TATTOO AFTERCARE KNOWLEDGE
The first days to 3 weeks are a critical healing time for your tattoo, and proper aftercare is essential to ensure the best healing, longevity, and beauty of your permanent body art.
Please reach out anytime with any questions if you have concerns or need more information.
Your tattoo has been wrapped with a Second Skin brand medical-grade bandage. It is a clear, flexible, breathable bandage and creates the perfect environment for healing in addition to protection against friction from clothing, excess water, and daily life.
This should stay on for 6 days. That 6th day is important for the best healing. Do your best to leave it on.
The following instructions are for care during this time and following removal. If your wrap comes off prior to then, do not re-wrap with any other product unless you have been provided with a second piece of Second Skin bandage, and follow the guidelines outlined later in this sheet.
REST: If you’ve had a large piece and sat for many hours, expect to be tired as your body recovers. Rest and get a good night’s sleep the night of your tattoo to encourage healing. Have a drink after if you like, but avoid additional alcohol for the evening.
STAGE 1: DAYS 1-6
DO NOT USE AUQUAPHOR, VASELINE, OR OTHER THICK PETROLEUM-BASED OINTMENTS.
DO NOT PUT SUNSCREEN ON A FRESH TATTOO
Do nothing other than keep your tattoo out of direct sunlight and excessive water, and avoid tight-fitting clothing over the area. UV exposure is detrimental to a vibrant and well-healed tattoo. Direct sun can also make your tattoo feel like it’s stinging.
Your tattoo is essentially an open wound. Redness, swelling, and tenderness will gradually improve each day. There will likely be fluid leakage from your tattoo, which has healing components that are helpful and not harmful. It will collect under the bandage and may turn brown and muddy looking. This is okay; your ink is not being stained or harmed. It will gradually be absorbed back into your skin in 2-3 days. It is best to leave it alone, though you may also push some of it out through channels underneath the bandage if there is excess or it starts leaking out the edges on its own.
If your bandage peels to the point of exposing air to your tattoo, it needs to be removed and cleaned. Patch leaking edges with the provided second skin strips.
It is water resistant but not waterproof, so do not submerge your bandage or non-bandaged tattoo in water, hot tubs, pools, baths, lakes, etc., for the duration of the bandage wear and for a full 10-14 days. Showering is normally fine; just don’t soap it up, and keep away from beating spray as much as possible. If your tattoo feels like it is still flaking and healing after 2 weeks, avoid submerging it in pools, hot tubs, and lakes. Chemicals and lake grime and bacteria are yucky.
If you have increasing redness around your tattoo and edges of the bandage, you could possibly have an allergy to the adhesive, and you should gently remove it under warm running water and soap and follow the instructions at the end of the sheet.
If you have increasing redness with swelling, increased tenderness, or fever- signs that may indicate an infection; please reach out to your doctor right away and let me know.
Do not itch. Apply strong pressure, or slap, over the bandage if it itches. Some light tapping or pressure to alleviate the sensation as needed is okay but best avoided.
STAGE 2: DAYS 7-14
DO NOT USE AUQUAPHOR, VASELINE, OR OTHER THICK PETROLEUM-BASED OINTMENTS.
DO NOT PUT SUNSCREEN ON A STILL-HEALING TATTOO
At the beginning of the 7th day, remove your bandage under soapy, warm running water- not hot- to loosen the adhesive. Stretching the edges and holding down the opposite side to create a tight pull can help “pop” the bandage off the tattoo, but sometimes this just doesn’t work out or feels more tender, so you can also gently peel straight back, keeping it close to the skin as you peel back, avoiding lifting straight up.
Depending on the size and amount of coloring/shading, your tattoo, during the next weeks, will either stay smooth and flat and continue to heal, or you may have light or heavy flaking or light scabbing. This is all normal.
You may apply a second bandage if I have provided one (mostly for larger color tattoos) within 30 minutes of removal and a completely clean and dry tattoo.
Once the bandage is off for the duration of your healing, dryness, and itching sensations will occur.
Wash your tattoo only with a non-fragranced anti-bacterial cleanser twice per day using warm water and fingers only with medium pressure to remove plasma from the pores, which is essential for good healing, so it doesn’t get clogged which can cause more flaking and scabbing and a longer heal; no cloths or scrubbers of any kind. The best soaps are those for tattoos or any organic, natural soap. The less chemicals and ingredients, the better. I offer foaming soap at my studio for $8, which is best for your tattoo. Other soaps can cause excessive drying and irritation that can prolong healing and cause your tattoo to not look as good as possible.
Pat your tattoo completely dry after washing and showering. This is essential. Apply a hydrating lotion or tattoo balm once dry in a thin layer. Your tattoo must still breathe to heal, and thicker layers will smother your tattoo. More is not better. Instead, apply lotion/balm as often as needed if your tattoo feels dry and/or itchy/flaky. This will help alleviate the itch. A balm with lavender has additional healing and anti-itch properties. You do not need to wash it additionally to apply the balm unless you have sweated or you think it needs it due to the work environment, plasma buildup, etc.
STAGE 3: DAYS 15-30
4 Weeks is considered the first stage healed. You essentially have had an open wound during this time. It is important it stays clean and hydrated every day during this time.
STAGE 4: DAYS 30-90
Your tattoo will continue to heal in deeper and deeper layers and will be completely healed in around three months. Applying balm every day during this time will leave you with the most vibrant, long-lasting ink possible.
IF YOUR BANDAGE COMES OFF EARLY
If your bandage is peeling, or you can’t stand the fluid buildup anymore, you can come to see me for replacement, but I have to remove it myself.
If you remove it yourself, do not re-wrap with any other product, avoid wearing tight-fitting clothing, and follow these aftercare instructions.
Remove under warm, antiseptic, soapy running water to loosen the adhesive and peel back slowly against your skin, avoiding lifting straight up.
Clean every 4 hours, the 48 hours following your tattoo appointment. Do not use a random soap! Fragrance-free, antiseptic only, or best organic, vegan, low ingredient antiseptic cleanser such as H2Ocean or Ohana Organics that I offer at my studio, or other anti-bacterial/antiseptic tattoo-approved liquid cleanser-foaming cleanser is best.
Pat is COMPLETELY dry. You do not want to trap moisture between your tattoo and lotion/balm.
Apply a thin layer every time you wash.
Twice per day, cleaning and moisturizing the third day and to 2-3 weeks, depending on how it feels, which generally correlates to the size and amount of shading/coloring in your tattoo.
Continue to hydrate daily for healthy skin and a vibrant tattoo. As always, drink plenty of water daily for healthy, hydrated skin!