After your tattoo session is done, your Tattoo Artist will apply a black bandage. Leave this bandage on for your duration until home and a max of 4 hours. Once off, with clean hands, gently clean the area with an unscented soap that has no extra additives, and then rinse with water and pat it dry with a clean paper towel. Don’t apply the moisturizer on open skin and wait until the surface layer is healed over enough that it needs it. You don’t want to be putting moisturizer in an open wound. 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 (moisturizer as needed and only once the skin is closed) 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.

• 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

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.