Aftercare

For regular bandages

  • Keep bandage on for 30min-2 hours.

  • Take bandage off, gently wash tattooed area by hand with lukewarm water and unscented anti-bacterial soap.

  • Let air dry.

  • Repeat and wash tattoo 2-3 times a day. Be mindful of what your tattoo and the type of clothing it is in contact with. Try wearing something loose fitting.

  • After 2 days, wash the tattoo once per day and apply a paper-thin layer of fragrance-free sensitive-skin lotion a few times a day. Remember, less is more.

  • Continue this for 2 weeks and DO NOT PICK AT THE SCABS.

For second-skin Saniderm bandages:

  • Leave in place for 3 days or however long recommend by your artist

  • Remove bandage in the shower by gently peeling back over itself like you would remove a sticker.

  • Upon removal, wash gently with anti-bacterial liquid soap and keep lightly moisturized with a plain, unscented lotion a couple of times per day.

    THINGS NOT TO DO:

  • Do not submerge the tattoo in water. (No baths, jacuzzis, ocean or pools.) Regular showers only.

  • Don’t expose tattoo to prolonged direct sunlight.

  • Don’t let your tattoo touch animal hair/fur.

  • Don’t pick the scabs or scratch the tattoo. (It may get itchy at times throughout the healing process.)

Common Questions

Blood and Ink Under the Bandage

  • This is perfectly normal to have some pooled ink and plasma under the bandage as it heals. The tattoo is still able to “breath” through the bandage. However, though rare for fine line tattoos, if there is a large amount of pooling that is leaking through the bandage and causing the bandage to peel away, consult the shop to see about having a new clean bandage reapplied.

Redness

  • Redness is normal post tattoo as well as after removing the bandage due to irritation and typically subsides after a day or two. It is common to also have small red blemishes surrounding the tattoo as ink and vaseline used during the tattoo can often times clog the pores of your skin and cause break outs.

  • If the tattoo is in a sensitive area prone to a lot of movement, and the area surrounding the tattoo is splotchy red, or causing the skin to raise, remove the bandage early as your skin may be getting overly irritated from the bandage pulling the skin too much. If you ever have any questions with redness, feel free to contact the shop for advice on how to proceed

Is my tattoo coming off as I remove the bandage?

  • It sure isnt. Thats just the residual ink that doesnt fully settle into the skin coming off with the bandage

Itching and Peeling

  • Itching and peeling is totally normal during the healing process. Tattoos are deliberate wounds to your body and the healing process causes it to itch. DONT SCRATCH THE TATTOO. Fresh tattoos are open wounds, keep your dirty hands off the wound to avoid infection and ensure the tattoo heals well. Using a small amount of lotion will help relieve some of that discomfort.

For any other questions post tattoo, feel free to contact us at the shop!