Aftercare Instructions
Lost or can't remember your aftercare instructions? Or just randomly searching for clear and thorough aftercare and found this page? We got you! Whether or not you're a client of ours, we're happy to provide guidelines for all to help you heal your tattoo quickly and safely. Please note that these guidelines are created based on those learned from my apprenticeship and refined in my own practice, so if you have received a tattoo elsewhere, your artist's instructions may differ from these.
​
ALL THE TATTOO AFTERCARE INFORMATION YOU NEED TO KNOW
​
IF YOU HAVE AN ABSORBENT BANDAGE APPLIED:
Leave your bandage on for at least 6 hours, but no more than 24.
Before removing the bandage, wash your hands with soap and warm water. Carefully remove the bandage – some sections of your tattoo may be stuck to it, so it is important to be gentle.
Immediately after removing the bandage, wash the tattooed area with mild soap and warm water. Ivory or Dove are commonly recommended brands. Avoid strongly scented soaps or soaps with additives like exfoliating grains.
​
IF YOU HAVE SANIDERM/TATUDERM/TEGADERM/SECOND SKIN (the clear covering) APPLIED:
As long as the second skin is fully adhered to the skin, it can be left on for up to 3 days. Remove it sooner if a large amount of fluid builds up underneath (looks like a blister), leaks out from the edges of the bandage, or if the bandage is already peeling away from the site on its own. TO REMOVE SANIDERM, wet it completely with water (taking a shower is ideal) and gently slide/peel it off and discard. If the Saniderm does not come off easily, stretch it out like a 3M strip as opposed to peeling it. Gently wash the tattoo with mild soap and water. Do not pull the Saniderm off dry, as this can pull ink out of your tattoo.
​
• Once washed, pat dry with a clean towel or paper towel.
​
• Make sure to wash your tattoo at least twice a day (after waking and before going to bed), or as often as
needed (if it gets sweaty, dusty or dirty) until it’s fully surface healed (the scabs have naturally fallen off). Keep in mind that your tattoo is a wound, and every reasonable precaution should be made to limit exposure to bacteria. After the surface is healed, you can still continue to apply moisturizer at any time to help keep your tattoo looking fresh and bright.
​
• Do not submerge/soak your tattoo while it is healing. Showers are fine, but no immersion in bodies of water
like baths, hot tubs, pools, ponds, lakes, etc. Immersion opens the pores which can allow bacteria in the water to enter the bloodstream, which can lead to serious and potentially deadly infections. If your tattoo is on your hands, be sure to wear gloves if you are doing something such as washing dishes where your hands need to be immersed. When showering, do not scrub the tattoo with cloths or sponges. Wash gently with your hands.
​
• About 3 or 4 days after receiving your tattoo, it will begin to flake, scab and peel. There will be some tattoo
pigment mixed in with the flakes and scabs, which is normal. At this point you may apply a small amount
of mild unscented moisturizer, such as Aveeno or Aquaphor, to the entire tattooed area after each time
you wash and dry it. Rub it in gently until it is absorbed. Avoid any moisturizer that remains above the
surface of your skin for more than 5 seconds after being applied. Do not use Vaseline or Polysporin, as
these can compromise the ink in your tattoo. Make sure your moisturizer is within its expiry date, as old
moisturizers can grow harmful bacteria which could cause infection.
​
• Do not pick any flakes or scabs that have formed, as this can pull pigment out of your skin
prematurely and leave inconsistencies, blurring or scarring in your tattoo.
​
• During the scabbing/flaking stage, your tattoo will become itchy. Do not scratch it, as this can damage the
delicate layers of skin healing under the surface, and lead to inconsistencies in your tattoo. Continue to
moisturize as needed, especially if the tattoo is feeling tight and itchy. If the itching is difficult to handle,
gently patting the area with your hand is all right and will help alleviate some of the discomfort.
​
• If your tattoo is in an area prone to sun exposure, make sure it is covered while out in the sun during the
healing process. Do not apply sunscreen until the tattoo is healed (approx. 2 weeks). Cover with clothing
or a bandage when out in the sun. After your tattoo is healed, make sure you use sunscreen when
outdoors, as the sun will fade unprotected tattoos over time.
​
THINGS TO EXPECT
​
DAY 1-3
Redness, swelling, tenderness, and some stickiness or oozing of clear fluid/thin blood is normal.
​
DAY 4
Redness, pain and inflammation should noticeably reduced or gone by now. Scabbing, flaking and peeling begins and progresses. If the tattooed area was shaved, hair should be starting to grow back by this time. Some hairs may become ingrown. Do not pick or squeeze the bumps, as this may damage the tattoo. Just continue to wash and moisturize the tattoo as normal to encourage the hair to exit easily from under the skin.
​
DAY 12-14
Areas where the scabbing has come off will have new skin which appears translucent and shiny. This skin is delicate so it’s important to continue to wash and moisturize it as normal, and protect it from the sun or injury. At this stage the tattoo may appear slightly cloudy until the skin firms up. This is normal.
​
This timeline is a guideline based on the general healing time of approx. 2 weeks. Your tattoo may heal slightly slower or faster than this. Know that although the surface will be healed within a few weeks, the layers of skin underneath will continue to heal over the next approx. 3 months.
​
THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR
-Redness, swelling, heat or pain that persists beyond the first 4 days without improvement, or worsens
-Persisting leakage of fluid or blood beyond the first 4 days without improvement, or leakage of pus
-A rash of pimples or red dots which radiates out from the tattoo site and spreads
​
The above may be signs of an infection. If you experience these symptoms, do not attempt to self treat. Please visit your local walk in clinic or family doctor as soon as possible. Your wellbeing is paramount to me, and I take the utmost care in providing a clean professional setting, but I cannot offer informed medical advice or treatment.
​
​