Tattoo aftercare is the most important thing you can do to insure the quality and longevity of your new tattoo. It should take 10 days to 4 weeks to heal your tattoo.
Here is what we suggest for aftercare for your new tattoo.
- Leave your bandage on for at least two hours if not longer. Don’t take it off at a bar, in the car or just to show someone real quick.
- When you are ready to take the bandage off make sure you are somewhere clean where you can wash your hands and your tattoo. Placement of some tattoos may require you to get into the shower.
- After washing your hands remove the bandage, if it seems like it is sticking just get it wet and it should come off easily.
- Wash the tattoo using your finger tips, soap and semi-warm water. The tattoo will heal and feel like a sunburn so hot water wont feel great, be careful. The soap you use shouldn’t contain any grainy material and preferably be fragrance free and anti-bacterial. Make sure to get everything off the surface of the skin.
- After washing your tattoo, pat it dry. Possibly air dry for a few minutes after patting dry to ensure it is completely dry. Then apply a small amount of high quality fragrance free lotion to the tattoo. Rub the lotion in completely.
Keep your tattoo clean
Essentially your tattoo is like a scrap or a burn and you must keep it clean. An infection will hurt, it will look horrible , take forever to heal and damage the tattoo. It may also require a trip to the doctor so keep it clean, clean, clean, wash you tattoo 3-4 times a day.
Keep your pets away from your tattoos. Change your sheets if your animals get on the bed, and keep them on the floor while your tattoo is healing. Don’t touch your tattoo unless your cleaning it, that goes for your friends, they can look but no touching.
You do not need to re-bandage the tattoo. Do not use petroleum jelly products ( A & D, Neosporin, or Vasoline) to heal your tattoo.
The tattoo will start to heal like a bad sun burn in 3-5 days and start to peal, flake or slightly scab. It is important to let everything come off on it’s own. Picking or scratching the tattoo could cause your tattoo to loose ink in that area.
During the healing process do not submerge your tattoo in any water. Showers and washing your tattoo are a must, just no bathtubs, hot tubs, pools, rivers, lakes, oceans, or saunas. No direct sunlight on the tattoo while it is healing or excessive wind. After the tattoo is healed apply sunscreen to your tattoo whenever your exposing it to sun.
After the tattoo is healed, the skin will still need several weeks to completely adjust and may seem dry which could result in an opaque look that may seem to hinder the colors in the tattoo.
Applying lotion will reduce the dryness and make the tattoo appear brighter.
Feel free to call the studio at 913-362-TAT2 (8282) with any questions.