TAKING CARE OF YOUR NEW TATTOO
WASH YOUR HANDS before you clean your tattoo, every time. Please utilize clean bedsheets and towels during the healing of your tattoo.
Cleaning Your Tattoo
Leave your tattoo covered overnight. Sleeping in the wrap helps prevent contact with surfaces such as bedsheets, as well as protects against dander or dirt.
Remove your bandage in the shower the following morning, and using a glycerin based fragrance-free soap such as liquid Dial, clean the tattooed area with bare hands until it feels the same as the skin around it. Do not use abrasive items like a washcloth or loofah, and do not scrub. DO NOT REBANDAGE
After the bandage is removed and the tattoo is clean, let it air dry or pat it dry, never using a scrubbing motion.
Applying Aftercare
WASH YOUR HANDS BEFORE APPLYING AFTERCARE. After the tattoo is dry, apply a very small amount of fragrance-free lotion or a non-petroleum based ointment to the tattoo, 1-2x a day for the first few days. If too much lotion or ointment is used, it can create complications during the healing process. If the tattoo is shiny or goopy after applying the lotion, far too much has been used and you may remove the excess. LESS IS MORE. If red, pimple-like bumps appear, discontinue any and all aftercare aside from cleaning and washing the tattoo.
Tattoos heal much like a sunburn. After a few initial days and possible soreness, the tattoo will begin to peel and flake. It is not unusual to see pieces of colored pigment flake off, and at the least, dry skin will flake off of the area for a week or so. Regular application of aftercare should be discontinued after the first three days, and used only AS NEEDED. As needed means a little lotion if the tattoo is very dry, otherwise all use should be discontinued after two weeks. As the skin needs oxygen to heal, you are not helping the tattoo heal by keeping it constantly moisturized.
Tattoos may get wet, but it is not advised to submerge the tattoo in water until it is completely healed. Showers are fine, but avoid baths, swimming, saunas, etc.
Typically, a tattoo will heal within a few weeks. After the initial flaking process, the skin will be shiny for a little while. This is normal, and is indicative of the tattoo being healed enough to be submerged. As the skin may feel tight, avoid strenuous physical activity while healing your tattoo.
Avoid direct sunlight for the first month, and wear loose fitting clothing that will not rub or constrict the body part on which the tattoo is healing. DO NOT USE SUNSCREEN OR FRAGRANCED PRODUCTS UNTIL THE TATTOO IS COMPLETELY HEALED.
Happy healing! Please reach out to us if you have any questions, and thank you again!