Tattoo Aftercare

GENERAL TATTOO AFTERCARE:

  • Always wash hands well with soap & water before tattoo aftercare
  • Prepare your bed with clean, pet hair free bed sheets.  Use CLEAN towels to dry/or paper towels to blot
  • Remove bandage in 2 hours following tattoo completion, wash well with Liquid Dr. Bronners Peppermint or Dial and warm water
  • Pat gently dry, air out and rewrap DRY with plastic wrap
  • Repeat before bed time.  NO longer than 8 hours bed time wrap.
  • Wash tattoo twice a day gently with warm water and Anti-bacterial liquid soap such as Dr Bronners or Dial Gold
  • Wrap 3 nights and 1st day only, DRY w/ plastic wrap
melissa-fusco-full-color-sleve-tattoo-after-care

FIRST DAY ONLY:

  • Remove plastic wrap.  It may seem very saturated, this is normal.
  • Wash very well with warm water and soap in the AM.  Lather and rinse a few times to remove all bodily liquid.
  • Pat gently dry/ air out for 15 minutes.  Rewrap dry.
  • Change plastic every 4-5 hours, rinse with warm water, air out, rewrap DRY.
  • Before bed wash well with warm water and soap, air out and rewrap dry before (2nd) night time wrap.  

SECOND DAY:

  • Remove plastic wrap and wash well with soap and water.
  • Air out 15 minutes then apply a THIN layer of ointment throughout the day.
  • Ointments: Mountain Alchemy Salve, Aquaphor, Bacitracin or Polysporin.
  • NO Neosporin ointment NO triple anti-biotic ointment.  Neosporin CREAM is ok for hard healing spots
  • Last bed time wrap.  Wash, air out, wrap dry

THIRD DAY:

  • Wash in the AM & PM, applying ointment throughout the day until tattoo has fully peeled.  This can take 5-10 days
  • When the tattoo starts to peel take quicker showers, as to not make it too soggy, causing the skin fall off too soon

CONTINUE: After peeling process is complete, for the remainder of your 2 weeks just wash once a day and switch to a fragrance-free lotion, Mountain Alchemy Salve, After Inked, Natural Shea Butter, Natural Cocoa Butter or Aveeno. Apply throughout the day and before bed.

DO NOT: leave plastic wrap on longer then recommended. Do not apply ointment in thick layers.  The tattoo needs to breath to heal.  NO working out for 3 days. NO picking, scratching, soaking, swimming, or sunning for 2 weeks.  It is normal for the skin to itch during the healing process, rebuilding cells causing itching. 

ALWAYS contact your artist if you have any questions or concerns about your tattoo aftercare.  If you are having an allergic reaction, feeling ill, or think your tattoo is infected seek medical attention immediately.  Allergic reaction or infection signs:  Oozing turns yellow/green, redness/ inflammation that continues longer than one week.  Portions of the tattoo are completely falling out with skin tissue in large areas.   ALWAYS use sunblock 60+ forever.  Apply sunblock often!!