Tattoo Healing and Aftercare Tips

Healing Instructions for Second Skin/DermShield

First 24-48 hours: your tattoo will “weep” under the second skin bandage, consisting of blood, plasma, and excess ink. It will probably feel sore and sensitive, so just try to leave it alone and wear loose clothing. Some redness around the bandage is normal and will go away once you take it off, but if the area starts to feel hot, sharp pains, or if you get water under the bandage, take it off and follow the Standard Aftercare instructions below.

Day 3-5: leave on the second skin bandage, the liquid that’s built up inside the bandage might slightly solidify and reabsorb into the skin. If the area feels uncomfortable, or if you prefer to be able to look at your tattoo while it’s healing you can change the bandage:

-Slowly remove the first bandage under warm water (you might see some ink on the bandage, that’s normal).
-Use a mild, unscented hand soap like Dial Gold.
-Make a lather in your hands with the soap and warm water
-Gently clean tattoo in a circular motion, until all residue is removed
-Rinse all of the soap off with water
-Allow your tattoo to air dry or use a paper towel to dab it dry. Don’t wipe your tattoo or use hand/bath towels. The tattoo must be dry for the new bandage to stick, so don’t apply any ointments.
-To apply the new bandage, cut it to be able to cover your whole tattoo plus about a 1/2” border, and round out the corners of the bandage.
-Peel the white paper side off the bandage and place it on your tattoo, smoothing it down from the middle out.
-Once it feels secure, peel off the top layer with the plus signs at the yellow arrows.

Day 5-10: Remove the second skin bandage and wash your tattoo as described above. Your tattoo will begin to look flaky in areas, just don’t touch it unnecessarily or pick at any scabs. Keep it clean and wash it once a day if needed. If it itches, slap it instead of scratching it. If it feels uncomfortably dry, you can put a thin layer of water-based moisturizer like Aquaphor or Cetaphil on it. Your tattoo will be healed by around day 10-14.

Up to 6 months: Your tattoo is healed and you don’t have to do anything else to it, but it will take up to six months for the deepest layers of your skin to fully heal and for your tattoo to look “settled in”. You may have some texture on your skin where there is more solid color, but this should be minor and will go away over time.

Standard Healing Instructions

1. Wash your hands and remove the initial bandage after 2-3 hours. You can leave the bandage on overnight if it feels comfortable and secure. If the bandage is removed on the first night, the tattoo may stick to or stain bed sheets. Maintain clean bedding throughout the healing process (about 2 weeks).

2. After removing bandage, wash the tattoo immediately with warm water and soap. We recommend plain Dial soap out of a pump bottle. No soap with fragrance, moisture beads or scrubs.

Process for washing a fresh tattoo:

-Carefully remove bandage and tape.
-Make a lather in your hand with soap and warm water
-Gently clean tattoo using a circular motion, until all ointment, blood, and lymphatic fluid are removed
-Thoroughly rinse the tattoo with water
-Allow the tattoo to air dry or dab dry with a paper towel. Do not wipe your tattoo, or use washcloths, bath towels, sponges, or loofahs on it.

3. Once the tattoo is dry, apply a thin layer of water-based ointment like Aquaphor, and make sure it’s completely absorbed into your skin. It is possible to use too much ointment and clog up the skin, so use it sparingly and make sure it all gets absorbed into your skin. Apply the ointment as needed when the tattoo feels dry or tight. After the first 3-4 days you can switch to an unscented lotion like Lubriderm or Cetaphil. Don’t soak your tattoo in water for at least a week.

4. Fresh tattoos sometimes “weep” during the first couple of days, meaning that plasma, excess ink, and blood are pushed out of the skin and form a moist layer on top. This can be dabbed with a clean paper towel. Press the paper towel to the skin and remove. Do not wipe the tattoo or be rough with it. You might see the colors of the tattoo on the paper towel, or on your hands as you clean it. This is simply excess ink being sloughed from the surface of the skin.

5. After a few days the tattoo will for, flaky scabs that will fall off on their own. Do not pick at or scratch your tattoo! Keep it moisturized and the scabs will fall off naturally. Once a day, in the shower, is usually enough cleaning for a new tattoo. Continue cleaning it daily and applying moisturizer as needed until the tattoo is healed, about 10-14 days.

6. After two weeks, your tattoo is healed and you don’t have to do anything else to it. It will take up to six months for the deepest layers of your skin to fully heal and for your tattoo to look “settled in”. You may have some texture on your skin where there is more solid color, but this should be minor and will go away over time.

Tattoo Healing Tips

-Do not do any strenuous activity or sweat excessively for the first few days after getting a tattoo.

-Do not soak your tattoo in water or go to a sauna until your tattoo is healed.

-Redness around the tattoo, swelling, inflammation, soreness, scabbing, flaky skin, pimples, and bruising around the tattooed area are all normal parts of the healing process, and should dissipate after the first week. If you develop a fever, notice a bad smell or pus coming from the tattoo, or have any of the above symptoms that persist longer than a week, these are signs your tattoo may be infected and you should see a doctor.

-Wear loose, preferably cotton clothing over the fresh tattoo. A bra strap, tight waistband, sweaty gym shoe or itchy cotton sweater can potentially create healing problems.

-Sun exposure will fade a tattoo over time, so always wear SPF if you want your tattoo to stay vibrant for a long time.