Tattooing, a technique of marking the skin with colors, has been practiced since antiquity. Now this ancient art is enjoying a renaissance. Movie, television and sports stars have begun sporting Tattoos, and others are following their lead.

We want your new Tattoo to turn out perfect for you to enjoy for years to come. So please follow our recommendations for the proper care of your new Tattoo. We realize there are numerous recommendations for aftercare of your tattoo but these are our general guidelines, the care of your new tattoo will be your responsibility.


*REVISED* We have updated our tattoo care because we are trying to help our clients understand tattoo aftercare is just as important as cleanliness during the tattoo process.*

Have MORE questions????? We have answers HERE




TATTOO CARE INSTRUCTIONS:

Day One:
Your new tattoo may be somewhat tender, as we said before "The way you care for your new tattoo during the healing process will determine the way it looks forever!!


Keep bandage on for two hours, if the tattoo is done later at night leave the bandage on overnight. Do not remove the bandage to show your friends/family/people walking down the street, etc. your new tattoo. Each time you open the bandage and let environmental particles in and then close the bandage back, up all you are doing is sealing in what ever dirt and what ever else floating around (which can welcome bacteria into your tattoo).

If your tattoo is "oozing", that is just white blood cells coming out with a little bit of pigment and that will make you stick to sheets/clothing, if you yank the sheet or clothing off the area then it will A: Hurt like hell, B: Disrupt the healing. What you want to do is get in the shower and wet the clothing that is stuck to the tattoo, this will loosen the clothing because the water will dissolve the white blood cells.

Once the bandage is off, you want to wash your hands first then wash the area with liquid anti-bacterial hand soap (non-scented, no colour, no alcohol) with your finger tips, because the area will have some exudate (plasma, white blood cells) and you need to keep the area clean. After washing the area, take some paper towel ONLY (no towels, no Kleenex, no toilet paper) and blot the area until it is dry. Do not allow the tattoo to soak any longer than needed to wash the tattoo.

Let the tattoo air dry, it is an open wound and you want to let it cool off and dry. If it oozes a bit, carefully blot away the moisture with clean paper towel.

Wash your hands!!! After the tattoo is dry you want to use a Fragrance Free (perfumes can cause Edema) lotion such as Lubriderm (Fragrance Free) or Curel (Fragrance Free). **Since all clients are different in allergies & sensitivities, please use something that YOU are comfortable with (within these guidelines). There may be slight discomfort when applying the lotion but if it BURNS or is painful then wash your tattoo and do not use the lotion you got (some people have rare allergies or sensitivities and the lotion should never burn or be too painful to apply).

Do NOT use lotions with colour, petroleum, alpha-hydroxy acid, aloe vera, citrus or sunblock.

As you use the lotion, be cautious not to cross contaminate the opening of the lotion. Squeeze the lotion onto your fingertips (wash your hands) or use the pump lotion bottle (again be careful not to touch the end of the pump or the opening) you have an open wound and you don't want to rub contaminated lotion from dirty fingers into your new tattoo nor do you want to touch the opening/pump with fingers that were just touching an open wound (getting the point here?).

Why do we even tell you to use lotion?
Simple, because the area will get dry and crack if it is not kept moisturized and if you don't take care of it properly you will get a scab (not just flaking but a thick scab). HOWEVER, if you use too much lotion (each time) or don't rub it in properly your tattoo will get mushy and soft.

If you have really dry skin then use a SMALL amount of lotion more often, if you have moist skin use less but either way ... MAKE SURE YOU RUB THE LOTION OVER THE WHOLE AREA AND NOT JUST LET IT SIT AND SOAK IN. If you put too much on, you can always blot away access lotion with paper towel. You want to lotion about every couple hours (a SMALL amount), the best way to adjust to your skin type is to see how it feels. If the area feels tight then put a small amount of lotion on until it feels relief. WASH YOUR HANDS FIRST (have I mentioned that?)!!

Do NOT allow the tattoo to soak in the shower and please do as best you can to avoid getting the area wet while you shower, keep the area that has been tattooed out of direct contact with the water (do NOT allow the water to beat directly onto your tattoo). If you soak the tattoo (waterlog) it will puff up and get mushy which will wreck the tattoo and you will end up losing the pigment and have to get your tattoo redone & you don`t want to pay for another tattoo when you could have cared for your new tattoo the first time.

Do not use any petroleum based products ever on your tattoo (such as Vaseline or a&d or Bacitracin, Neosporin, etc) they will smother the healing and you will get a scab from them; they are petroleum jelly and have no healing ability. If you do get an infection from improper care then you can use Neosporin ONLY in the infected area and a small amount.


DO:
*Wash hands thoroughly with liquid antibacterial soap and water.
*Remove bandage carefully.
*Wash tattoo with warm water and liquid antibacterial soap, lathering with hand.
*Rinse tattoo well with warm water, until surface of tattoo feels squeaky clean. You want to make sure you clean your tattoo REALLY well to get the ointment and exudate out of the tattoo.
*Pat tattoo dry with a clean, disposable paper towel and let air dry for about an hour.If the area looks wet or moist after an hour, pat dry again with clean paper towel.
*Apply SMALL amount of lotion to tattoo and work into skin. Do NOT over moisturize.
*Blot excess lotion with a clean paper towel.
*Tattoo should not be greasy - LESS IS MORE!!

DO NOT:
*Do NOT re-bandage tattoo!
*Do NOT use washcloth, loofah, or sponge to wash tattoo!
*Do NOT dry with a towel. Cloth towels can harbor bacteria!
*Do NOT touch tattoo with dirty hands! Do NOT let anyone else either!
*Do NOT apply excessive lotion or ointment, tattoo should not look soggy.
*Do NOT use products containing aloevera, alcohol or cortisone, colour, petroleum, alpha-hydroxy acid, citrus or sunblock.
*Do NOT expose tattoo to natural or artificial sunlight for at least 3 weeks.
*Do NOT soak in tub, pool, lake, etc. All contain bacteria!
*Do NOT pick or scratch tattoo - It will feel itchy but try lightly slapping it or using a little lotion on the tattoo to prevent itching.

Days 2-14:
Healing of tattoos will peel and flake; small bits of coloured skin will shed. It may not look as 'crisp and sharp' as the first few days and may look a bit hazy. This is completely normal, and will clear up in 2-3 weeks. Continue to wash tattoo twice a day, morning and night, as directed. Apply small amount of lotion several times a day, being sure to use a SMALL AMOUNT only and work it in.

*IMPORTANT!!!!!!*
Antibiotic ointment (neosporin + triple antibiotic) can be used ONLY IF infection occurs. Problems can occur with prolonged use; and the sun should be avoided at all costs as some ointments are photosensitive, and a rash can develop if exposed to natural or artificial sunlight.

PRODUCTS WE RECOMMEND:
SOAP: Liquid ANTIBACTERIAL (like Dial).
LOTION: Un-scented, no colour. **Since all clients are different in allergies & sensitivities, please use something that YOU are comfortable with (within these guidelines).