AFTERCARE INSTRUCTIONS
Good aftercare is essential to the longevity of your tattoo. Neglected proper aftercare can result in infection, loss of ink, loss of color, and shorter life for your tattoo. I am not responsible for any complications resulting from poor aftercare— but I do offer free touch-ups within a year of receiving the tattoo. Please read and follow these aftercare instructions.
If I sent you home with an adhesive bandage (I use Derm Shield by Recovery), you can leave it on for up to three days. This is a latex-free adhesive bandage that allows your skin to breathe, while also protecting it from your surroundings. Because the bandage is transparent, please be aware it is normal to see ink and plasma build up under the bandage. The bandage is water-resistant, but it is not waterproof— so do not submerge it under water. If you see/experience signs of irritation on the edges of the bandage (excessive redness, bumps, etc.), please remove it as soon as possible. When you are ready to remove the dermshield, do so in the shower. Wash the area gently with antibacterial soap (see below for my recommendation) and allow the adhesive to get soft. Slowly pull the bandage out and away with the direction of the hair growth (treat it like a command strip). Follow the rest of the instructions below.
If I sent you home with cling wrap, keep the wrapping on until you get home and then immediately take it off and hop in the shower. Follow the rest of the instructions below.
1) Keep it clean!
Clean your tattoo once daily for two weeks with a gentle liquid or foam soap. I recommend Dr. Bronner’s Baby Unscented Pure-Castile Liquid soap (available at Target or Amazon) or Hustle Butter’s Hustle Bubbles foam soap (available at Ulta, Amazon, or Hustle Butter’s website). Do not wash with anything abrasive (such as a loofa or wash rag)— wash it by hand gently. Do not submerge your tattoo in any water (this means no baths, pools, oceans, etc.). Keep showers cool and short in the first two weeks of healing— long exposure to steam and water can result in poor healing. After your shower, let it air dry, because your towel may have bacteria on it which you do not want to introduce to the wound.
2) Keep it moisturized!
I recommend using the ointment provided in your aftercare kit for the first 3-7 days of healing. Apply the ointment after each wash with a very thin layer (a little goes a long way— you do not want to drown the area in ointment). Skin should not be wet when applying ointment. After 3-7 days, the tattooed skin will start to get dry/itchy. At this point you can switch over to a scentless, hypoallergenic lotion. Clean your hands with antibacterial soap before applying ointment or lotion.
3) Let it heal!
Avoid the sun, pools, bodies of water, the gym, dirt, etc. Do not scratch your new tattoo. It will get itchy which is normal. You can slap your tattoo to relieve itch. Do not peel away any flakes in your new tattoo, this can remove fresh ink. Let everything fall of naturally. Do not let pets lick the new tattoo.
4) Continue to care for it!
Even after the tattoo heals, it is important to continue looking after the tattoo. Apply sunscreen regularly and try to keep it out of direct sunlight for long periods of time.
Please contact your physician immediately if signs of infection occur.
If you have any questions, please email me at acp.tattoos@gmail.com