Aftercare
A tattoo is an expensive and challenging process! To ensure the best results for your lifetime, please take aftercare seriously! It can impact the longevity and brilliance of your tattoo more than you think.
During your appointment, I will go over aftercare with you, as well as your aftercare options: with second skin or without second skin.
With second skin:
You can keep the second skin on for 3-5 days. The only time you would take it off before then is if your skin is irritated, the redness on your skin doesn’t go away after a day or two/travels to the edge of the second skin, if it is leaking, or if part of your tattoo becomes exposed. If any of the aforementioned happens, remove the second skin as soon as possible. Otherwise, you can leave it on for up to 5 days. It is normal for plasma/fluid to build up underneath the second skin.
To remove the second skin, wash your hands with a non-scented antibacterial soap (goal Dial is perfect), run the tattoo under warm water, and slowly peel the edges of the second skin up like a command strip (do NOT yank at it/rip it off like a band-aid). Keep your tattoo under the warm water while doing this - it should help with the removal. Then, wash your tattoo with the non-scented antibacterial soap, blot it dry with a clean paper towel (do NOT use your bath towel - it can have bacteria on it), and put a thin layer of a non-scented water based lotion on top of the tattoo (brands such as Lubiderm, Cetaphil, Cerave are all fine).
Wash your tattoo and put lotion on it 2-3 times a day for until it is 2 weeks since your appointment. Do NOT expose it to the sun, or swim/soak in any body of water (ocean, pool, river, lake, hot tub) - showering is totally fine. After 2 weeks, you can treat it like normal skin, however, it could take between 4-6 weeks for the ink to settle into your skin. Please use SPF when exposing it to the sun!
Without Second Skin:
You can keep the second skin on for 3-5 days. The only time you would take it off before then is if your skin is irritated, the redness on your skin doesn’t go away after a day or two/travels to the edge of the second skin, if it is leaking, or if part of your tattoo becomes exposed. If any of the aforementioned happens, remove the second skin as soon as possible. Otherwise, you can leave it on for up to 5 days. It is normal for plasma/fluid to build up underneath the second skin.
After the first couple of days, you can reduce washing your tattoo and putting lotion on it to 2-3 times a day. Do this until it is 2 weeks since your appointment. Do NOT expose it to the sun, or swim/soak in any body of water (ocean, pool, river, lake, hot tub) - showering is totally fine. After 2 weeks, you can treat it like normal skin, however, it could take between 4-6 weeks for the ink to settle into your skin. Please use SPF when exposing it to the sun!