AFTERCARE

AFTERCARE

It’s important that you take care of your new tattoo properly, both for your health and for the vibrancy and longevity of the artwork that is now a part of you. Here’s what proper aftercare looks like:

AFTERCARE

  • During this time, your tattoo may “weep” excess fluids (blood, plasma, and ink). This is a completely normal part of the healing process but may look a little gross. If you see any ink sacs (bubbles of built-up fluids under the second skin) don’t worry! Just let them be and take care when removing your second skin so that they don’t spill onto any clothing or surface you wouldn’t want to get ink/blood on. This build-up of fluids can actually help your skin during the initial part of the healing process.

    I hear from a lot of my clients that they’ve gotten conflicting responses from different artists on how long to leave second skin on for. It’s usually best to follow whatever advice your artist gives for their specific tattoo (different styles can sometimes behave differently in the healing process), but I personally find that 24hr works well for myself and my clients.

  • If you were given saran wrap as a bandage, this should be pretty self-explanatory.

    Removing the second skin though can be a little tricky, and maybe even intimidating for larger pieces. Here are some tips for removing your second skin bandage:

    ☆ Instead of pulling the bandage away from your skin like it’s a sticker, try pulling it in a direction parallel to your skin (like you would a command strip). This is gentler on your tattoo, as it allows the bandage to release from your skin instead of pulling + ripping away from it.

    ☆ Removing the bandage in a warm shower helps. Make sure the water isn’t too hot since that can cause unnecessary pain and discomfort. While the tattoo is especially fresh (first couple days) I also recommend to avoid the shower water hitting it directly. Try letting the water hit a part of the body upstream so it can travel down and gently wash over the healing tissue.

    ☆ If you’re really struggling, a little bit of unscented liquid soap can also help to remove the bandage.

  • Once the second skin or saran wrap is off, gently wash your new tattoo with a mild, unscented soap. If you’re having trouble finding a good unscented soap to use, here are two of my recommendations:

    ☆ Dr. Bronner’s unscented castille soap
    ☆ Dial unscented antibacterial soap

  • After washing your tattoo, gently pat the area dry with a clean paper towel. Avoid reusable cloth/hand/bath towels, as these can harbor bacteria.

    After patting the tattoo dry, let it also air dry for a couple more minutes before moisturizing.

  • Once the tattoo is fully dry, apply a thin layer of Aquaphor* to moisturize the tattoo. Take care not to apply too thick a layer of Aquaphor on your new tattoo. Overmoisturizing can cause issues with the healing process, including irritation, infection, and blurring or fading of the ink.

    *If you prefer, you may also use a specialized tattoo aftercare moisturizer (Mad Rabbit, Hustle Butter) or a gentle, unscented, water-based lotion (Lubriderm, CeraVe, Cetaphil etc.) in place of Aquaphor.

    Some of my clients like to use Aquaphor for the first couple (3-4) days, then switch to an unscented water-based lotion for the rest of the healing process. I find this works well and would recommend it for those who aren’t huge fans of Aquaphor.

  • Wash + dry + moisturize 2x per day (or more if you like).

    Keeping your tattoo clean and moisturized is important for it to heal as well as it can.

    If you’re struggling to remember to wash your tattoo twice a day, it can be helpful either to set a reminder on your phone or mentally attach the activity to another routine that you already do twice a day, like brushing your teeth.

    + If you accidentally get anything grimey (dirt/excess sweat/animal fur/etc.) on the tattoo during this time make sure to clean it off (and moisturize) as soon as you can to avoid infection. Please read the “What to avoid” section for more info regarding this.

  • This is more of a bonus step, but still helpful + important.

    Keeping your tattoo moisturized is not only important for proper healing, but it can also help you deal with itchiness as the tattoo heals. Itchiness makes it harder to avoid scratching the tattoo, and scratching the tattoo while it’s healing is harmful to the healing process.

    Again, take care not to overmoisturize (ie: don’t apply your moisturizer too thickly—instead, stick to frequent application of thin layers).

STEPS:

☆ psst! click the + button to expand each item to read more! ☆

WHAT TO AVOID 

For the first 3 weeks (unless otherwise noted):

  • Do not submerge your new tattoo in water (ie: no baths/swimming in the pool/hot tub/ocean/lake/etc.) for the first 3 weeks. Showers + cleaning the tattoo in running sink water are 100% ok!

    Letting your tattoo soak or sit in water for any period of time can expose it to bacteria that can cause irritation or an infection.

    Please try to keep this in mind when scheduling a tattoo. If you have a super fun pool party, beach trip, etc., planned during first couple weeks after your tattoo, please reschedule your appointment. Your tattoo will be with you for the rest of your life. You want to treat it kindly.

  • Direct sun exposure can be damaging to skin in general, but especially so to freshly tattooed skin. While you might normally apply sunscreen to protect your skin from the sun, doing so to a fresh tattoo can irritate the skin and mess with the healing.

    To avoid direct sun exposure, cover the tattoo with loose clothing any time you may be in the sun for more than a brief moment.

    Once your tattoo is healed, applying sunscreen to protect it is a great habit to get into! This will help to keep it vibrant for as long as possible.

  • You do not want your pet licking or rubbing their fur and dander against your new tattoo. You can still spend time with them, just be mindful.

    If your new tattoo accidentally gets into contact with an animal/animal debris, just be sure to properly clean and moisturize the tattoo immediately afterwards.

  • Your new tattoo will most likely become (very) itchy as it heals. This is normal! Do NOT pick or scratch at the skin. If the itching is really bad, feel free to slap the tattoo for relief. Keeping it properly moisturized also helps (see steps 4 + 6 of the aftercare steps).

    Not scratching or picking at your new, scab-y, flakey tattoo is hugely important for it to heal properly. If you pick or scratch at the healing tattoo, it increases the risk of the tattoo healing unevenly and possibly even scarring.

  • Just like scratching, any extra friction against your new tattoo will likely mess with its healing and appearance over time. While it may not seem like an issue, wearing tight clothing on top of a healing tattoo may irritate it and keep it from healing well.

    Tight clothing may also increase your risk of the tattoo becoming infected, as it can trap sweat and bacteria against your skin + new tattoo.

  • This may be more of a challenge during the hotter months, or if your body naturally sweats more, but try to be aware of sweat getting (and staying) on your new tattoo. Not properly washing your tattoo right after sweating may increase the risk of it getting irritated or infected.

  • Exercise can cause a lot of movement and stretching in certain areas of the body that can disrupt the healing process. The extent to which you should avoid exercise will depend a lot on the placement of your tattoo, as some parts of the body move much more than others.

    Here are some examples of placement areas that are more prone to disrupted healing from exercise:

    • Knees

    • Elbows

    • Torso

    • Any other part of the body that moves and stretches a lot with use (think: joints and points around which your body bends + folds)

    Aside from movement disrupting the tattoo’s healing process, exercise also often makes you sweat, which is also not great for healing a tattoo (see above).

  • This is mainly regarding Vaseline. The main issue with products that are 100% petroleum jelly is that they are very thick and, when used to moisturize a tattoo, can prevent the tattoo from breathing properly.

    Aquaphor does contain some petroleum jelly, but it has other ingredients mixed in that help allow the skin to breathe and promote healing. Even still, I will emphasize again that it’s important to apply only a thin layer of Aquaphor so as to not trap + suffocate your new tattoo. (See step 4 in the aftercare steps for more info)

Many of the items in this list are to help you avoid infection. While I hope it’s pretty obvious why you would want to avoid getting an infection, here are some clear reasons (not meant to scare you, just meant to inform you):

Infections can:
• Increase risk of scarring
• Cause blurring and fading in the tattoo
• Become severe and possibly life-threatening if left untreated

Otherwise, the items above are here to guide you in taking good care of your tattoo and to help you understand your role in healing your tattoo to be as beautiful and vibrant as it can be.

NOTE:

IMPORTANT:

If you notice any signs of infection, please see a doctor immediately. Mild skin irritation, swelling, redness, and pain are completely normal in the beginning of the healing process, but there are some important signs to look for that may indicate an infection:

  • Pus + foul smelling drainage from the tattoo site

  • Raised bumps or rash

  • Excessive heat, warmth, or redness around the tattoo site

  • Red streaks spreading out from the tattoo site

  • Worsening pain or swelling (especially after 3-5 days)

  • Systemic symptoms (fever, chills, sweats, shaking) — Note: “tattoo flu” can be a commonly experienced and normal side effect of getting tattooed. If you are experiencing flu-like symptoms such as a fever or chills early on, but these symptoms subside in the first few days, tattoo flu is likely what you are experiencing. If these symptoms get worse and persist after the first few days, that is when you should consult a doctor.

I am a trained and licensed professional tattoo artist, and I always practice proper hygiene in my work. I am by no means a doctor or a healthcare professional, though, so if you are worried you have an infection, please seek advice from a professional in the medical field.