Aftercare

  • Good aftercare is essential to the longevity of your tattoo. Neglected proper aftercare can result in infection, loss of ink, loss of color, and shorter life for your tattoo. I am not responsible for any complications resulting from poor aftercare. I do offer a free touch up within the first six months of getting your tattoo if needed. Please read and follow these aftercare instructions.

  • PSA: Dial Gold has recently changed their active ingredients and the new formulas contain Benzalkonium Chloride, which is a chemical that can cause skin reactions in tattoos and piercings. Do not use Dial Gold anymore. I now recommend Dr. Bronner’s Baby Unscented Pure-Castile Liquid soap (available at Target or Amazon) or Hustle Butter’s Hustle Bubbles foam soap (available at Ulta, Amazon, or Hustle Butter’s website).

How to Remove Derm Shield Video

Derm Shield Method 1

-If you were sent home with an adhesive bandage (We use Derm Shield by Recovery), you can leave it on for one to three days.

-This is a latex-free adhesive bandage that allows your skin to breathe, while also protecting it from your surroundings. PLEASE BE AWARE, because the bandage is transparent, it is NORMAL to see ink and plasma build up under the bandage. This is normal, don’t panic. The bandage is water-resistant, but it is not waterproof— so do not submerge it under water.

- If the derm shield is giving you any problems at all such as any redness, any itchiness, excessive dryness, or if its falling off and its too far gone, you may take the derm shield off and wash with a scentless antibacterial soap such as Dr. Bronner’s Baby Unscented Pure-Castile Liquid soap (available at Target or Amazon) or Hustle Butter’s Hustle Bubbles foam soap (available at Ulta, Amazon, or Hustle Butter’s website). If you have any questions in regards to the derm please feel free to reach out to me!

- When it’s time to remove the derm shield, I suggest taking it off in the shower under warm running water. Make sure you are pulling the derm down with linear of your body like a command strip rather than up and away from you.

-Once the derm shield is removed, use a non-scented anti bacterial liquid soap to wash such as Dr. Bronner’s Baby Unscented Pure-Castile Liquid soap (available at Target or Amazon) or Hustle Butter’s Hustle Bubbles foam soap (available at Ulta, Amazon, or Hustle Butter’s website) to wash the area gently with your fingertips. DO NOT use a rag or loofa to wash your tattoo.

-Wash your tattoo 2 times a day, morning and night. Then pat dry with a clean paper towel, DO NOT use a normal bath towel as they tend to hold onto bacteria. DO NOT WIPE/RUB YOUR TATTOO. Then use a light fingertip amount of ointment, I recommend A&D ointment or Aquaphor.

-Keep showers short, about 10 minutes and not too hot, steam isn’t great for healing tattoos.

-Once it gets to the itchy/peely phase, you can switch over to using an unscented lotion such as Lubriderm or Cetaphil. Keep in mind during the peeling stage it will get very itchy, please do not itch/scratch the area. You can slap the area but don’t scratch it and don’t pick off the flakes, this can remove fresh ink. Let everything fall off naturally.

- Use both the antibacterial soap and fragrance free lotion until the tattoo is completely healed. (About 3-4 weeks total)

-AVOID the sun, pools, bodies of water, the gym, dirt, etc. until fully healed. DO NOT shave the area until it is fully healed. DO NOT let your pets lick your new tattoo. DO NOT submerge your tattoo in water.

-For the longevity of your tattoo, ONCE IT’S HEALED, please use sunscreen when out in the sun and continue to moisturize the tattoo once daily.

-Please contact your physician immediately if signs of infection occur.

Derm Shield Method 2

-If you were sent home with an extra piece of derm shield and the instructions to replace the derm shield after 24 hours, here are the instructions for you:

-Keep the derm shield on for 24 hours. PLEASE BE AWARE, because the bandage is transparent, it is NORMAL to see ink and plasma build up under the bandage. This is normal, don’t panic. It can form an ink and plasma sac that I refer to as the forbidden soy sauce. The bandage is water-resistant, but it is not waterproof— so do not submerge it under water. If the recovery derm is giving you any problems at all such as any redness, any itchiness, excessive dryness, or if its falling off and its too far gone, you may take the derm shield off and wash with a scentless antibacterial soap such as Dr. Bronner’s Baby Unscented Pure-Castile Liquid soap (available at Target or Amazon) or Hustle Butter’s Hustle Bubbles foam soap (available at Ulta, Amazon, or Hustle Butter’s website). If you have any questions in regards to the derm please feel free to reach out to me!

-After the 24 hours, take it off in the shower under warm running water. Make sure you are pulling the derm down with linear of your body like a command strip rather than up and away from you.​ Once the derm shield is removed, use a non-scented anti bacterial liquid soap to wash the area gently with your fingertips. DO NOT use a rag or loofa to wash your tattoo. Pat dry with a paper towel. Do not put any ointment on it.

-Once the tattoo has been patted dry, apply the second piece of derm shield. Remove the white backing and then place on the skin. Then where the orange arrows are it will lift up the transparent part and reveal the derm shield. Leave the second piece of derm shield on for 1-3 days. Because the bandage is transparent, it is NORMAL to see ink and plasma build up under the bandage.

-Once you take the second piece of derm shield off the same way you took the first piece off, wash it with antibacterial soap DO NOT WIPE/RUB YOUR TATTOO. Pat dry with a clean paper towel, DO NOT use a normal bath towel at they tend to hold onto bacteria, and then apply a thin layer of unscented lotion (lubriderm).

-Wash your tattoo 2 times a day, morning and night with the unscented antibacterial soap. Then pat dry with a clean paper towel and apply fingertip amount of unscented lotion, I recommend Lubriderm.

-Keep showers short, about 10 minutes and not too hot, steam isn’t great for healing tattoos.

- During the itchy/ peeling stage, make sure to keep the area moisturized as needed, but be careful not to over moisturize the area. You can slap your tattoo to relieve itch. Do not peel away any flakes in your new tattoo, this can remove fresh ink. Let everything fall of naturally.

- Use both the antibacterial soap and fragrance free lotion until the tattoo is completely healed. (About 3-4 weeks total)

-AVOID the sun, pools, bodies of water, the gym, dirt, etc. until fully healed. DO NOT shave the area until it is fully healed. DO NOT let your pets lick your new tattoo. DO NOT submerge your tattoo in water.

-For the longevity of your tattoo, ONCE IT’S HEALED, please use sunscreen when out in the sun and continue to moisturize the tattoo once daily.

-Please contact your physician immediately if signs of infection occur.

Plastic Wrap Method

- I will wrap your tattoo in plastic wrap, leave this on for 1-2 hours. After the 1-2 hours are up, take off the plastic wrap and gently wash your tattoo with warm water and antibacterial soap, I recommend Dr. Bronner’s Baby Unscented Pure-Castile Liquid soap (available at Target or Amazon) or Hustle Butter’s Hustle Bubbles foam soap (available at Ulta, Amazon, or Hustle Butter’s website), using your fingertips. DO NOT use a rag or loofa to wash your tattoo. After washing, pat dry with a clean paper towel. Do not use a normal bath towel to dry your tattoo, as they tend to hold bacteria. DO NOT WIPE/RUB YOUR TATTOO. Then use a light fingertip amount of ointment, I recommend A&D ointment or Aquaphor. DO NOT smother in ointment, this can suffocate the tattoo.

-You may wrap the tattoo again in plastic wrap before you go to bed the for the first and second night, that way you don't get an excess ink/plasma on your sheets. After that do not re-wrap, the tattoo needs to breathe.

​- Wash your tattoo 2 times a day, morning and night. After washing your tattoo, pat dry with a clean paper towel DO NOT WIPE/RUB YOUR TATTOO. DO NOT use a normal bath towel to dry your tattoo, as they tend to hold bacteria. Then use a light fingertip amount of ointment, I recommend A&D ointment or Aquaphor.

-Keep showers short, about 10 minutes and not too hot, steam isn’t great for healing tattoos.

-Once it gets to the itchy/peely phase, you can switch over to using an unscented lotion such as Lubriderm or Cetaphil. Keep in mind during the peeling stage it will get very itchy, please do not itch/scratch the area. You can slap the area but don’t scratch it and don’t pick off the flakes, this can remove fresh ink. Let everything fall out naturally.

- Continue to wash with an anitbacterial soap 2 times a day and moisturize with an unscented lotion as needed for the next 3-4 weeks/until the tattoo is completely healed.

​-AVOID the sun, pools, bodies of water, the gym, dirt, etc. until fully healed. DO NOT shave the area until it is fully healed. DO NOT let your pets lick your new tattoo. DO NOT submerge your tattoo in water.

-For the longevity of your tattoo, ONCE IT’S HEALED, please use sunscreen when out in the sun and continue to moisturize the tattoo once daily.

-Please contact your physician immediately if signs of infection occur.

Aftercare