Aftercare Instructions
Remove bandage
- Second Skin/Tagaderm: About 24 hours from placement. Gently peel it downwards, stretching the plastic as you go. Stretching the bandage will break down the adhesive. If you have an extra second skin sheet, applet it and leave it on for about 4-5 days and remove same as above.
- Non-Absorbant pad: remove after about 3 hours to overnight from placement as directed by your tattooist. You won’t need to put another bandage on.
Wash tattoo with warm water and mild soap (preferably no scent or dye) using your fingertips. You’ll feel the texture of your skin and the tattoo, it will no longer feel slick from excess blood, plasma, ink or balm. Soap from a pump is preferable as bar soap can get hairs and bacteria stuck to it that may transfer to your tattoo.
Allow the tattoo to air dry or use a paper towel (as our bath towels can harbor bacteria) to gently blot it dry.
Use a small amount of tattoo balm or unscented and dye-free lotion on the tattoo. If it looks shiny, you’ve probably got a bit too much on there and can blot off any excess with a paper towel.
Wash the tattoo about twice a day for 2 days then once a dat afterwards. Put the small amount of balm/lotion on after cleaning the tattoo.
Don’t soak the tattoo in water until it is fully healed. A waterlogged tattoo scab can come off early, leaving light spots where you don’t want them.
So no rivers, lakes, oceans, streams, pools, hot-tubs, saunas, super hot showers, etc until your tattoo is fully healed.
DO NOT PICK OR SCRATCH YOUR TATTOO! This may lead to light or missing spots on your tattoo. You can give your tattoo a light slap to help alleviate the itchiness.
If you have furry friends at home, avoid getting their hair near your tattoo as dander can sometimes irritate our healing tattoos.
Don’t let people touch it!
Try not to wear tight or abrasive clothing against the tattoo as it heals.
Avoid sun exposure until your tattoo is fully healed. Its good practice to use sunscreen on your healed tattoos to protect their longevity. UV rays can lighten your tattoo the same way a t-shirt fades in the sun.