Tattoo Aftercare
Day 1
You’re tired, but you also feel like you levelled up because you have a fresh tattoo ☺︎ Take it easy, drink lots of water and electrolytes.
Once your tattoo session is complete you will be bandaged with an aftercare cream applied to your tattoo. Leave your bandage on overnight. If you'd like, ice the area that has been tattooed (through the bandage, not directly on skin) and elevate if possible. Eat well and rest, avoid excessive alcohol or drug use.
Day 2
Clean your hands with soap and water, then remove your tattoo bandage. Your tattoo will be raised, swollen, possibly bruised and painful to touch.
With clean hands, lather liquid soap and clean your tattoo with moderate pressure and clean lukewarm water. Your goal is to clean away any blood and/or plasma that has wept from your tattoo, leaving the surface of your skin smooth and dry. Repeat this cleaning process as many times as necessary to maintain a tattoo that is no longer weeping blood and/or plasma. Do not re-bandage.
PRO TIP—Try standing in front of a fan or using a hair dryer on the cold setting on your tattoo. The moving air will help your skin dry up, clot and close over.
Day 3
Repeat cleaning process only if needed. If your tattoo has a matte surface and is no longer weeping blood, there is no need to actively clean the tattoo. Let your body do its thing.
Day 4 -14
Your tattoo will begin to get tight, dry and itchy. At this point you can stop actively cleaning your tattoo and transition to moisturizing your tattoo. A little moisturizer goes a long way, using too much moisturizer can clog pores, which we don’t want. Typically, a lighter moisturizing cream is better than a thick greasy product. Use moisturizer to help sooth your dry/itchy skin as needed. This stage of the healing process is best described as a flaking sunburn or a snake shedding its skin. Your body will shed a thin layer of skin that resembles the colours and shape of your tattoo. Allow your body to shed this layer of skin naturally and avoid picking at your healing tattoo. It’s not pretty, but it’s part of the process.
You will know that your tattoo has fully healed when your skin has returned to its natural state and is no longer scabbed, flaking or peeling. This can happen in as quickly as 7 days or as long as 1 month.
Things to avoid during healing
Picking at your tattoo
Soaking or swimming
Sun and sunscreen on a healing tattoo
Hot tubs/saunas!
Dirt, sweat and bacteria (both clothing and environment)
Excessive rubbing and movement on tattooed area
Heavy alcohol and/or drug consumption
If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Happy healing! ♥︎
