HOW TO WASH YOUR TATTOO

If you haven’t opted for a second-skin/saniderm bandage, you will want to remove the plastic wrap your tattoo is covered with when you get home from your appointment. You may need to wash your tattoo more than once a day depending on how much the area is coming in contact with everyday things like pet hair, dirt, food, sweat, etc. It is best to keep your tattoo clean and protected as much as possible, your tattoo is essentially a wound that your body needs time to heal.
Any unscented soap (think Dial Gold, Dove, Dr. Bronners, etc). Don’t apply soap directly to the tattoo, instead, lather in your hands and then apply.
Rinse and air dry or pat dry with a paper towel. Do not dry with a cloth towel as they can harbor bacteria/hair, etc.

LOTION

Your tattoo is a wound that your body needs time to heal! Lotion keeps your skin from drying out too much and can sometimes provide relief to the pain of a fresh tattoo. The key to applying lotion is using as little as possible, it is possible to over moisturize and that can also draw out the healing process. You don’t want the tattoo to get too dry, but we also don’t want it to be dewy/shiny.
For example, a tattoo about palm-sized will only need about a pea size amount of lotion, even less if it is just linework.

You can expect to apply lotion about 1-3 times a day or so, even less as you get further in the healing process. Some people prefer not to put any lotion on until a few days in to the healing process, but that is totally up to you. Healing is different for everyone, you will get to know your body better and what it likes as you continue to get tattoos.

Some good products to use are Cetaphil, Lumberderm, and coconut oil. There are also tattoo- specific aftercare creams you can purchase, but they are usually a lot more expensive and do the same thing functionally as an unscented lotion. Some of these balms can contain CBD, which in my experience has pleasantly helped reduce pain/itchiness, but I have no fact to base that in.

Aquaphor and petroleum based products are NOT recommended as they are too dense to properly be absorbed by the skin and can “suffocate” the tattoo. Typically, this can prolong the healing process and even result in more ink fall out after the healing process is complete.

SECOND SKIN/SANIDERM

Barrier bandages like this can be applied by the artist and left on for up to 5 days. The bandage may be taken off at any time before the 5 days, but keep in mind more aftercare will need to be one in this case. Essentially, the longer the bandage stays on the more healed the tattoo will be.

Remove the bandage in the shower under warm running water. You may even apply some unscented soap around the edges to help peel up the adhesive if it is not budging. After removing the bandage, wash with soap and water and air dry or pat dry with paper towel.

These bandages can be nice because they reduce the tediousness of aftercare and let your body heal the tattoo in a more controlled environment, typically less ink fall out can be expected by using these. However, some people find they are allergic to the adhesives which can cause redness/swelling/discomfort.

The bandage typically will fill with fluid for the first 48 hours or so, this is totally normal. Unless the fluid starts leaking out, the bandage can be kept on.

Best practice is to take the bandage off if the seal is broken as whatever bacteria can get out, can also get in.

KEEP IN MIND

Some things to avoid throughout the healing process as they can prolong use the healing process, harm the tattoo, make it fade faster, cause infection, etc.

• Submerging your tattoo in water (swimming, hot tub, baths, saunas, etc.)

• Limit the time your tattoo spends in water while you shower.

• Sunshine. Keep your tattoo covered with clothing until healed, make sure to use sunscreen only after the piece is fully healed.

• Scented lotions and soaps.

• Do not scratch, pick tattoo scabs, itch your fresh tattoo. More than likely, there will be a period of itchiness during the healing process, most people are able to find temporary relief by gently slapping the area near the tattoo if the urge to pick or scratch is intense.

• Avoid tight clothing as it can rub on the tattoo and irritate, lift scabs, etc. It is always best to let your tattoo breathe as much as possible.