aftercare
Caring For Your New Tattoo
Please note that these are general care instructions. Please follow any specific instructions your artist gives you, and reach out to them if you have any questions or concerns about tattoo healing!
Leave second skin bandage on for time specified by your artist (anywhere from 1-4 days). Look out for signs of irritation from adhesive such as redness, excessive itching, blistering at bandage edges, etc. If irritation occurs, remove bandage.
After period specified by your artist, remove second skin bandage, preferably in a warm shower to help soften the adhesive. Remove like a command strip by peeling up a corner of the bandage and then pulling down. (Do not pull up and off tattoo - ouchie!) If directed, let air dry and apply second bandage.
Once bandaged period is over, keep your tattoo clean using an unscented soap. Moisturize a few times a day using a thin layer of an unscented moisturizing product (Lubriderm, Aquafor, etc).
If you decide not to use a second skin bandage, keep tattoo clean using above instructions. Wait 2-3 days to being moisturizing, or until thin scabs have begun to form.
Things to Avoid
Scratching. New tattoos ITCH, but do not scratch them! Scratching can compromise your heal and introduce infectious agents into the healing skin. Apply an ice pack for brief intervals to relieve itching.
Bodies of water. Remember that your tattoo is an open wound. You do not want to introduce infections by soaking it in bathtubs, hot tubs, or any natural bodies of water until it is completely healed.
Too much moisturizer. It can be very tempting to over-moisturize your tattoo, but doing so during the healing process can cause thick scabs to form. Use the thinnest layer possible to cover the entire tattoo.
Pick at scabs. Picking and pulling at scabs can not only introduce infection, but also remove pigment and create scarring. Also take care not to let scabs soak off in the shower. Let them air dry and avoid rubbing with a towel or washcloth.
Sunlight. UV exposure is the #1 tattoo killer, and fresh tattoos are particularly vulnerable. Keep your new tattoo out of the sun as much as possible.
Tight clothing. Avoid wearing any clothing over your tattoo that is going to rub against or otherwise constrict the skin.
Excessive sweating. You especially don’t want to sweat excessively into the second skin bandage. If this occurs, it’s better to remove the bandage and clean the tattoo right away.
Alcohol and other recreational substances. Generally speaking, you want to avoid anything that might compromise your body’s ability to heal immediately before and after your tattoo.
Dehydration. A tattoo is an immune response, and your body needs a lot of hydration to mount that response. Increase your water intake immediately before and after your tattoo, and during the healing period.
SIGNS OF INFECTION
The following are signs that your tattoo may be infected. If you experience any of the following, please call your primary provider or visit an urgent care as soon as possible.
Redness, swelling, heat, or significant pain that last longer than 72 hours after tattoo application (some of all 4 is to be expected, but all should decrease over the first 72 hours)
Radiating redness from the site of the tattoo, like sunbeams or rays
Pus of any color
Strong odor
Thick, deep scabs
Blistering on the tattoo itself (some may occur around the margins of the second skin bandage, especially if you have sensitive skin)
Fever, sweating, chills, or any other unusual and/or flu-like symptoms, especially accompanied by any of the above
If you have any concerns or questions about your tattoo healing and the possibility of infection, please reach out to your artist, but remember we are not physicians. If you are genuinely concerned an infection may be developing, please see a healthcare provider as soon as possible.