Properly caring for your new tattoo is crucial in order to prevent scabbing, scarring, infection, and potential loss of pigment or detail in your healed piece. Your tattoo will take 2-4 weeks for initial healing, but the deeper layers of skin may not fully heal until up to 6 months later.
With all healing tattoos, there are four main things to avoid in the initial 2-4 weeks:
Submerging the tattoo in water (i.e. baths, pools, hot tubs, etc.)
Moisturizing excessively
Exposure to sunlight
Picking or scratching the skin, peeling flakes prematurely
Below are some more detailed instructions, depending on which method you use.
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Saniderm is a medical-grade, waterproof, and breathable adhesive bandage used primarily as a protective "second skin" for healing new tattoos.
Once applied, leave the bandage on the skin for 3-5 days. It is water resistant, but not waterproof: it's ok to shower with it on, but submerging it in water or excessive sweating could cause it to fall off early.
Sometimes, especially with large and dark tattoos, a bubble of ink and plasma will form under the bandage. This is completely normal, as long as it isn't leaking outside the bandage, in which case you would remove it early.
Once 3-5 days have passed, remove the bandage by pulling it slowly, parallel to the skin (like how you would pull a command strip off the wall). It's best to do this in the shower when the skin is wet.
Once the bandage is removed, wash the tattoo with an unscented antibacterial soap (ex. Dial Gold), dry with a clean paper towel and apply a thin layer of unscented lotion. Repeat this 2 times a day until there is no more flaking and the tattoo is healed (about 2 weeks).
If the bandage peels off early, if plasma leaks out of the bandage, or if any part of the tattoo becomes exposed in any way, do not try to reapply the bandage, as this can trap bacteria and cause infection. Instead, take the bandage off early, wash with antibacterial soap and apply a thin layer of A&D ointment for 2-3 days, then switch to using unscented lotion for the rest of the healing process.
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This is the more traditonal tattoo healing option, and is a good option for anyone allergic to adhesives. At the end of the session, I will apply a light layer of A&D ointment and wrap your fresh tattoo in Saran wrap. I'll also provide a small packet of ointment to use at home.
Keep the Saran wrap on for a few hours or until you get home. Then, remove it and wash the tattoo gently with unscented antibacterial soap (ex. Dial Gold). Apply a very thin layer of ointment, just enough to keep it moisturized. Repeat this 2 times a day for 3-5 days, then switch to using unscented lotion after washing for the remainder of the healing process.
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After the tattoo's initial healing process, be sure to wear plenty of sunscreen and moisturize regularly to keep it looking its best. Keep in mind that the tattoo may appear to be fully healed on the surface, however deeper layers of the skin will still be fully healing for up to 6 months.
If you have any questions during the healing process, I'm always available to answer them via DMs!
Thank you for stopping by, and happy healing!
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