Before and Aftercare

To prepare your skin before your tattoo appointment, I have several recommendations. One is to hydrate heavily in the week before, this will make your skin softer and easier to work with. It’s a good idea to do some light exfoliating and regularly applying lotion in the week before your session if you know ahead of time where the tattoo will be placed. I don’t recommend drinking any alcohol the night before, but if you do, try to balance it out with a lot of water. I also don’t recommend over-caffeinating on the day-of your appointment, this can affect your nerves, and also can increase the number of bathroom breaks during our session.

If your appointment is scheduled during the warmer months, avoid direct sunlight on the area we’ll be tattooing at least two weeks before your session. Sun damaged or burnt skin cannot be tattooed and your appointment may have to be postponed.

To increase your pain tolerance and avoid additional stress on your body, I highly recommend getting a good night’s sleep the night before our session as well as eating a large meal within two hours. You can feel free to bring snacks and drinks with you to the appointment as well and I can always make time for nourishment breaks.

I want you to be as comfortable as possible during the tattoo, so you are more than welcome to bring a book, tablet, headphones, plushies, blanket, or whatever will make the experience more tolerable for you. I offer a small menu of snacks, drinks, comfort items and aftercare products as well.

Please show up right on time for your appointment. There is no need to show up early, I factor in the time it will take for you to fill out the consent form and be fitted with your stencil into your session and will not be ready for you until the exact time of your appointment.

Your tattoo will be bandaged after your appointment and depending on the type of bandage, you will have different instructions.

If you have a sensi-wrap bandage (opaque, wraps around you and sticks to itself) then you should leave it on overnight after your appointment. Wear a long sleeve shirt while you sleep to protect it, and then in the morning, take it off and wash your tattoo. However if the bandage starts to slide off where it will expose the tattoo, take it off early, clean the tattoo, and cover it with a clean shirt. I recommend sleeping with clothes covering the tattoo for the first several nights after the session.

For second skin bandages (clear, sticks to your skin), leave it on between 2-5 days. My philosophy is that this type of bandage will tell you when it’s ready to come off. If you see any redness or rash symptoms around the outside edge of the bandage, take it off immediately and wash it. Fluid inside the bandage is totally normal and healthy, but take it off if any fluid leaks out, or if the bandage peels up too close to the edge of your tattoo. When you’re ready to take the second skin bandage off, do so in the shower under warm water and peel it very slowly, taking your time in order to be as gentle with your skin as possible.

I also offer a plastic-wrap bandage in cases where the other bandages can’t be used. Plastic wrap is the least breathable, so it needs to be taken off by bedtime the night of the tattoo appointment. Wash the tattoo thoroughly and cover with freshly-cleaned cotton clothing. Be sure to keep the tattoo covered with clean, breathable clothing for the first several days of your appointment.

The first day:

After you remove the bandage, immediately wash your tattoo in the shower, cleaning off any excess lotion, ink, and blood under water that’s as warm as you can handle comfortably. Use mild liquid soap from a bottle, not a bar, and wash it with the palm of your hand. Do not use a loofah or washcloth. I recommend antibacterial hand soaps like Dial or Softsoap or natural soaps like Dr. Bronners. I don’t recommend soaps that are excessively perfumey like body washes, and definitely no exfoliants or body scrubs. After showering, let your tattoo air-dry or gently pat it dry with a clean paper towel, as bath towels can leave behind bacteria and fuzzy residue. Do not re-bandage your tattoo. Your first night, I recommend changing your bed sheets to a freshly cleaned set and wearing pajamas while you sleep, especially if you have pets that get into bed with you. Bacteria from pets is one of the most common causes of tattoo infections. Your tattoo may leave ink or blood stains so I also recommend wearing clean, dark-colored pajamas made of a loose, breathable fabric like cotton.

The first 2 weeks:

Treat your new tattoo like an open wound... because it is! The top layer of skin will harden into a very thin scab and then peel off, similarly to a sunburn. This is normal and though it may feel itchy or uncomfortable, do not scratch it or pick at it. Your tattoo is most susceptible to infection and damage in the first week so keep it as clean and protected as possible. I recommend washing your tattoo twice a day for the first few days, and then as the tattoo gets more dry or itchy feeling and begins to peel, reduce the amount to once per a day. Avoid clothing that causes excessive rubbing or friction on the tattoo. If you have to be in the sun, cover it with loose clothing. Do not use sunblock while it’s still healing. Do not submerge your tattoo under still water in any way, which means no baths, swimming, hot tubs, etc. If you work somewhere where your tattoo may get dirty and you don’t have time or a place to wash it, I recommend spraying it periodically with a First Aid disinfecting product like Bactine. You may lotion your tattoo while it’s healing but I recommend starting with a very small amount and then increasing it slightly over the course of the first week as your tattoo gets more dry-feeling and begins to peel. Only use an unscented lotion such as Lubriderm, Aquaphor, or Cetaphil 2-3 times a day. Less is more, remember: you’re not frosting a cake! Make sure you rub it all the way in after applying. You can consider your tattoo healed after 2-3 weeks, though the ink will continue to settle and soften over several months.

Your tattoo is with you for life! The better you care for it, the better it will look as your skin ages over your lifetime. The biggest factor is sun exposure. It will cause line-work to become wider and fuzzier over time and it will fade the color of the ink. Wear 50+ SPF sunblock as much as possible when you’re outdoors. I personally keep spare bottles of sunblock in my bag and car so it’s easy to apply on the go. Use 100% aloe vera gel if your tattoo does get exposed to prolonged sunlight or gets sunburned. Beyond sun protection, exfoliating occasionally can help keep your tattoo looking bright by sloughing the top layer of skin, and applying a moisturizing lotion a few times a week will keep your skin hydrated and your tattoos looking vibrant.