IF YOU HAVE BEEN COVERED BY AN ADHESIVE BANDAGE:

• Leave bandage on for up to 48 hours. DO NOT EXCEED 48 HOURS. The adhesive breaks down and can cause rashes, irritation and skin discoloration if left on too long.

• Adhesive bandages are meant to promote faster healing, but they are not a full barrier against bacterial and viral infection.

• You can shower as usual with an adhesive bandage on.

• It is recommended to peel your adhesive bandage off in the shower. Liquid soap and warm water will aid in getting the bandage off. Rubbing alcohol is effective for removing adhesive residue, but DO NOT GET RUBBING ALCOHOL ON A FRESH TATTOO. Aside from being wildly painful, it’s a huge irritant and can impede proper healing.

• If your bandage begins to peel up and expose your tattoo, remove the bandage and proceed to Cleaning and Ointment Instructions.

• All bandages, adhesive or otherwise, can fill up with excess plasma that will weep from a healing tattoo, especially if you’ve gotten a lot of saturated black or color work done. If this happens, remove the bandage and proceed to Cleaning and Ointment Instructions.

• AVOID GYMS, SAUNAS, and SWIMMING. These are areas with high concentrations of bacteria such as staph, dermatitis, and MRSA. Such activities should be avoided until your tattoo has gone beyond the flaking and/or scabbing stage. This can typically take anywhere from one to two weeks.

• Be mindful that sheets, blankets, towels and other surfaces that your pets get on

  should never come in contact with a fresh tattoo, as this is a common source of

  bacterial infection. Keep your pets themselves off of your healing tattoo (no matter how cute and snuggly they are).

CLEANING AND OINTMENT INSTRUCTIONS:

• If your tattoo has been wrapped in a non-adhesive bandage, remove wrapping within 2 - 8 hours. Do not leave a fresh tattoo bandaged/wrapped for longer than 8 hours without cleaning and re-wrapping.

• Clean your tattoo with liquid soap and warm water. Bar soap will dry out your skin and can harbor bacteria that can lead to infection. Unscented liquid soap is best, as fragrances can be an irritant (peppermint Dr. Bronner’s is… intense).

• Use a clean towel, paper towel, or air dry your tattoo.

• Apply a thin layer of aftercare ointment. My main choice is a product called Better Butter, which ideally, I have in stock for sale, or it can be ordered online from www.betterbuttercare.ca

• Aquaphor or A+D Ointment are industry standard for aftercare, but I personally don’t like petroleum based ointments for fresh tattoos. Hustle Butter is a great alternative you can buy online. Vitamin E oil and unscented Cetaphil lotion also work well.

• Wash your tattoo and use lotion 2-3 times per day for at least the first 4 days. Afterward, you can use lotion at your discretion if your skin is dry or itchy.

OTHER HELPFUL INFO:

• There are ink particles trapped in your first layer of skin that will inevitably come out with any flaking or scabbing. This is perfectly normal.

• Your tattoo will get itchy within a few days. Do not scratch at it, and do not pick at any scabbing, as this can lift out ink and cause scarring.

• Any tattoo procedure is taxing on your immune system, and thus can make you more susceptible to getting sick. Be extra mindful of your eating and sleeping habits.

• Drinking alcohol after a tattoo is permitted, but it will thin your blood, and excessive drinking can cause excessive plasma to weep out of your tattoo and cause heavier scabbing.