Aftercare

Aftercare is as important as, if not more important than, the process. Use this page as a reference and resource to remember how to best care for your new tattoo!

Aftercare needs depend pretty heavily on the type of dressing used on the first day. Here are the timelines you can expect for healthy healing based on the two options I use. 

Second Skin / saniderm / dermshield

Day 0: Day 0 is the day of your appointment. Before you come in, please eat something and make sure your skin is moisturized and accessible in the outfit you're wearing. 

Days 1-3: For the first few days after your appointment, you shouldn't have to do much care at all! Just keep an eye on the dressing and take it off immediately if any ink is seeping out of it or if you have any kind of redness under the bandage. 

Days 3-5: This is when you should typically take off your dermshield/saniderm, unless you have something coming up in the next few days that might come in contact with your open wound. Take the dressing off slowly and carefully under warm, running water. Use soap to loosen the adhesive, and be sure not to rip it off too quickly or you will jeopardize the integrity of the tattoo. 

After you remove the bandage, wash the tattoo twice a day with unscented antibacterial soap, and (optional) keep it moisturized with neosporin. 

Days 5-7: This is when your tattoo might start to scab or flake. At this point, switch from neosporin/dry healing to an unscented lotion after washing. Keep cleaning it 2x a day. 

Weeks 2-3: In week 2, you can switch to washing your tattoo once a day until the flakes/scabs come off. 

Once all of the dead skin has fallen off, keep moisturizing your tattoo until the skin is fully recovered (no shininess, no raised lines, etc.) 

   Plastic wrap/ other wrap with bactine

Day 0: Day 0 is the day of your appointment. Before you come in, please eat something and make sure your skin is moisturized and accessible in the outfit you're wearing. 

After you get home from your tattoo, take off your wrapping and wash it immediately with unscented antibacterial soap. 

Days 1-3: These are the most important days after your tattoo! Please be careful not to touch it too much or expose it to things like pets. dust, food, or pretty much anything but just the open air. clean it 2x a day and moisturize with neosporin. 

Days 3-7: This is when your tattoo should reach the scabby/flaky phase. You can switch to unscented lotion instead of neosporin at this point. Keep cleaning it twice a day. 

Weeks 2-3: In week 2, you can switch to washing your tattoo once a day until the flakes/scabs come off. 

Once all of the dead skin has fallen off, keep moisturizing your tattoo until the skin is fully recovered (no shininess, no raised lines, etc.) 

Product Recommendations

Soap: Dial Gold Antibacterial Liquid 

Replacement Saniderm (if needed, please reach out before you reapply another derm): CVS brand Tegaderm 

 

Lotion: gold bond unscented lotion with aloe

Balm (post-healing): bee magic all-in-one skin balm