Tattoo Aftercare

Here’s a reminder of your aftercare responsibilities for the next few weeks (officially it takes about a month for tattoos to heal, but each tattoo is unique!).

BANDAGE: If bandaged with derm sheild (clear adhesive bandage), leave your bandage on 1-5 days. The bandage is waterproof, so you can shower, but no swimming or submerging in the bath. If the bandage lifts such that the tattoo is exposed, water gets underneath it, or plasma leaks out from under the bandage, remove it. It is normal for ink and plasma to build up under the bandage, and this is ok. Plasma is nutrient rich and can expedite healing!

Monitor closely for redness under the entire bandage, as this could be irritation from the adhesive. If this occurs, remove the bandage soon. If redness is occurring only along the perimeter of the bandage, this can be due to the bandage pulling on delicate skin - gently peel the edge of the bandage back to reduce tension.

If bandaged with a non-adhesive wrap remove your bandage in about 4-8 hours (pending your skin, sweat level, and what activities you have the rest of the day). I like to leave my wrap on until I’m getting ready for bed, but you may also wait to remove the wrap until the next morning.

When ready, remove your bandage. For second skin, it can help to stretch the bandage away from itself like you’d remove a command strip, pull your skin taught, or warm the adhesive up in a warm shower. It’s normal to feel a little pulling at the skin from the adhesive.

DAILY CARE TASKS:

Wash your tattoo with a mild liquid soap (like unscented Dr Bronners) and allow to air dry, or pat it dry with a clean towel. Bar soaps may harbor bacteria and should be avoided.

Apply a thin layer of fragrance free moisturizer or unscented lotion. (List of recommended product below).

Repeat these cleaning steps 1-2 times a day until the tattoo feels settled into your skin! A conservative timeline for healing is 3-4 weeks but this varies highly based on the person, placement, design, and more.

The Healing Process:

It’s normal for a tattoo to get itchy and scabby. Don’t scratch it! Slapping it or moisturizing it can help. After ~3-7 days, the scabs will loosen and come off. Slight redness around the tattoo is normal.

Do not expose your tattoo to sun until it is healed. A bandana, the leg portion of an old sock, or even a face mask all make great ways to cover a fresh tattoo if you will be out in the sun.

A new tattoo is an open wound, so no swimming or soaking until it is healed and feels settled fully into your skin (generally this takes 3-4 weeks!). Soaking, hot tubs, saunas, or swimming before this time can cause infection and poor healing, plus you’ll be exposing your tattoo to the sun prematurely!

In the long term, be sure to use SPF on your tattoo any time you will be out in the sun! UV is the main agent that will damage your tattoo and cause it to blur and fade.

It’s normal for tattoos to lose a small amount of saturation, blur, and look slightly different upon healing, but please reach out if you have any concerns.

Infection:

In rare cases, even the best cared for tattoos may develop an infection. This would look like a yellow-green tinge to the scabbing area, skin that feels very hot and painful (some mild redness to a machine tattoo is normal for the first few days), and the skin would likely be extremely red and irritated around the tattoo. If this begins to happen to your tattoo, don’t panic, but please reach out to me immediately with photos of what’s happening so I may provide advice, and also reach out to your doctor.

Recommended Aftercare Products:

Copal Calming Slave - Macondo Supply

Tattoo Butter - Mountain Rose Herbs

Tattoo Process Butter - Sorry Mom *not all products are vegan