The key to a vibrant and lasting tattoo is your aftercare. We cannot stress enough how important it is for you to take good care of your new tattoos. If you neglect your aftercare, it can seriously compromise the final look and longevity once healed.
Once you leave the studio, it is your responsibility to maintain your tattoo. The healing process can be different for everybody, depending on the area of the body. We offer free touch-ups on your work, but you must make contact within 60 days of getting your tattoo.
However, we cannot guarantee tattoo integrity in specific body regions, such as certain parts of the hands, fingers, and feet.
If these areas require touch-ups, it is at your own cost. As a reminder, the better you care for your new tattoo, the more likely your tattoo will be to heal well and not require a touch-up. Please be aware, everyone's body is different, and as a result, aftercare results may vary. For this reason, we urge you to call the studio with any questions during the healing process so we may guide you through it. Our suggested tattoo care instructions are as follows:
1. *Always treat your new tattoo as an open wound. Be cautious of what and who you come into contact with to ensure sterility. Always wash your hands before caring for your tattoo. Use only fragrance-free liquid antibacterial soap to clean your tattoo for the first 24 hours.
2. *If plastic wrap or paper towel is applied to protect your new tattoo, be sure to remove it after 30-60 minutes. Wash the tattoo with warm water only; this will remove any dried blood and discharge that may naturally occur. If using an adhesive bandage, please do your best to wait 72 hours to remove it and follow the same steps above. Please let your new tattoo air dry for 10 minutes after first cleaning and before applying ointment.
3. *Your new tattoo should be washed and cleaned again before bed and again the following morning. Tattoos usually do not seep or bleed much after the next day if taken care of properly. However, where everyone is different, one should wash as necessary to maintain a clean healing area depending on your lifestyle.
4. *When taking showers, we suggest putting ointment on the new tattoo BEFORE showering and washing it last. The ointment will help protect your new tattoo from things such as shampoos and conditioners, which are the leading causes of infection due to fragrances and other chemicals introduced to the healing process. The same concerns go for things such as laundry detergent and fabric softeners. Be sure to wait 10 minutes after showering to ensure that your skin has dried and you are not trapping moisture under the ointment when you reapply.
5. *We urge you to stay out of direct sunlight and avoid things such as tanning beds, saunas, steam baths, and swimming. This also goes for the ocean, pools, lakes, or even freshwater for two weeks after getting your new tattoo. Deviating from these recommendations could seriously affect the outcome and longevity of your tattoo. You should also avoid heavy workouts within 4 to 5 days of your new tattoo due to sweat glands in the skin.
6. *We suggest using approved ointments such as Tattoo Goo, A&D ointment, Aquaphor, or fragrance-free lotion which can be purchased through us or at most supermarkets and drug stores. Things like Vaseline are frowned upon due to thickness and their probability of causing pimples.
7. *Apply the ointment in thin layers 4 to 8 times daily to avoid the skin drying out. Repeat this process for 7 to 10 days. After 4 to 7 days, your new tattoo will start to shed the upper layers of skin. Typically, this lasts for a few days. Do not scratch or peel off the skin. After 10 days, and once your tattoo has peeled and looks natural, we suggest using fragrance-free lotion to avoid the skin from getting dry. If it appears your new tattoo has lost color once it has healed, we urge you to email us a picture so your artist can determine if a touch-up is needed. If you follow these instructions, you should have an excellent outcome for your tattoo. However, this is not a perfect science, so we suggest you call us during the process if you have any questions.