• Second Skin - This is essentially a thin medical grade barrier that adheres directly to your skin. It's breathable so it doesn't suffocate your fresh tattoo, and helps to protect your clothes, bedsheets from ink/blood. You can leave this on for 1 - 7 days. In my experience, the longer the better (up to a week). This bandage protects your tattoo and effectively allows you to ignore your new tattoo for the first week, which helps it heal faster with less fuss. It is waterproof for showering, but no swimming or soaking. It is normal for some ink and blood to bubble /hangout under your second skin, this will be reabsorbed and can be ignored. If there is a leak however, you must remove the second skin and jump to the next step in the aftercare process!

  When it’s time to remove your second skin, there are two great methods. The first is to treat it like a command strip and to pull down and away from your new tattoo. Slowly pulling your second skin off. The second method is to roll it slowly on itself. Both methods work better after a hot shower to help loosen the adhesive and can leave some sticky residue behind. Do not scrub/pick at this residue. It will slowly come off over the next period of your aftercare and picking at it can impact how your tattoo heals.

• Saran Wrap - Remove after 2 - 8 hours. This is best thought of as a barrier for your fresh wound (that's what a tattoo is) from the world. Some folks apply a new saran wrap at bedtime on the first night to protect the tattoo and your bed sheets BUT keep in mind that saran wrap does not “breathe” the way second skin does, and it's important your tattoo does not suffocate, so this should only be done on the first night.

With clean hands, use a mild soap to gently wash your tattoo. I use unscented Dr. Bronners, but there are lots of great options. I recommend something unscented. Pat dry with a clean towel.

You should keep your tattoo clean, but avoid over washing. I usually recommend 1-2 washes a day for a new tattoo, depending on how dirty/sweaty you get throughout your day.

Immediately after washing, apply a thin layer of a moisturizer to your skin. Use tattoo specific safe moisturizers, I use Uncle Harry’s Jojoba Cream, but there are lots of other great unscented natural options out there. Keep in mind that over moisturizing can cause problems, so keep it minimal.

Wash and moisturize as needed, but don’t do it TOO much!

They say it takes double the amount of time the relationship lasted to get over it…. luckily tattoos heal much faster than that.

Generally tattoos take about 2 weeks to get through the ouchy-noticable healing process, and about four to be considered fully healed.

• Flakey skin, scabbing, and itchiness are all common during the healing process. Do not scratch or pick at your tattoo!

• It's important to keep your tattoo out of the sun while it's healing, and to avoid swimming, soaking, or submerging. You should generally follow these guidelines for 3-4 weeks, until it has stopped all flaking, itching and feels settled in your skin. Swimming with a fresh tattoo can cause many problems including infection!

• After your tattoo is fully healed (3 months to be sure), you can reach out for necessary touch ups.

They are rare but they do happen, even if you cared for your tattoo to the fullest extent!

Look out for

• redness/warmth that worsens after the first 3-4 days post your tattoo (my new tattoos always feel like a sunburn and are warm to the touch, infection would be more than the initial warmth and redness)

• yellow/green tinted scabbing

• extreme and worsening discomfort/pain

• red lesions/streaking

• fever

If you think your tattoo is infected, don't panic, but email your artist photos for their advice and contact your doctor asap. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions.