Tattoo Aftercare

Aftercare with adhesive bandage:

• An adhesive bandage will be applied to your tattoo at the end of your appointment. 

• Wear this bandage over your tattoo for the next 4-7 days.

• The longer the wrap stays on, the smoother healing should go. The bandage keeps moisture retained over your tattoo. When you take the bandage off at the end of the week, flaking, peeling, or scabbing should be very minimal, or you may not experience any. The sooner the bandage comes off, the sooner your tattoo will be exposed to air, causing more dryness. 

• This wrap is water resistant, not water proof. If water hits the wrap briefly that's okay. Do not submerge wrap/tattoo under water. While showering, avoid water running down the wrap for long periods of time. Water against the wrap will not hurt your tattoo but it will cause the wrap to suction tighter to your skin, making it slightly irritating to wear as the days go on.

• Dry the wrap after each shower by patting it dry gently with a clean lint free towel.

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Re-wrapping your tattoo

If ink leaks out from underneath the wrap, you will need to re-wrap your tattoo. You may be given an extra piece of bandage at your appointment in case your tattoo needs re-wrapped.

Tattoos won't always need to be re-wrapped.

If you get tattooed regularly/often, I suggest purchasing a roll for yourself (See recommended products)

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• If the wrap is leaking or has an excessive amount of fluid underneath, plan to replace it.

• If the original wrap is manageable to keep on, rewrapping isn't necessary - ONLY if there is excessive ink that is at risk of leaking out/or already is leaking out.

• Step 1 - Take off the original wrap as you normally would, in the shower or under warm running water. Clean your tattoo as normal, with the palm of your clean hand using liquid anti-bacterial soap. Rinse off the soap and pat dry the tattoo with a clean lint free towel.

• Step 2 - If you have isopropyl rubbing alcohol at home (any percentage will do the trick), wet a paper towel with a bit of isopropyl alcohol and clean the area surrounding your tattoo. NOT the tattoo itself. This will fully clean the skin surrounding your tattoo, making the wrap adhere better to your skin as opposed to cleaning with only soap and should fully clean off any remnants of soap residue before the new bandage goes on. Let it dry. If you do not have isopropyl alcohol on hand, cleaning with anti-bacterial soap only is just fine!  ** Do NOT use isopropyl alcohol for any other part of healing the tattoo! Only this step! **

• Step 3 - After cleaning your tattoo, apply the new wrap. Ask someone else to apply it for you if the area is difficult to see/access on your own.  

 

The paper backing of the wrap is the adhesive side. Remove this side first, it will go face down to your tattoo. After applying this side, the side with the grid will be facing up, and can be peeled back after the wrap is stuck down to your skin. Make sure there is a few inches of surrounding skin also covered by the bandage. Make sure no part of the tattoo is left uncovered. Keep the tattoo wrapped for 4-7 days total. Do not re-wrap more than once to avoid causing excess irritation to your fresh tattoo.

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Over the course of these 4-7 days while wearing the wrap:

• You might notice the wrap has filled up with liquid. This is normal. This fluid is excess ink, blood, and plasma.

• The fluid underneath the wrap will not hurt your tattoo. However, if the build-up of fluid underneath the wrap is excessive, at risk of leaking, or if it does leak, plan to remove the wrap.

• If water, soap or any foreign debris somehow enters the wrap, remove the wrap.

• Avoid physical activities that could cause sweat to build underneath. Sweat coming from your skin will naturally loosen the adhesive, this could result in the wrap to coming off sooner than desired, or if it stays on, sweat being trapped underneath the wrap.

• If a corner/edge peels up on the bandage, feel free to trim/remove any non-stuck pieces.

• If you notice any abnormalities to your skin while wrap is worn: such as irritation, redness, excessive pain or inflammation to the area after a few days of wearing, contact your artist and describe what you're experiencing, include photos if you can. Remove the wrap and clean your tattoo while waiting to hear back from your artist.

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Removing the wrap:

• Clean your hands + the surrounding area of the wrap with liquid antibacterial soap. 

• DO NOT use bar soap. DO NOT use soap with fragrance.

• Remove wrap in the shower under warm running water. Let the water hit the wrap for a few minutes before removing. The warm water will help loosen the adhesive. Slowly and gently pull the wrap away from your tattoo. Pull the wrap back with the direction of your skin, not up towards the sky. This allows warm water to enter behind the adhesive and allows for an easier more comfortable removal.

• Always remove your wrap under warm running water, as removing the wrap dry can cause more irritation.

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Cleaning your tattoo:

• Once the wrap is removed, with the palm of your clean hand apply the anti-bacterial soap to your fresh tattoo and lather in a slow circular motion. Clean the tattoo throughly, but not abrasively.

• Do NOT use a loofah or washcloth of any kind. These are abrasive and harbor bacteria.

• After lathering your tattoo rinse with warm water, making sure to fully clean off any soap residue.

• Pat your tattoo dry with a clean dry towel. Do not wipe!

• Clean your tattoo 2x a day until your tattoo is full healed. Apply an unscented lotion each time after cleaning your tattoo to keep it moisturized. Once in the morning and once at night is easy to remember, and very effective.

• Your tattoo may look slightly dry over the next few weeks. You may or may not notice scabs appearing after removing the wrap.

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Traditional Aftercare (without use of adhesive bandage)

If you have an allergy to adhesives/tapes/bandages, make your artist aware beforehand. The bandage will not be applied to your tattoo at the end of the appointment. I'll advise that you follow old school/traditional aftercare instructions instead. The above steps involving the use of the bandage will not apply to your healing process.

• A temporary wrap will be applied to the area. Keep this wrap on for 1-2 hours to protect your new tattoo while your pores close.

• After 1-2 hours, remove the temporary wrap with clean hands in a clean environment. There may be excess blood, ink, or plasma. It may leak. Being in a shower or bathtub when removing is a good idea. 

• Follow the steps above to clean your tattoo.

• After cleaning apply a light moisturizer to your tattoo such as Hustle Butter or Aquaphor for the first 1-3 days while the tattoo is freshest. Rub in as you normally would with lotion, DO NOT leave a thick layer atop your skin. It should not feel wet or gooey. Use a VERY thin layer so your tattoo can breathe.

• Your tattoo will begin to peel/flake around days 2-5. Continue cleaning 2x a day.

• If using Aquaphor, switch to moisturizing with an unscented lotion after a few days. If using HustleButter it can be used as your moisturizer throughout the full healing.

• Without the use of any adhesive bandage the tattoo is immediately exposed to air, which causes the tattoo to dry out sooner. You will likely experience more flaking/cracking/scabbing during the 1-2 weeks, this is normal.

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Other things to know while your tattoo is healing

• DO NOT pick at or scratch your tattoo!

• Only touch your fresh tattoo with clean hands

• NO SUN - Avoid direct sunlight. Do not use tanning beds. Do not apply sunscreen to a healing tattoo.

• NO SUBMERGING - Do not submerge the tattoo under water while healing. Whether the wrap is on or not, no  swimming, hot tub, lakes, pools, bath tub until your tattoo is healed.

• Let your tattoo REST. Avoid over-stretching the skin/area where you just got your tattoo. Resting your body, especially the area where you just got tattooed will promote faster healing.

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After your tattoo has healed

• Continue to moisturize your tattoos daily

• Protect your tattoos by wearing sunblock whenever you have long days out in the sun

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Following both of the above steps will aid in the longevity and vibrancy of your artwork for years to come.