Hypafix Bandage - “Second Skin”

After your tattoo session is done, your Tattoo Artist will apply a second skin bandage. Leave this bandage on for 4 days. Don’t be surprised if ink and plasma pool up under your bandage the first couple days. This is normal. Avoid sleeping on your best bed sheets in case this fluid seeps out a bit overnight. If it pools up excessively, and you are worried about it or feel you need it rebandaged, let us know and we can look at it and rebandage immediately. After 4 days remove the bandage by peeling a bottom corner back enough to be able to get a good grip on it, then slowly apply a downward pressure to loosen the adhesive. Doing this in a warm shower will help loosen the adhesive. Once loosened, gently pull upwards to completely remove it. After it is removed, gently clean the area with an unscented soap that has no extra additives, and then rinse with water. Pat it dry with a clean paper towel and then apply a thin layer of moisturizer. Any unscented moisturizer that has no extra additives will do. Apply sparingly and gently massage into the area with clean hands. If there is an excess of moisturizer, gently pat it dry with a clean paper towel. Clean and moisturize the tattoo twice a day, morning and night, as described above until fully healed, or more if necessary. If you know you got it dirty then obviously clean it, and if you know it feels dry then moisturize it but avoid excessively doing either unnecessarily. Excess soap cleaning can dry it out and excess moisturizer can be a moist environment for bacteria to grow. If you’ve taken the bandage off earlier than 4 days, don’t apply the moisturizer on open skin until the surface layer is dry enough that it needs it.

• Do not submerge in water of any kind for any length of time until fully healed.

• Do not go into Saunas or Steam rooms.

• Give your tattoo a full 3 weeks for these activities.

• Do not go exercise or excessively sweat for 1 full week.

• Do not itch, scratch, or pick at scabs. You can pull out ink or cause an infection.

• If it is really itchy a small amount of moisturizer applied as described above can help.

• Avoid direct sun exposure for 3 weeks and do not use a sunscreen during this time. Sunscreen can be used once fully healed to maintain vibrancy and prevent UVB damage.

• Do not listen to anyone else’s instructions on aftercare except your tattoo artist or a doctor.

• Do sleep in clean sheets

Some people have mild allergies to the adhesives on bandages. If you notice redness beneath the clear bandage where nothing was tattooed or around the perimeter of the bandage, then you may have a mild allergy. If so, then remove the bandage and clean the area following the procedure described above. Do not apply moisturizer though for 2-3 days until closed over, and be extra careful to keep clean. Redness around a healing tattoo is normal but if the redness starts expanding outwards you may have an infection. Contact us or a doctor as soon as possible and we will recommend the proper treatment, which usually only requires a small amount of antibacterial cream being applied to the area with clean hands a couple times a day the same way you would apply moisturizer as described above. These antibacterial products can pull out ink though so before you diagnose yourself and feel it’s necessary, please contact us or your doctor.

If you ever have any concerns or questions at all about how your tattoo is healing don’t hesitate to contact us. We will be there for you every step of the way.