Tattoo After Care Instructions

After Care

 

Dermal Bandage

    1. Keep dermal bandage on for 3-4 days
  2. Remove bandage if you notice any water is trapped inside after showering and follow normal healing instructions.
  3. You can remove the bandage earlier than 3-4 days even if no water is trapped inside if it’s bothering you or irritating your skin, follow normal healing instructions
    1. When showering with dermal bandage do not use anything abrasive on it. If you normally use a wash cloth, loofa, or anything like that squeeze the suds out and wash around the bandage with your hand. When drying yourself off do not wipe with towel, either air dry or pat it dry. If after your first shower after the dermal bandage is applied you notice water inside the bandage remove it and follow normal healing instructions
  4. It is normal to get a “blood bag” where the bandage fills up with blood and plasma discharge. That’s normal and you can leave it, it won’t hurt anything.
  5. When it’s time to remove the dermal bandage do it on the shower with warm water pulling from the bottom up. Once removed was the tattoo. When dry apply fragrance free lotion.
  6. Once bandage is removed you do not need to wash the tattoo excessively. Whenever you take a shower will be fine, even if you don’t shower everyday.
  7. Apply fragrance free lotion 8-10 times a day or anytime it’s feeling dry. You cannot over lotion but you can under lotion. Not keeping it moist enough will result in harder scabs that take longer to fall off and can pinch the skin leaving it red and irritated and potentially filling with natural skin oil.
  8. Continue lotioning for another 5-7 days after removing the dermal bandage until new skin has grown over the tattooed area
  9. Avoid petroleum based products (aquaphor, Vaseline, bag balm, a&d ointment, etc.)and any lotion that’s a “cream” this is very easy to over use and will water log the tattoo (kind of like getting out of the pool with a scab)

Regular Healing

  1. Remove bandage and wash the tattooed area with fragrance free soap using your hand to apply it. Once washed allow to air dry or pat it dry. Once it’s dry apply lotion to the tattooed area
  2. When showering do not use anything abrasive on it. If you normally use a wash cloth, loofa, or anything like that squeeze the suds out and wash around the bandage with your hand. When drying yourself off do not wipe with towel, either air dry or pat it dry.
  3. You do not need to wash the tattoo excessively. Whenever you take a shower will be fine, even if you don’t shower everyday.
  4. Apply fragrance free lotion 8-10 times a day or anytime it’s feeling dry. You cannot over lotion but you can under lotion. Not keeping it moist enough will result in harder scabs that take longer to fall off and can pinch the skin leaving it red and irritated and potentially filling with natural skin oil.
  5. The healing process can take 2-4 weeks, normally we say a full 30 days to be considered completely healed. It will scab, then peel, once the scab has come off completely continue lotioning for another 5-7 days until new skin has grown over the top. 
  6. Avoid pulling off scabs before they fall off on their own. Even if they look like they want to come off prematurely picking scabs can take pigment with it and you’ll end up with bare spots in your tattoo. 
  7. Avoid petroleum based products (aquaphor, Vaseline, bag balm, a&d ointment, etc.) and any lotion that’s a “cream” this is very easy to over use and will water log the tattoo (kind of like getting out of the pool with a scab)

Frequently asked questions

Can I Use Numbing Cream?

Yes you can. We typically don't recommend the use of numbing cream for large scale pieces or anything that might take longer than an hour. Our suggestion would be to use it for difficult placements for tattoos that will only take an hour or less.

Is there a preferred numbing cream I should use?

Yes. We prefer TKTX products. These are numbing creams we've found actually live up to the claimed numbing period. These products also dont negatively affect the tattooing process. There are other numbing products available, if you choose to go with something other than the TKTX understand it may make the skin harder to tattoo and as a result slow down the tattooing which means less tattooing done with the numbing effect before it wares off.

Does my artist provide numbing cream?

No. We do not currently have numbing cream available. This is laregely because the numbing cream should be applied roughly an hour before your appointment to provide any numbing affect. If we did in the shop you would either be paying us to sit around for an hour while it absorbs in the skin or have the numbing cream on for too short a time before the tattooing starts to have any effect.

How do I apply the numbing cream?

Each manufactuerer will have their own instructions either on the packaging somewhere or on their website. I would defer to their specific instructions first. If those arent available for you the basic instructions are.

1. Clean the area being tattooed with soap and water and let it dry (you could also wipe the area with rubbing alcohol instead).

2. Apply cream to the skin, rubbing it in the same way you would lotion till its color completely dissapears or is barely visible.

3. Apply an extra amount of cream to the area. 1mm thick should be fine (roughly the thickenss of a dime). Just dab it on, you wont be rubbing it in. This extra cream will slowly absorb in the skin over the hour.

4. Wrap the area tightly in cling film. This will trap the cream against the skin and also keep it from rubbing off.

5. Let your artist remove the wrap and excess cream for you when its time for the stenciling. Try to time it so you have an hour before you start tattooing. ex. You're appointment time is 12pm, it generally takes about 15-20 minutes for paperwork and stenciling so you would want to have applied your cream around 11:15am-11:20am.

Is My Tattoo Infected?

Infections arent as common as the internet would have you believe. More often than not what may appear to be an infection usually ends up being either too lax after care or contact dermatitis.

An infected tattoo will be very tender, very red, and very swollen, at the tattoo area itself. It will be hot, not just at the skin if you were to hover your hand over it you would still be able to feel the heat. It could potentially have solid discharge.

A tattoo thats been affected by contact dermatitis or lax after care would be red and puffy, sometimes there can also be splothing of the skin in the same area of the skin near the tattoo. It can feel very firm and look almost like the skin is cracking on the tattoo scab. It wont be hot and it could have thin discharge, almost like oil coming out of it.

What do I do if I think my tattoo is infected?

If given the examples above you believe your tattoo is infected go to urgent care, or if you can get in right away go see your regular doctor. After hours and weekends go to the emergency room. 

They will likely give you anti biotics. These will negatively impact the healing of the tattoo but that can be fixed, its more important to treat the infection as quickly as possible.

Always reach out to your artist about it and provide pictures, but if you believe you have an infection based on the above information do not wait to hear from them to go get it looked at.

What do if I believe I have dermatitis or lax after care?

If given the examples above you believe you have dermatitis or laxed healing the treatment is straightforward.

Apply hydrocortisone cream to the area, rub it in till the color of the cream is thin but do not rub it in all the way like you would lotion. Do this every 6-8 hours for the remainder of the typical 20-30 day healing time. Using hydrocoritisone cream will not hurt the tattoo.

It may also be a good idea if you think its dermatitis to switch out whatever you wash yourself with wether its a loofa or a wash cloth. More often than not its what you use to apply the soap than the soap itself.

Always let your artist know and send pictures.

What causes a tattoo to become infected?

Tattoo infections can honestly be caused by just about anything that might have an impact on your immune system immediately before, during, or after the tattoo procedure. Its very uncommon for it to actuallly be the result of the tattooing itself or any of the materials used for the tattoo, though not impossible.

The most common causes for an infected tattoo tend to be:

1. Allergies

2. Medications

3. Being on Anti biotics at the time, though this more commonly will just make a tattoo heal poorly and look like an infection even though it is not.

4. Already having an impacted immune system wether thats a chronic contdition or you currently have a bug.

Our consent form has a spot for acknowledging these things, if you have anything going on health or medication wise its best to let your artist know even if your'e not sure its relevant.

Beyond the ordinary

This is where our journey begins. Get to know our business and what we do, and how we're committed to quality and great service. Join us as we grow and succeed together. We're glad you're here to be a part of our story.