Aftercare

Your tattoo has been applied by a qualified tattoo artist.

The instructions your artist gives you will provide your new tattoo the best opportunity to heal smoothly. 

If you have any problems or questions, please contact your artist directly.

 

Your tattoo artist is the only person qualified to give you tattoo advice! 

 

Your tattoo is a wound. It will be sore and swollen for several days. 

This is normal.

Pain relievers can be taken to ease the discomfort.

Keeping the area clean and protected is extremely important in the healing process.

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Remove the Bandage as per Your Artist’s Instructions.

If you are unsure of the timeframe, please contact your artist to confirm.     

The purpose of the Bandage is to protect your tattoo from any airborne bacteria. 

During the first few hours, it is normal for your tattoo to seep some fluid.  This is ink, ointment and blood.

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Washing Your Tattoo    

Remove the bandage in the shower, after the room is nice and steamy.

Wash your tattoo, after first washing your hands thoroughly. 

Use warm water and mild, unscented soap. 

Use only your hands - no washcloths - they cause too much friction and can damage your healing skin. 

Wash your tattoo a few times per day for the first 3-5 days. 

If it is in a high-traffic area, like your forearm or hands, wash the tattoo separately, after every time you wash your hands.

Always pat dry with a clean towel.  Let the tattoo dry 12-24 hours after the FIRST WASH before you start applying ointment.

 

We do carry an ointment that aids the healing process. Ask Your Artist for Pricing (there are a few sizes available depending on the size of your tattoo)

An unscented lotion can also be used.

The ointment should be applied to the tattoo with CLEAN hands.

Less is more.

Apply when the skin feels tight. 

Too much lotion can cause any possible scabs to fall off too quickly which would leave voids in the ink. 

Not enough lotion may cause the tattoo to dry out and crack. 

This too can affect the final appearance of your healed tattoo.

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Do Not re-cover your tattoo with a bandage or plastic wrap. 

This will deprive your healing skin of oxygen as well as create a moist environment where bacteria can grow and cause infection.

          

While it is highly unlikely that you would get an infection from our processes, you can still contract infectious bacteria in the first few days while your tattoo is open and unprotected by the top layer of your skin. 

If you have excessive swelling or redness after the first few days, green or yellow discharge, pain and redness, splitting, oozing or cracking and bleeding in a tattoo more than 5 days old, contact us immediately and consider visiting an urgent care clinic. 

If you have streaks radiating from the tattoo, seek medical care immediately.

 

Do Not pick or peel your tattoo.             

Most tattoos heal in 7-10 days.  Sometimes scabs may form.  Whether you have scabs or just pealing skin, do not disturb the healing skin. 

It is normal for the tattoo to itch during the healing process. 

Scratching or picking can cause further scabbing which will extend the length of the heal and possibly cause ugly scarring and colour loss.

It is not unusual for milky skin to form over. 

It will settle out and is nothing to worry about. Do not fret.

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Avoid Submerging the Tattoo in Water While Healing.             

This means DO NOT immerse the tattoo in a bath, hot tub, lake, river, ocean, pool or sauna for 3 weeks.

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Showers only.

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Chlorine and salt water can damage the outcome of your tattoo.  

Soaking in water can cause infection, excess scabbing and will result in damage to your tattoo.

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Avoid Direct Sunlight.   

Tanning and sunbathing MUST be avoiding during the healing process. 

A new tattoo has little or no skin protecting it from the sun.

You can burn it in as little as 5 minutes, resulting in MUCH longer healing times, colour change and loss, as well as possible SCARRING.

Do not put sunblock on your tattoo until it is FULLY HEALED. 

It can react with the new ink in the skin and leach out the ink. 

Once fully healed ALWAYS protect your investment, and our art, with an SPF 30 or more sunscreen to keep it vibrant. 

Even if your skin does not normally burn, the sun WILL fade your ink, just as it bleaches hair colour.

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Proper aftercare will determine the final result of your tattoo.

Should you require touch ups, please call to book an appointment or stop by the studio to let the artist access the result. 

Ask your specific artist about fees for touch ups. Touch ups should be done in the first 3 months. 

A fee will definitely be in place if you wait longer.