After 3-4 hours, remove the bandage with clean hands. Immediately after removing bandage you need to start your cleaning process. DO NOT REBANDAGE.
Use unscented, dye-free, antibacterial hand soap. I prefer Dial brand liquid soap. Please do not use bar soap, PUMP ONLY. Apply soap and water to a *clean* paper towel. No sponges or washcloths. Absolutely no loofas.
Gently wipe the tattoo and surrounding area, applying enough pressure to remove plasma, but not hard enough to reopen or irritate the tattoo. Gently pat it dry.
With *clean* hands apply aftercare ointment. Try not to overdo it, as too much ointment can also damage your tattoo. Please do not use Neosporin or any other triple antibiotic ointments for aftercare. **If you think your tattoo is infected please contact a physician as soon as possible.
Repeat this process 3 to 4 times daily for the next few days. The cleaning process is one of the most important things you can do to ensure a safe and quick healing process.
After a couple of days, your tattoo will begin to peel. Please DO NOT try to help it along. A little tip for itchy areas is to pat the area instead of scratching. DO NOT pick at the peeling skin, as some times the skin is not healing and you risk reopening and damaging the skin.
THE LIST OF NO-NOs
NO swimming until two weeks after tattoo. However, if you find you have a longer healing time, you must wait for the tattooed skin to completely close. (Hot tubs, natural bodies of water, saunas and baths are considered “swimming”)
NO Neosporin or other triple antibiotic creams or ointments. These products can cause an unnatural rate of healing which can damage the tattoo. If you are worried about infection YOU MUST GO TO THE DOCTOR. The best way to avoid infection is to follow cleaning process.
NO sponges, loofah, or wash clothes. The products may not be sanitary or they may be too abrasive for healing skin.
NO cleansers, ointments, creams, or aftercare products that were not recommend. Please feel free though to ask if you are unsure about a product you will be using on your tattoo.
NO spray tan, laser hair removal, or extreme sunlight in the tattooed area during the two week healing process.
HELPFUL TIPS
Try to use aftercare products that are unopened and still sealed in the first week of your tattoo. This way we can be certain to eliminate the risk of using a contaminated product on open skin.
Change your bed sheets
Try to stay out of extreme sun - this can severely damage your tattoo.
Keep fur babies and all other pets off of the tattooed area. If contact to tattoo area is made, i.e. licking or scratching, please wash tattooed area right away with antibacterial soap.
Wear clean clothes over the tattooed area, that preferably won’t rub the area and irritate it.
If you have a foot tattoo, you must wear shoes and clean socks for the healing process. Sandals and open shoes can risk infection.