What you will need:
Leave your bandage on OVERNIGHT!
Remove your bandage the morning after you got tattooed:
Always wash your hands when touching your healing tattoo
Get your hands very sudsy using the Bronner’s soap. Wash your tattoo using your fingertips and palm in circular motions. This helps wash your tattoo and clear out pores and hair follicles. Sometimes it is nice to rinse, and repeat, just to make sure all the ointment and plasma and other bits are cleaned off. (No shiny spots!)
Rinse your tattoo thoroughly!
Pat dry with a paper towel or a clean bath towel.
Let air dry for 20 minutes
Apply just enough lotion to moisturize. Do not goop/slather it on.
REPEAT this exact routine, twice a day (Morning and Night) for one week. That's it. You do not need to re-bandage.
Peeling, flaking, scabbing are all totally normal and to be expected. Do not pick or scratch your tattoo.
After a week, you can relax a little on the aftercare. Be sure to keep it clean, and keep it moisturized at your discretion until it’s all healed up!
Your tattoo is healed when it feels like your normal skin again. If you have any questions during the process, don't hesitate to call the shop or shoot me an email!
SOME THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND:
Wear CLEAN, loose clothing over your new tattoo throughout the day. Do not wear dirty clothes, also avoid clothes that will rub/irritate it. Tight clothes that rub can create scarring on your healing tattoo. Clean bed sheets are also a good idea.
Do not use any products I have not personally recommended to you. If you use something weird, I may not know how to help you if your tattoo has issues healing. Do not google the internet or ask your friends concerning the healing of your tattoo, please call the shop or email me directly.
Do not soak or swim with a new tattoo. Wait until it's healed. Showers are A-OK!
Do not tan/sunbathe with a new tattoo. After your tattoo is HEALED, you may use a high SPF sunscreen to protect it while you're outside.
Light Exercise is fine with new tattoo, but avoid equipment that many people share. Do not roll around on a gym floor or use a gym shower while healing your tattoo. Again, do not wear tight clothing that will rub and irritate your new tattoo. Staph and MRSA are usually present in gyms and/or communal spaces where bodies are moving/sweating.
Do not pick or scratch your healing tattoo. It may be tempting, but just don't. It could ruin it your tattoo, or give you an infection. Leave your tattoo alone, unless you're cleaning it or lotioning it.
I offer free touch-ups within the first year of your tattoo. Preferably, the sooner you come in after it's healed, the better. Touch-ups do not equal "I want my tattoo freshened up before summer!"
Tattoos become a part of you; they will fade and age and that is okay and normal and to be expected!