Before Tattoo & After Care
How to Prep Yourself Before Getting Your Tattoo
Here are some things to do before coming to your appointment! Shaving the area is not a requirement. Try to avoid blood thinners like aspirin and alcohol 24 hours prior to your appointment. Make sure to hydrate and get a good nights rest the day/night before your tattoo.
For the day-of your appointment make sure to eat a hearty meal before coming in. Showering the day-of and exfoliating the area is also appreciated. I highly recommend taking 600-800mg of ibuprofen upon arrival or an hour prior. This will help with pain management and over-all swelling during the tattooing process.
How To Heal Your Tattoo.
No matter the healing process, your tattoo will take two full weeks to heal completely. During this time you cannot submerge your tattoo in lakes, pools, oceans, or bathtubs; cool to warm showers are fine(avoid hot water on tattoo site until fully healed). Avoid direct sun exposure for at least three weeks and always use sunscreen after to keep your tattoo looking fresh for the long haul. I recommend moisturizing daily and using baby sunscreens for the long term.
Generally I cover my tattoos with plastic wrap or Saniderm (see below for further instructions) after the procedure. These wraps are meant to give your tattoo some time to coagulate and be protected until it’s time to wash. A fresh tattoo is a open wound, please make sure to treat it with care.
For plastic wrap: This is only generally used for pieces too large to be covered by Saniderm. Leave this wrap on for at least 45mins-1hour avoid unwrapping until you are home in a clean environment. Once you unwrap, rinse gently with cool water and mild NON-SCENTED soap. NO BAR SOAP. I usually recommend not putting the soap directly on the wound but rinsing it with soap suds. After washing the area, air dry or gently pat dry with a clean paper towel. Shortly after you can moisturize with NON-SCENTED lotion or a very thin layer of A&D Ointment. I do not recommend using petroleum based ointments after day 3 of healing, switch over to a light non-scented lotion(such as Aveeno, Lubiderm, Etc.). You will repeat this cleaning/moisturizing routine twice a day for the first two weeks. Wash additionally if needed and moisturize when dry. Avoid letting your healing tattoo skin pre-maturely fall off. In order to avoid this do not: scratch/pick at your healing skin (pat area if its is itchy), over/under moisturizing the area can get your skin too soggy/dry and cause scabbing to fall off early. This pre-mature loss of healing skin can cause a loss of pigment and ruin your tattoo. Always be gentle
If Saniderm or Tegaderm (second skin bandage) is used I recommend leaving the bandage on for 2-4 days. You can shower/sleep with this bandage. After removing this bandage under warm water continue to heal the area with the information included above.
Is This Normal?
Your tattoo and the skin surrounding it may remain mildly swollen, red, and tender for the first few days. Plasma and pigment can continue to seep to the surface for the first couple of days, this is normal. Peeling, flaking, and itching can be expected. As your tattoo heals it may appear dull or uneven in color, this is normal. Do not pick or scratch at your tattoo while it is healing. Picking at your tattoo can cause potential for infection and/or scarring and pigment removal. The better you care for your tattoo during the healing process, the better it will look over time. Feel free to contact me if you have questions/concerns.
