Your artist has put their heart into your tattoo! Now the rest is up to you. Please read through our after-care instructions carefully.
Happy Healing!
Tattoo After-Care
It's very important to properly care for your new tattoo, since your aftercare will significantly affect how you tattoo ends up looking. Tattoos that are poorly cared for might end up with splotches of lighter color, or even worse, an infection. While tattoos that are properly cared for look vibrant and healthy after they are finished healing. Please carefully adhere to the following.
If your tattoo was wrapped with Saniderm keep it for the length of time recommended by your artists, then gently, slowly remove it in the shower.
Note: around 50% of people have some form of allergy to adhesives. If you believe your skin is having a negative response to the Saniderm, take it right off and pivot to the following.
Always wash your hands before caring for your tattoo.
Gently wash your tattoo with warm water and diluted liquid antibacterial soap.
Do not over wash your tattoo: only once a day if it gets dirty.
Pat dry with a clean paper towel and allow skin to settle for a few minutes.
Apply a thin layer of unscented lotion. We recommend Aveeno. Do not apply lotion more than three times a day. Over-care can be worse than under-care. Care just enough that it doesn't dry out.
The healing process caries from 2 to 3 weeks, depending on your overall health and aftercare.
What to Avoid
Avoid letting the water hit your tattoo directly while in the shower. Showering is fine, keep it short. Keep your tattoo away from fragrant bathing products, hot tubs, swimming pools, rivers, lakes, oceans, bathtubs, submersion or soaking of any kind, saunas, tanning salons, direct sunlight, excessive exercise, heat, sweat, abrasion, friction of any kind, tight suffocating clothing, yesterdays clothing, your friends clothing, strong detergents, dryer sheets, dirty bedding, human hair, pet hair, dander, dust, and dirt.
Do not sleep on your tattoo, pick, scratch, peel, re-bandage, listen to the aftercare advice of your friend, mom, dad, cousin, aunt, uncle, etc. Different artists, different application processes, different aftercare routines.
Stage One ( Days 1-6)
Your tattoo may weep plasma, blood and ink. This is normal, expect swelling and redness: that gets better gradually over each day, similar to a sunburn. Scabbing may or may not form over the area.
Stage Two (Days 7-14)
Itching and flaking begins. This is normal, it will continue until all layers of dead skin and scabbing fall off.
Stage Three (Day 15-30)
It looks fully healed but slightly cloudy or gray for a few weeks. This is normal. Deeper layers of skin are still repairing, so continue to look after your tattoo.
Note: Even if you've been diligent through all aforementioned healing stages, certain things may still hamper the recovery process. Some medical conditions, such as anemia, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, vitamin deficiencies and some vascular diseases may affect the blood flow to the tattooed area and cause slower healing. Other factors affecting the healing process are your age, diet, smoking, varicose veins and dryness. For this reason, every tattoo comes with a free touchup session within the first year. Don't hesitate to contact your artist to schedule or if you have any other questions or concerns.