The most critical part of how a tattoo looks has to do with healing. Once you leave the studio, it is up to you to take good care of your tattoo. By following these simple directions your life should be much easier. By not, you are guaranteeing that your new tattoo will look worse off, and could potentially land you in the hospital.
- Do not soak or allow to absorb water.
- Absolutely no swimming.
- No ocean either.
- Never scratch a healing (itchy) tattoo.
- Use non-scented lotions
After You Leave the Studio
The plastic needs to stay on until you stop bleeding which is usually a few hours. Don’t take it off until you are in a clean environment where you can properly wash and clean your tattoo of blood and excess ink. Use unscented anti-bacterial soap and warm water. Lightly use your hand to rub soap on and wash it off. Then dry the tattoo by dabbing it with a towel (there may still be blood and ink on your skin that can get on the towel).
After washing, it will begin to dry up and feel tight. When this happens, begin applying a thin layer of Aquaphor. Continue applying the Aquaphor when you notice that it’s dry, with clean hands for the first 3 days. It may still be excreting some fluids, and you may want to loosely wrap it with a cotton shirt or cloth before bed the first night.
The first week
Your tattoo should keep drying up and stop releasing fluids. This is good news! After a week or two, it begins to peel (like a mild sunburn would. You can apply a non scented, plain moisturizing lotion (Lubridirm or Currel works well). It will start to itch, especially if it is in a hairy area, BUT you wont itch it. Got that? No itching. As it starts to peel you’ll want to put lotion on top of the peeling skin taking care not to remove the peeling skin. It will come off by itself, DO NOT peel it off. As tempting as it is, it will dramatically effect your healed tattoo if you pull the pealing bits off.
The First Month
No direct sunlight. If you have to be in the sun, put on the highest SPF possible. No swimming in any body of water. No swimming pools, hot tubs, or the ocean. The skin is still regenerating and water gets inside the skin, blurs the ink, and will sometimes pull it out of the skin. Swimming is also the number one reason for infection in new tattoos. Water transmits the pathogens that can cause infection and should be avoided. At this point you’ll want to call me, schedule a follow-up session or come back so I can take a picture of your healed tattoo.
If at any point you suspect that your tattoo is causing an allergic reaction or is infected please call me, I will be able to help you figure out what to do next. Allergies are not very common but happen, and infections depend on your ability to keep your tattoo clean after you leave the studio. Together, we can enjoy a positive tattooing experience by following these simple rules.
