Healing Guide

With Adhesive Bandage:

Adhesive Bandage is not recommended for sensitive skin, allergies, or anyone sensitive to Band-Aids!

• Leave the adhesive bandage on for a minimum of 1 night and UP TO 3 nights if its sticking well.

• Expect blood, plasma, and some ink to pool underneath the wrap and get gooey! ( this is completely normal

• When removing the adhesive bandage get it under running water or go into the shower with it( do not soak your tattoo) and GENTLY start to peal it off. If its sticking too hard get a little water under it and just keep working at it slow and steady. DO NOT rip it off like a Band-Aid as this will hurt and may also damage your tattoo!

• Next gently clean your tattoo with antibacterial unscented liquid soap ( never bar soap). Pat it dry with a paper towel (not your regular towel because of fuzzies and bacteria)​ then let it air out and dry. Repeat this cleaning method at least once a day for the duration of healing!

• Once it starts to dry out and feels tight and itchy. With CLEAN HANDS go ahead and use your preferred UNSCENTED lotion LIGHTLY. Just enough to soak in but not enough it is shiny on top. You don’t want a thick layer as this can harbor bacteria and cause infections.
  
  ALSO: If the adhesive bandage off before the first night DON’T PANIC. Just clean it with antibacterial unscented liquid soap (never bar soap). Pat it dry with a paper towel (not your regular towel because of fuzzies and bacteria) and with clean hands re wrap your tattoo with regular cling wrap for the first night and follow the cling wrap instructions listed below>>>>

With Cling Wrap:

• Keep your cling wrap on for the entire first night after your appointment. (It usually gets soupy with ink plasma and blood, this is completely normal! Sleep on sheets you don’t mind getting a little tattoo leakage on!)

• Wearing clothing over the wrap can help keep it on over night

• The next morning carefully take off the wrap and dispose of it in a PET SAFE TRASH or even and outside trash. The last thing you need is a vet bill because your lovely pet ate plastic wrap because it smelled too interesting!

• Next pop in the shower gently clean your tattoo with antibacterial unscented liquid soap ( never bar soap). Pat it dry with a paper towel (not your regular towel because of fuzzies and bacteria)​ then let it air out and dry. Repeat this cleaning method at least once a day for the duration of healing!

• Once it starts to dry out and feels tight and itchy. With freshly washed CLEAN HANDS go ahead and use your preferred UNSCENTED lotion LIGHTLY. Just enough to soak in but not enough it is shiny on top. You don’t want a thick layer as this can harbor bacteria and cause infections.

Additionally, for EVERYONE:

• Let it heal and try not to touch your tattoo too much with your dirty hands!​ you don’t want an infection.

• Keep your tattoo out of pool/jacuzzis, bathtubs, lakes, oceans, and other bodies of water for 2 weeks! Be careful of pets, pet hair, gym equipment etc. touching your tattoo and use your common sense to prevent infection. If you DO come across a potential infectant follow cleaning process with your anti-bacterial soap as needed.​

• Over cleaning can cause redness and irritation! Let your body do its thing, its good at healing!

• If your wrap comes off in the middle of the night and you end up sticking to clothing or sheets if possible just get in the shower with that item and run water over it until the plasma breaks up enough to come off easily. Then clean as stated above in the instructions with unscented anti bacterial liquid soap and proceed as normal. ( even if it rips off instead do clean it!)

• Sometimes your tattoo oozes plasma AND some of the color after. If it it feels fine but has a little white its not always infection. If its in a white ink area it might just be ink!

• Your tattoo is going to dry out peel and potentially have a few scabs​. You will be mostly healed by 2 weeks-1 month.

• TIP for sweating! Particularly outdoor goers and gym enthusiasts: if you do an activity that makes you sweat go ahead and clean your tattoo with antibacterial soap( or rinse with water if that’s all you have access to) and pat it dry with a paper towel. Sweating and movements can push out plasma and cause scabbing in some instances. Washing your tattoo before it drys off after sweating will help prevent this!

Scabbing

• Scabs happen and don’t mean it’s infected, areas that move and stretch a lot are particularly prone to them! Scabbed areas may take longer to heal!

• If you have some scabbing, try not to get it it wet, stop lotion on those areas and let it fall off naturally as much as possible (accidents happen).

• If the scabs do get wet, resist the urge to wipe them off while they are soft, let them firm back up and do their thing as you will just damage the area and potentially cause scarring.

• In general some ink may “fall out”, meaning it just might not stay in that spot but it’s not the end of the world. I always guarantee my work and am happy to get you in for another session and touch up your tattoo once its fully healed (at least a month).

Allergic Reactions and Infections:

Nobody wants either an allergic reaction or infection and I do my best to prevent these with clean procedure from my end. HOWEVER, if you think you may be having an allergic reaction follow the removal instructions and then clean your tattoo and let it dry out! In my personal experience I also stop lotion as this can worsen allergic reactions.

If you think you may have a very small infection, gently clean your tattoo with antibacterial soap and let it dry out, then see how it is after that. IF it WORSENS IN ANY WAY, please seek medical attention!

In BOTH INSTANCES I am not a doctor so nothing in this guide constitutes professional medical advice! Reach out to your doctor ASAP for treatment options. Worry about your body first and THEN your tattoo. Tattoos can be fixed. Your health comes first!​

Tattoo Healing