I cant control how well you take care of your tattoo, but the better you care for it while its healing the better it will look for the rest of your life! Most of the time, things like clouded, shiny, raised or bumpy texture or scarring is due to improper aftercare (Soaking, shaving, over moisturizing, picking, scratching etc.) If you want your tattoo to look great you must treat it great!
Second Skin
After your tattoo, the area will be covered with a clear wrap called second skin. (Unless you’re allergic to adhesives, Ill have wrapped you with dri-Loc pads) You can keep this on for 1 – 3 days, no more than 4 and no earlier than the morning after. You can shower with it on, but no submerging or soaking it. (No Bathing, Swimming or Hot tubs) If you notice any water from the shower get into the wrap, you can take it right off. Under the bandage, there may be blood ink & plasma seeping out of the tattoo and pooling in the wrap. If it starts to leak out at all, you can take it off. If you notice any allergic reactions to it, you can also take it right off. When you do take it off, I recommend doing it in the shower lifting slowly with clean hands, & gently washing afterwards, making sure to get rid of any debris.
Aftercare
Always remember to do all aftercare with clean hands! Once the wrap comes off, clean the area with unscented soap & warm water, and dry with a clean cloth/towel. Do this twice a day for the first 2-3 days, or until it starts to get dry or flaky. Once you’ve cleaned your tattoo, avoid the direct contact with the sun, pets or any other points of bacteria. Make sure to sleep with clean breathable clothes & bedding.
Once your tattoo starts to feel dry, itchy or tight start cleaning once a day, & afterwards using a small amount of fragrance free lotion. Make sure not to over moisturize! Avoid using things like Polysporin, Vaseline, and anything oil based, & don’t re-bandage it for any reason. Over the next couple of weeks, your tattoo will feel dry and itchy, and in most cases will have some scaling and peeling, make sure not to pick, scratch or shave the area & let the skin peel naturally! After the tattoo is healed (about a month after application) use a generous amount of SPF when in the sun. The better you are with sunscreen the slower your tattoo will age!
Recommended Products
Soap: Any unscented / fragrance free soap. Cetaphil & CeraVe are what I go for, but you can really use any fragrance and alcohol free soap (If bar soap, make sure this bar is only used for your tattoo)
Moisturizer: Any unscented / fragrance free moisturizer, Cetaphil, CeraVe & Lubriderm are my go to’s, just make sure not to overdo it! (No Polysporin or Vaseline
Avoid (first 3 weeks)
- Sun
- Swimming or soaking
- Touching the area with dirty hands
- Picking or scratching
- Over moisturizing
- Shaving
If you have any aftercare questions feel free to email me at amanitagraceink@gmail.com or on instagram @amanitagrace.ink
Happy Healing & thank you for coming to me 🙂
