tegaderm, or second skin, is super important for keeping the fluid in and the bacteria out.

its perfectly normal to see ink, blood, and plasma under your bandage. please trust the process and leave your bandage on for 2-4 days.

tegaderm is super adhesive, please do not rip it off dry.

i recommend taking it off while in a warm shower. start at the top and pull up, against the rest of the bandage. think of it like a command strip. the goal is to take it off without irritating the fresh tattoo.

wash gently with unscented, antibacterial soap, such as dial, rinse, and let air dry.

after its dried, immediately moisturize with a thin layer of water based, unscented lotion.

although uncommon, some individuals are allergic to the adhesive in tegaderm.

please let me know during your appointment if you have an adhesive allergy.

If you think you are having a reaction to your second skin, remove your bandage at the earliest convenience and start your cleaning process.

signs of allergy could include, redness, swelling, hot to the touch, itching, rash, bumps, general skin irritation, or irritation around the edges of your bandage.

any additional concerns, please reach out!

for soap, make sure it is antibacterial and in a liquid pump form. Dial is great.

For moisturizer, i like water based products and do not recommend anything petroleum based.

Cera-ve, aveeno, curel, these are my favorite unscented lotions.

anything intended for tattoo aftercare is usually great as well. hustle butter, tattoo balm, these are all fine as long as they are not petroleum based.

all the time.

keeping a tattoo moisturized ensures your healing process is effective. the more dry you allow it to become, the worse your scabbing will be.

this will result in longer healing, and poor results.

i recommend keeping a travel bottle of lotion on you for at least 3 weeks after your tattoo.

a tatoo is fully healed once the skin is no longer sentive, has a smooth texture, is no longer peeling or scabbing, and the colors are vibrant.

this is usually around the 3rd week, but may take less or more time depending on the individual.

those with auto immune deficiencies may take longer than 4 weeks to completely heal.

do not do any of the following after receiving a new tattoo

• pick or scratch your tattoo

• fully submerge your tattoo in

  • lakes, oceans, pools, hot tubs, baths

• expose it to direct sunlight for extended periods of time

• expose it to tanning beds, or topical spray tan

• use products that were not recommended for healing (such as fragranced lotions)

• wear clothing that causes excessive friction to the tattoo area

• leave second skin on for longer than recommended

• listen to your friend’s aftercare advice

any and all of these activities may result in poor healing. do not partake in them until your tattoo is fully healed or you have asked your artist.

negligence during the healing process will require touchups in the future.

its fairly common to have some issues healing a tattoo, especially on certain parts of the body.

i will not guarantee the longevity of tattoos on locations such as

• fingers, palms, hands, lips, tongues, feet, toes

healing issues caused by my application will be charged a small fee to cover the cost of materials for their touch up.

healing issues caused by poor aftercare will be charged my regular service rate to touch up existing work.

some individuals are allergic to certain brands or colors of ink.

red is a big culprit, and more people are allergic to this specific color than you’d think.

i use world famous inks for my tattoos. they are a 100% vegan brand, and are compliant with ISO 13485 which is an international standard for a quality management systems used by organizations in the medical industry.

SDS documents are available on their website for the inks, providing safety information and ingredients.

if you are experiencing any symptoms of infection such as

-redness, swelling, oozing, pus, fever, chills,

please consult a medical professional right away.

i am not a doctor and can only provide you with aftercare advice. this is not the same as medical advice regarding infection.