Tattoo Aftercare

Tattoo aftercare is so crucial for a fresh tattoo. Although you may have sat for multiple hours and dealt with the pain for your new awesome tattoo, the journey does not end there. The improper care for you new tattoo can lead to scarring, infection, scabbing, and even the loss of pigment, & detail. (which is something we really want to avoid.) Despite your new tattoo being a wonderful piece of art, it is also an open wound. That means that you will need to give your new tattoo a little extra TLC to ensure that it heals perfect to withstand the test of time.

Recovery aftercare

For most pieces, I like to use a derm shield/ second skin called Recovery aftercare. Recovery is a medical grade, waterproof, breathable tattoo bandage. This type of bandage eliminates the many struggles of healing a tattoo. When healing with Recovery, I recommend leaving the bandage on for 3-4 days. There will be blood plasma and fluid underneath the bandage so don’t be alarmed. When taking the bandage off, take it off in the shower with some water and dial antibacterial soap to break down the adhesive. slowly pull the bandage over itself in the direction of hair growth , then discard the bandage once it fully releases from your skin. Taking the bandage off dry can lead to irritation, and trauma to your new tattoo, so it is not recommended. After the bandage is removed, take a moment to wash your tattoo with the antibacterial soap and pat dry with a paper towel. once you have finished this step, apply a very thin layer of Aquaphor. You can find this type of ointment in the lotion section in Walmart or Target. I recommend the travel size bottle so you can bring it on the go. Repeat this process 2-3 times daily until your tattoo is healed.

If your skin appears irritated, excessive fluid buildup, or the bandage is coming off, it’s okay to remove the bandage sooner rather than later.

If there is adhesive residue leftover on the skin, or the adhesive is not loosening enough with water, coconut oil and baby oil are helpful for removal.

Traditional healing

Healing a tattoo without recovery is slightly different than healing with it. There are 3 stages of healing a tattoo the traditional way. There is the oozing phase, itchy phase, and peeling phase. Once we have finished your tattoo, I will wrap the tattoo with saran wrap. This is to ensure that no extra dirt or debris will get on your fresh tattoo and cause infection. This will be the start of the oozing phase. The oozing phase is is just excess blood plasma and fluid. This is normal within the first couple days. Depending on what time of day you have gotten tattooed, you can leave the saran wrap on for about 2 hours, or overnight if you have gotten tattooed late in the day. Once you have taken the saran wrap off, wash the tattoo with lukewarm water and antibacterial soap. Once you have washed your tattoo, pat dry and apply a thin layer of Aquaphor. repeat this process 2-3 times daily. Once the oozing phase is over, it will get to the itching phase, this is when the top layer of your skin begins to tighten and prepare itself for the peeling phase. Continue the aftercare regimen as usual through out this phase and the peeling phase until your tattoo is fully healed.