TATTOO AFTER CARE
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When you leave your appointment 9 times out of 10 you will have a second-skin bandage (we also call this Sani-Derm), but if you have skin that is sensitive to adhesives an "old school bandage" with coban wrap. Follow the directions based on your particular aftercare, aside from the length of time required for each bandage, the rest of the healing process will be the same.
While washing use slow gentle circular motions with our Sailor Soap, or any unscented antibacterial soap, until the skin feels clean (if it still feels kind of slimy keep going). Once you feel your skin is sufficiently clean, pat dry with paper towel. Avoid using bath towels as they are not always fresh or lint-free. Apply a small amount of Saint Salve, or an unscented lotion or ointment, to your tattoo. The product should be chapstick thin. If you are using the Saint Salve it is a preservative free natural product, that we make in house. Repeat the wash with soap, pat dry with paper towel, apply salve or other ointment twice a day for 7-10 days. You continue using salve or ointment for up to 3 weeks or when dry/itchy. During any scabby or itchy phases feel free to use salve/ointment with clean hands as often as needed. Just make sure the skin also has time to breath as the oxygen is also good for it.
Remember you now basically have an open wound vulnerable to the world, so remember to avoid prolonged sun exposure, any water related actives other than showering for 3 weeks. When showering avoid long showers or soaking the area in baths, also hot water and fresh tattoos aren't always friends so just a heads up.
Your tattoo may scab and peel, occasionally the line weight or shading of the tattoo is so delicate that 3 days under the Second Skin will take care of it. Each person is different and everyone heals at different rates. Your tattoo should feel mostly healed after about 10 days, but you would not consider it fully healed until 3 weeks, as it takes about 21 days on average for your skin to fully regenerate.
Your tattoo will be very vibrant at first, perhaps even feel a little darker as it oxidizes, then if you are going to scab and peel that process will begin, and during the 3 week healing window you may notice parts of the tattoo look foggy and that is just the epidermis of your skin regenerating and turning transparent again to reveal the tattoo ink living in your dermis.
It is totally normal and expected for tattoos to age and fade over time. Lessened sun exposure and the use of SPF is important in preserving the life of your tattoo. You wouldn't put an expensive painting behind plexiglass to preserve it, you'd use some UV resistant glass that will prevent damage to the art, and you should treat your tattoo as an equal investment!
If you have any questions, comments, concerns please feel free to email, I also love seeing healed images and your tattoos out in the wild so feel free to send those my way too.
- “Old school bandages” should be removed no less than 5 hours after the tattoo appointment.
- Second Skin is a clear, barely there bandage is super convenient and really helps accelerate the healing process. Most of the time this is what we will use because it makes the healing process go a little smoother. You will leave your bandage on for 3-5 days. This allows the skin a few days to regenerate before being exposed to oxygen again, which is also a powerful part of the healing process. If we do color or shading you will most likely get some visible fluid inside the bandage and that is totally normal- if this is you, you can err on the side of 2 days before removing the bandage. We highly recommend removing the bandage after a shower, or at the very least somewhere you can pre-wash your hands before washing the tattoo. When pulling off the bandage pull outwards and down - it's not always super fun but your tattoo will be happy to see the light of day again, so make sure you wash any fluid- wet, dried, or otherwise off of your tattoo.
While washing use slow gentle circular motions with our Sailor Soap, or any unscented antibacterial soap, until the skin feels clean (if it still feels kind of slimy keep going). Once you feel your skin is sufficiently clean, pat dry with paper towel. Avoid using bath towels as they are not always fresh or lint-free. Apply a small amount of Saint Salve, or an unscented lotion or ointment, to your tattoo. The product should be chapstick thin. If you are using the Saint Salve it is a preservative free natural product, that we make in house. Repeat the wash with soap, pat dry with paper towel, apply salve or other ointment twice a day for 7-10 days. You continue using salve or ointment for up to 3 weeks or when dry/itchy. During any scabby or itchy phases feel free to use salve/ointment with clean hands as often as needed. Just make sure the skin also has time to breath as the oxygen is also good for it.
Remember you now basically have an open wound vulnerable to the world, so remember to avoid prolonged sun exposure, any water related actives other than showering for 3 weeks. When showering avoid long showers or soaking the area in baths, also hot water and fresh tattoos aren't always friends so just a heads up.
Your tattoo may scab and peel, occasionally the line weight or shading of the tattoo is so delicate that 3 days under the Second Skin will take care of it. Each person is different and everyone heals at different rates. Your tattoo should feel mostly healed after about 10 days, but you would not consider it fully healed until 3 weeks, as it takes about 21 days on average for your skin to fully regenerate.
Your tattoo will be very vibrant at first, perhaps even feel a little darker as it oxidizes, then if you are going to scab and peel that process will begin, and during the 3 week healing window you may notice parts of the tattoo look foggy and that is just the epidermis of your skin regenerating and turning transparent again to reveal the tattoo ink living in your dermis.
It is totally normal and expected for tattoos to age and fade over time. Lessened sun exposure and the use of SPF is important in preserving the life of your tattoo. You wouldn't put an expensive painting behind plexiglass to preserve it, you'd use some UV resistant glass that will prevent damage to the art, and you should treat your tattoo as an equal investment!
If you have any questions, comments, concerns please feel free to email, I also love seeing healed images and your tattoos out in the wild so feel free to send those my way too.