Tattoo After Care

Step-by-step aftercare

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Pre-Care Disclaimer (Please Read)

It is important to note that tattoo healing starts before your appointment. Prepping your skin in the weeks leading up to your tattoo can make a huge difference in how smoothly it heals.

• Moisturize and hydrate regularly in the weeks before your appointment

• Light exfoliation can help remove dead skin, but do not overdo it

• Avoid blood thinners prior to your appointment, especially alcohol, as this can cause excess bleeding and lead to a rougher heal

• Do not come in sunburned. Sunburned skin cannot be tattooed

• Do not shave the area yourself before your appointment. Shaving can cause razor burn, cuts, and irritation that affect healing

Healthy, well-prepared skin tattoos better and heals better. If you have questions about how to prep your skin or medications you take regularly, let me know before your appointment so we can plan accordingly.

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Bandage Instructions

Important: Always wash the tattoo before applying any kind of bandage.
It is important the tattoo is clean and free of debris, dirt, grease, pet hair, and dust before wrapping.
Use clean hands, antibacterial soap, and warm or cool water. Rinse well and pat dry with a clean towel or paper towel before applying any bandage.

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Note: Some areas are best healed without a bandage, such as the face, neck, and hands. These areas should follow the no wrap aftercare routine from the start.

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If you leave with saran wrap or no wrap 

• Leave it on for one hour or until you get home

• Keep it clean and dry

• If the wrap starts leaking, you may remove it early

After removing the saran wrap: (first 3 days)​​

This is when the tattoo is the most raw. Keep it simple.

1. Wash your hands

2. Clean the tattoo 2 to 3 times a day with Hustle Bubbles or antibacterial unscented soap like Dial

   • Use lukewarm or cold water

   • Use your clean hands only, no washcloths or loofahs

3. Rinse well and pat dry with a clean paper towel

4. Apply a very thin layer of moisturizer

   • Aquaphor or Hustle Butter are great options for the first 2 to 3 days if you want an ointment barrier

   • Use barely enough to take away dryness and shine, do not cake it on

   • If it looks greasy or grows bumps/pimples, you used too much

• Wash the tattoo in the shower or sink

• Use clean hands, antibacterial soap, and warm or cool water

• Rinse well and pat dry

• Then follow the no wrap aftercare routine below

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If you leave with Second Skin on

(Do not use if you have an allergy to adhesives)

• First piece: wear for 24 hours only

• Second piece (optional): wear for 3 to 5 days

• Keep it clean and dry

• No soaking. No baths, pools, hot tubs, or sauna

When removing Second Skin:

• Start at the bottom edge

• Pull down toward the floor, slow and steady, similar to removing a Command strip

• This is easiest under warm or cool running water

If the bandage fills with fluid, this is normal.
If it leaks excessively or will not stay sealed, remove it and go straight into the no wrap aftercare routine below. If you notice a rash around the edges of the bandage, remove it. 

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After Day 3 until fully healed (4 to 6 weeks)

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• Continue washing the tattoo 2 times per day with a non-scented antibacterial soap

• Switch to a breathable daily moisturizer, such as Hustle Butter or a non-scented, water-based lotion like Lubriderm

• Apply a thin layer after every wash

• Expect peeling, flaking, scabbing and itching
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What NOT to do

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• No soaking: baths, pools, saunas, hot tubs, rivers, lakes, ocean until fully healed

• No sun or tanning beds. Once healed, use sunscreen daily

• No working out for the first 3-5 days

• No picking, peeling, or scratching

• No tight clothing rubbing the tattoo for long periods

• No heavy ointment layers that keep it wet and shiny all day

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What is normal vs not normal

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Normal

• Redness and warmth the first few days

• Plasma, oozing, and tenderness early on

• Peeling, flaking, itching and scabbing

• Pimples (Too much Ointment) 

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Not normal, message me

• Increasing redness after day 4

• Thick yellow or green discharge

• Fever or red streaking

• Rash or hives around the tattoo

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