Aftercare

Bandage Types

There are two different types of bandages that your artist may apply to your fresh tattoo.

  1. Clear and sticky Second Skin type bandage also known as Tegaderm, Hypafix, etc.

  2. Meat Packs are usually black, with an absorbent layer.

Second Skin may be left on for multiple days, with a minimum of 4-5 hours, granted that there isn’t a great amount of fluid that builds up under it. Though this type of bandage is hypo-allergenic, there is a small amount of people that have increased skin sensitivity that still do react to this type of bandage. We find that in and around 3% of our clients may react. Signs of a reaction to this bandage are 1. Inflammation does not subside but gets worst. 2. Premature itchiness within a day to all parts of the skin that are in contact to the Second Skin and not just the skin that has been tattooed. Itchiness really shouldn’t occur until around the second or third day due to the healing process. If you experience any of these symptoms, take off your Second Skin bandage immediately.

“Meat Packs” are usually black on the outside layer and an absorbent inner to catch any blood and plasma that may discharge. This type of bandage may be left on anywhere from 4 hours to overnight. There’s no need to keep this bandage on past the next morning after tattooing. This type of bandage is more suited for people that may have any skin sensitivities since any adhesives needed can be applied indirectly to the skin.

If you have sensitive skin and suspect that you may react to any type of bandage, please communicate this to your artist.

Phases of Healing

The healing process for everybody is different. Factors that affect this process are diet, level of health and fitness, sleep factors, medical conditions and genetics. The better you take of yourself, the faster and better you will heal, the better the outcome of the tattoo, the better your tattoo will age over time.

It is considered that for the first three days, your new tattoo is a fresh open wound and no healing has occurred quite yet. After the three day period is when your body will start to heal your tattoo. Generally after this period, your new piece of art will start to scab depending on the area, flake, and the old damaged skin will fall away. When most if not all of flaking is done, is what we call the “Soft Heal Phase.” This is on average completed within 2 weeks. Healthier people may see this phase completed in less time. If this phase takes more than a month, please consult a physician since this may be a sign of underlying health conditions. New fragile skin after two weeks is thin, will have micro wrinkles, looks differently textured than the rest of your skin, and will have a sheen. Just after a month from your date of tattooing is when the new skin has had enough time to thicken fully and any further work that needs to be done on the same area may occur without damaging your new fragile skin.

Washing and Moisturizing

Within three days, do not moisturize your new tattoo. Just wash with an unscented, mild, liquid soap such as Dove, Spectro Gel, or Cetaphil. Make sure any soap is their original formula and not a special formulation such as that made for acne. Wash your tattoo 1-3 times a day.

After three days you may moisturize if you so choose, it’s not absolutely necessary. Applying moisturizer is for relieving itchiness, tightness, and dryness.

Continue washing until the “Soft Heal” is completed, when most if not all the flaking is completed. Moisturize for as long or as little as you’d like.

Things to Avoid &
Things to Do
During Healing

Situations of prolonged or excessive heat and/or moisture such as, including but not limited to: swimming in pools, hot tubs, lakes, oceans, sitting in saunas, taking long hot showers(keep your showers to a minimum and as cool as humanly comfortable), baths, exercise that makes for a lot of sweating such as running or hot yoga, etc.

Do not rebandage your tattoo unless otherwise instructed by your artist.

Please wear loose fitting, breathable clothing.

Stay out of the Sun, out of hot weather, and away from dirty environments until after the Soft Heal Phase. After that period, please wear sunscreen with a high SPF.

Problematic Areas for Healing

Hands and Feet - These areas inflame and swell considerably during the tattoo process. Skin types throughout these two places change greatly and especially close to the palms. Also, because we use these part of our bodies a lot, or we cover them for the greater part of the day with socks and shoes, combined with a high level of skin rejuvenation, “fallout” or loss of ink may be considerable. Icing these areas within the first few days will help to prevent fallout, and if possible at all, be cognizant of how and how much you use these parts of the body. Take an anti-inflammatory.

Necks, elbows, knees, pits - Because of the constant bending and flexing of these areas, the body has a very hard time healing. Large scabs have a higher likely hood of forming, drying out while bent, and then ripping when limbs are extended. It’s hard to prevent fallout in these areas.

Lower extremities - Tattoos on lower parts of the body are susceptible to blood pressure changes and are most noticeable as tattoos are placed closer to the ankle and feet. You will notice this pressure as you stand up and the blood rushes to these areas. This pressure will create for more swelling and may cause your body to push out your new ink. Try to keep these areas elevated as much as possible and icing may be required to reduce the swelling. Take an anti-inflammatory.

Touch ups are most likely required in these areas of the body and may not be offered by your artist due to guaranteed problematic heals.

Please keep your artist informed of any complications.

And as on our waivers states, THE TATTOO ARTIST DOES NOT ACT AS A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL. Any suggestions made to the client are NOT to be construed as or substituted for advice from a medical professional.