If second skin bandage was applied to your tattoo after your session, leave the bandage on for 48 hours (unless there is leakage of plasma and/or ink.) If the second skin wasn’t applied, skip to step 3.

A pocket of blood and ink will naturally develop within the bandage and is beneficial to the healing of your tattoo. Sometimes, it will leak out of the bandage. If this occurs, remove the bandage to avoid bacteria from the outside to creep into the bandage. Otherwise, leave it on, as it is waterproof. Showering is fine with it on, but this is not an excuse to get into a pool, lake, ocean, or to submerge your tattoo in a body of water of any kind.

After 48 hours, you may remove the bandage. You have the option of applying the second skin bandage again for up to the first week. In between applications, you’ll want to clean your tattoo with a liquid soap and properly dry it before applying a new bandage.

Only change the bandage after the first time if you see it is leaking or if it has become full of sweat.

Once you are no longer using the second skin bandage, you will want to keep your tattoo clean and moisturized. Clean the tattoo with liquid soap in the morning, after any excessive sweating, contact with anything unclean (work environment, pets, etc.) and before going to sleep.

After each cleaning, you will want to dry your tattoo by patting it with a clean paper towel. You will then apply a thin layer of non-scented moisturizer (tattoo ointment, shea, cocoa butter, etc.) and massage it into the tattoo. It’s better to put lotion on more often with the thin layers, than to cake a bunch of it on. It will clog your pores and cause complications in the healing process.

Avoid excessive exposure to sun for the first few weeks after your tattoo session. No submersion of your tattoo under any body of water for a few weeks as well. Salt from the ocean, bacteria from a lake or chlorine from a pool can wreak havoc on your tattoo if it’s not done healing.

The healing process varies from person to person. In about a week, the tattoo will begin to itch, and/or scab and peel.

Do not scratch or pick at your tattoo. After it is done peeling, the tattoo may appear shiny. This is part of the healing process and will go away with time. In about a month, your tattoo should be healed.

If you have questions or concerns about your tattoo, please don’t hesitate to reach out!