Care for your tattoo
General Considerations
- No swimming for three weeks, including submerging the tattoo during a bath.
- Use sunscreen! UV exposure is the primary cause of the aging process of tattoos.
- No picking at scabs! This can lift ink that would otherwise have settled. Lightly "slapping", especially through clothing, can help resolve itchiness.
- Don't use lidocaine/benzocaine products for post-tattoo pain relief. These can cause heart issues when absorbed into the bloodstream.
- Be mindful of pets or other disease vectors such as if you work a particularly environmentally dirty job.
- Avoid excessive alcohol and sweating for the first three days of healing.
- Persistent or worsening redness, signs of folliculitis, or otherwise unhappy skin may be signs of an infection. Please contact me and go to an urgent care for a diagnosis and/or antibiotics.
- Use gentle soap (e.g. Gold Dial), and a moderate layer of unscented water-based lotion (CeraVe or Lubriderm). Avoid petroleum jelly products such as Aquaphor.
First three days of healing
- I'll send you home with a loose gauze and saran wrap covering your tattoo. Remove this when you're home and able to clean the tattoo.
- The first 72 total hours are the most sensitive time for healing.
- Wash your hands, then wash the tattoo 3x daily (i.e. morning, after work, before bed). Air dry or pat dry with paper towels - be mindful of cross contamination such as touching surfaces or your phone in between steps. Re-wash your hands if there are any concerns.
- Apply a thin to moderate layer of scent-free water-based moisturizer (CeraVe or Lubriderm).
- Keep covered with clean and loose clothing, especially while sleeping.
Until scabbing and skin dryness ends
(about 2 weeks)
- Wash and moisturize 2x daily. Continue moisturizing after this time period if there is persistent skin peeling, scabbing, or otherwise irregular skin texture. I would avoid layering sunscreen on top of lotion to avoid clogging your pores.
- No shaving or exfoliating until after this time period.
