience any of the above indications (extreme swelling, fever, extreme redness or pain, puss) just GO TO THE DOCTOR.

6. You and I are imperfect beings. Not all tattoos heal absolutely perfectly, but I do offer touch ups on my tattoos at no charge.

7. From now until forever you should be wearing sunblock on your tattoos, when in direct sunlight, to prevent fading as much as possible. This is just good advice in general because who really wants skin cancer?