Aftercare

    • Always wash your hands before touching your healing tattoo.

    • Your tattoo may be itchy while healing, but do not scratch or pick at the tattoo. Let any scabs or flaking skin fall off naturally.

    • Never allow fresh tattoos to come into contact with pet hair, pet saliva, bathroom towels, or anything else that harbors bacteria. If this kind of contact occurs, follow cleaning steps below as soon as possible.

    • Wear loose clothing around the tattooed area, trying to avoid chafing or rubbing.

    • Do not submerge your tattoo in water (e.g. swimming or bathing) and do not go into a sauna or steam room for at least 2 weeks following your appointment. Showers are fine! Generally, you just want to avoid excess moisture around the tattooed area, as moisture feeds bacteria.

    • Avoid sun exposure to the tattoo during the first 2 weeks of healing.

    • Do not use sunscreen on your tattoo until the top layer of skin is fully healed (about 2-3 weeks after your appointment).

  • When you leave the studio, your tattoo will most likely be covered with a transparent “second skin” bandage (If not, see next section titled “traditional bandage”). I use the brand Derm Shield. I recommend leaving it on for 2-3 days. The bandage is waterproof, so you can shower with it on, but don’t use any soaps or lotions over the bandage as it may damage the adhesive.

    How to remove Second Skin:

    It’s most comfortable to remove your bandage in the shower or under running water. With clean hands, peel the bandage by grabbing the bottom edge and stretching it straight down towards the floor (like how you’d remove a command strip). See this video for an example. The area underneath the second skin may be red and sensitive, but this should wear off in the next few hours.

    Proceed to the “Cleaning Your Tattoo” section below.

    Remove the bandage immediately and proceed to cleaning and aftercare if:

    • Water or a foreign object gets under the bandage.

    • The bandage lifts or peels enough to expose the tattooed area.

    • The bandage feels uncomfortable (e.g. excessive itching or burning sensation, redness of the skin under/around the bandaged area).

    Second skin is not supposed to feel uncomfortable, so if it does, it may indicate an allergic reaction to the bandage. If you suspect an allergic reaction, I advise against using second skin with all future tattoos.

  • If your tattoo is covered with a sterile gauze bandage and/or saran wrap: Leave this bandage in place for about 3 hours (no more than 12 hours). DO NOT remove the bandage until you can properly clean it. Remove the bandage and continue to the “Cleaning Your Tattoo” section below.

    1. Wash your tattoo gently with your fingertips, water, and an unscented antibacterial soap (e.g. Dial gold, baby Dr. Bronners, etc.)

    2. Pat tattoo dry gently using a clean paper towel. Do not rub your tattoo to dry!

    3. Apply a thin layer of unscented, alcohol-free lotion (e.g. Cerave, Aveeno, Lubriderm), ideally something with a pump dispenser (more sanitary). Apply just enough lotion to absorb in the skin; too thick of lotion application or over-applying creates a moist environment that may allow bacteria to grow.

    Repeat cleaning steps once or twice per day until the surface of the tattooed skin is done peeling (about 1-2 weeks). After the peeling stops and a new layer of skin has grown, you don’t have to wash your tattoo before you apply lotion, but continue to moisturize daily to keep the tattoo hydrated.

  • Please contact me if you suspect an infection. Infections can be managed with minimal harm to the tattoo if caught and treated with antibiotics early. If infections are left untreated, they can cause damage to the tattoo and serious adverse health effects.

    Seek medical attention immediately if you experience one or more of the following symptoms:

    • excessive soreness of the area

    • white/yellow/green discharge from the tattoo

    • red lesions/streaking on the area that lasts 72+ hours

    • foul odor emitting from the tattoo

    • fever

    • waves of hot and cold sensation

    • abnormal shivering

    Infections are rare, and they generally occur within the first 3 days after removing your bandage. Here are a few common causes of infection:

    • swimming or bathing with a fresh tattoo

    • touching your fresh tattoo with unwashed hands

    • contact between a fresh tattoo and pets

    • sleeping in dirty sheets or pajamas with a fresh tattoo

    • scratching or picking at your tattoo

    • using harsh soaps or unsanitary ointments

    I know this sounds scary, but I haven’t had any clients with infected tattoos before so please don’t stress about it too much! If it happens, please reach out to me and I’ll help support you through the process.

    • Regularly moisturize your tattoo to keep it looking vibrant.

    • Always use sunblock (SPF 30+) whenever your tattoo is exposed to sun or UV rays.

    • Send me healed pics! 😊 They don’t need to be professional by any means. I just love to see how my pieces have healed, it helps me learn and improve!

  • I always want you to be happy with the art on your body, so touch ups are always free! Touch ups can be scheduled at earliest a month after your tattoo appointment.

    As your tattoo heals, some lines may develop gaps, or areas may darken/lighten more than anticipated. This is very normal, and it can result from either my application of the tattoo or something during the healing process.

  • Here is a general timeline of what to expect during the healing process. Timeline will vary based on your body, the tattoo’s location, amount of ink used, etc.

    • First 24 hours: Your tattoo may darken, and ink and plasma may pool under your bandage.

    • Days 1-3: Your tattoo is an open wound. The area will feel like a scab, and lines may be raised.

    • Days 4-7: Your tattoo will start to dry out, and the tattooed skin will flake off as new layers of skin regenerate underneath. It is normal to have ink-colored skin flakes that fall off the tattoo. Your tattoo will likely be itchy during this time, but don’t scratch it and don’t peel off any scabs or flakes.

      • Whenever your tattoo feels itchy and dry, follow the cleaning steps outlined above. Lotion helps with the itchiness!

      • If you feel extremely itchy and lotion isn’t helping, gently tap/pat the tattooed area. This can trick your brain into feeling some relief from the itchiness.

    • Days 7-14: Fresh skin is regenerating over the tattooed area. After flaking subsides, the tattoo will appear healed. At this point, the tattoo is no longer considered an open wound and you don’t need to wash it every time you touch it. However, deeper layers of the skin are regenerating, so keep it generally clean and apply thin layers of lotion throughout the day.

    • Days 15-30: The tattoo may appear healed, but deeper layers of your skin continue to heal internally. Your tattoo may look a bit cloudy/blurry as new skin surfaces. Apply sunscreen (SPF 30+) to the tattoo whenever you’re out in the sun. You can swim again as long as the top layer of skin appears healed (no more peeling/flaking).

    • Day 30+: Your tattoo is fully healed! If grey wash was used, grey values will have lightened. You can get the tattoo touched up at this point.