Aftercare
If using cling wrap or paper bandage
Remove after one or two hours. Please note that your tattoo will ‘weep’ for the first 24 hours or so. It is excess ink and plasma coming to the surface of the skin. Nothing to be alarmed about but maybe wear something you don’t mind getting stained to bed. Continue reading below the next paragraph.
If using medical adhesive bandage
Try to leave on for about 24 hours. It may fill with plasma and excess ink, forming an ‘ink sack’. To drain, clean a safety pin with isopropyl alcohol and carefully poke a small hole in the film away from any tattooed areas. Squeeze the fluid out carefully and pinch film to reseal. If you want to remove the bandage and apply a new one, please do. It can be purchased online or at some drugstores. Good brands include Tegaderm, Saniderm and ViewGuard. Clean and dry your tattoo gently before applying a new bandage. Remove bandages in the shower with warm water, and Dial Gold antibacterial unscented soap. You may also use coconut oil or Vitamin E oil to help remove adhesive.
Everyone
Once free of any wrap, you should gently cleanse the tattoo with clean hands, antibacterial unscented soap (Dial Gold recommended) and warm water. Do this as part of your shower routine to get any other soap residue off of your tattoo. Cleanse your tattoo and pat dry with a clean, soft towel two or three times daily for at least 4 – 6 days after your appointment.
After cleaning and drying your tattoo, you may use clean hands to apply unscented, unmedicated ointment (Aquaphor) or unscented mild lotion (Eucerin, Lubriderm, Aveeno, etc.). DO NOT OVER MOISTURIZE. Your tattoo should never look wet, apply very thin layers no more than twice per day during your cleaning routine.
After a few days, you’ll notice the top layer of the tattoo flaking and/or scabbing. It will also itch during this stage and might look gross. This is normal. DO NOT SCRATCH, PICK AT, OR PULL any bits of the tattoo off. Let the flakes fall off in their own time and be gentle. Slap to help with the itching.
During the first two weeks with your tattoo, DO NOT SUBMERGE IN A BATH, POOL, OR NATURAL BODY OF WATER. AND NO TANNING. You may shower like normal. Do not put SPF on a healing tattoo but please use SPF when it is healed to keep it looking fresh. The sun and time fade tattoos more than anything else. It is important to protect your healing tattoo from the sun by covering it with clothing or staying in the shade.
After 7 – 14 days your tattoo will be almost smooth and ready to be left alone and enjoyed. It is still a healing wound so continue to keep it generally clean.
Tattoos are usually healed enough for regular activities after two – three weeks. It might still look shiny for a couple of weeks after this point, it is still technically healing for up to a month or longer.