After Care
Thank you for your business. Now that you have your fresh new tattoo, you want to take good care of it! From this point on, your artist is not responsible for any infection or problems you may have with your tattoo if you don’t take proper care of it. It is very important you follow these guidelines:
Leave Saniderm bandage on for up to 5 days: only removing it if it starts irritate or make your skin turn red at the edges of the bandage. (Always wash your hands before touching the tattoo) When you take the bandage off, wash it with very warm water (as hot as is comfortable) and mild liquid Aquaphor Baby Wash and Shampoo, just no perfumed or exfoliating body washes). Pat it dry gently with a paper towel, and let it air dry the rest of the way (never scrub the tattoo with a towel or sponge).
Every day from then on, you will wash the tattoo in the morning and at night, and apply a thin layer of Aquaphor healing ointment 2 times a day or so, or whenever the tattoo feels dry or tight until your skin returns to its pre-tattoo condition. Do not use Neosporin!
After a few days, the tattoo may form a thin scab over it, and in about a week the scab will begin to flake off in the shower. DO NOT pick or scratch at the scab, just keep it clean and moist and the scabs will all fall off by themselves in about two weeks. Picking any of the scabs off will cause faded color and damage to the skin.
Stay out of direct sunlight and tanning beds for two weeks or until your tattoo is healed.
Do not soak your tattoo in the bath, jacuzzi, or go swimming while your tattoo is healing. Showers are fine.
Sun exposure to your tattoo over the years will fade your tattoo. This can be minimized by using sunscreen AFTER your tattoo is healed. No swimming or bath up to 4 weeks is highly recommended.
Your tattoo should be healed in 2-3 weeks. Please contact Brenna if you have any questions about the healing process. Consult a physician if any signs or symptoms such as green/yellow & foul-smelling discharge, persistent redness, or fever occur. Patience and cleanliness are key.
Note: After your tattoo is finished healing, sometimes with excessive scabbing, or other unpredictable reactions during healing, your skin can reject some ink, leaving a "light spot" that is closer to your skin color in the tattoo (or a line might get thinner or lighter in one spot). This is common as its unlikely your body will accept every spot of pigment uniformly, so just contact Brenna via email after your tattoo is finished healing with a photo to see if a small touch up is in order. Unless you were negligent during the care of your tattoo, touch-ups are very minor and quick, and guaranteed by Brenna if you contact her about it within 3 months of getting the tattoo. Because older tattoos that have settled in fully and aged require more work to make uniform, we suggest coming in as soon as possible when it's healed, as touch ups are performed for a fee at Brenna’s discretion.
