Jun's Aftercare Instructions!

Disclaimer: All artists will have a slightly different recommendation for aftercare. Generally speaking, you should do what works best for your healing if you’ve gotten a tattoo before. You know your body best. There is no one right way; there are some ways better than others, which entirely depends on the kind of tattoo you got and your skin type. If you don’t know what works, or want to try something different, it may be best to simply follow what your artist recommends.

Things you will need for aftercare:
+Ointment
+Fragrance-free Soap
+Paper towels (or freshly clean towel)
+Lukewarm water access
+Sunscreen (optional)

*GENERALLY BAD SYMPTOMS: Hotness/redness/pain after a few days of procedure, small red bumps that resembles pimples ON your tattoo (not the untattooed part), fever, abscess/boils/drainage. Contact your artist or shop right away!! Use your judgement if you need to go to a doctor!!

The Basics:

Days 1-4: It’s going to feel like a sunburn. These first few days are the most important to pay attention to your tattoo as you’re going to have to care for an open wound of art. Wash your tattoo 1-2 times a day and apply a THIN layer of ointment a few times a day or as needed. Keep your tattoo moist, but not oily, slick, or over-saturated. It should feel soft to the touch and not dry or crusty.

+Bandages: If you get a traditional bandage (usually a pad and tape), keep it wrapped for a min of 2 hours or max of 8 hours (or overnight). If you get a clear-adhesive wrap called Saniderm/Tegaderm, you can keep it on for up to 4 days as long as your tattoo remains sealed. REMOVE this bandage if the bandage is falling off your tattoo, is leaking, rips open, or is too uncomfortable. Fluid build up is normal.
I recommend removing it slowly in the shower, pulling the bandage down and away from your body. WASH your tattoo after you take off your bandage.
NEVER re-cover your tattoo with another bandage unless you are changing it after the first 24hrs. Air is best for your tattoo, try to wear loose fitting clothing around the fresh tattoo for best healing.

+Some ink loss is normal, do not worry. You will find it on your bandage and on your paper towels while washing. You may get ink stains on your sheets, clothes, or where you sleep.

+Wear loose clothing around your tattoo or keep it out and uncovered if you can (but covered in the sun). Be aware of waist bands, tight belts or wrist cuffs, jewelry, too tight bras/binders/holsters, and tight socks that may come into contact with your tattoo.

Days 5-8ish: Linework heals very quickly and easily, so if your tattoo is just linework, you have the option of drying out your tattoo at this point. Over moisturizing your tattoo is bad! It is recommended only a few days of ointment/washing once the bandage is off. If you live in a dry climate, have chronic dry skin, or simply can’t handle the itchy feeling, you can continue using ointment very lightly or switch to unscented lotion.

+Around this time, your tattoo may itch like hell. Don’t itch it, don’t pick at it. Rub or tap your tattoo gently if you must but don’t agitate the skin.

+Your tattoo may also look different at this stage as it is changing from an open wound to a healing ink scar. Your tattoo may look light (the top layers of your skin are shedding, like when a snake looks different when it's about to shed) or wrinkly in the skin (scabs will tighten the skin around it for healing).

+Wait about 10 days after your appointment to start using any moisturizers or lotion again. Moisturizers can include coconut oil and shea butter (watch for irritation if they have fragrances or essential oils).

If you have ANY questions or concerns during your healing process, ASK! If something is unusual or doesn’t feel right to you, ASK!

Other Things To Note:

+The number one recommended ointment from me is Eucerin’s Aquaphor. Two other alternative options are Vitamins A&D ointment and generic triple antibiotic ointment (tho some people are allergic, avoid Neosporin, see Ointment Guide above!).

+SOAP: Get a simple soap to wash your tattoo. Make sure it is free of fragrance and essential oils, these things can irritate your fresh tattoo. Antibacterial soaps will work. You will want to lather into bubbles and gently rub over your tattoo with your hand. Don't scrub or leave the soap on too long!

+Cold water can feel good but won’t wash away the grime. Too hot water has the potential of hurting your tattoo (remember that it is an open wound for a couple days). Showers are okay, expect to not submerge your tattoo under water for at least 2 weeks. Avoid swimming pools or saunas in those 2 weeks.

+It is recommended to use paper towels instead of a cloth towel. Brand new cloth towels can shed fibers that get stuck in your tattoo. If it’s not a freshly clean towel, it can carry bacteria. Only use freshly cleaned towels if you’re gonna.

+Working out? Depending on the size of your tattoo, I would give yourself at least 2 days of no hard workouts/excess sweating if you can help it. If you are sweating a lot in the area of the tattoo, make sure to wash afterwards during the healing process.

+Keep your tattoo out of direct sunlight for at least 2 weeks. After it is healed and there are no visible scabs after 2-3 weeks, you can start using sunscreen. Sunscreen is a choice. Sunburning/tanning your tattoo will make it fade quicker. Aging is a natural part of life, so naturally your tattoo will change, shift, and age with you in it’s own ways.

+Use your judgement! If your tattoo still feels painful/hot after a few days of your appt, I recommend checking in with your artist.

Most Common Healing Issues:

Please note that issues are rare and happen to one or two clients a year.

+Redness/Itchy along edge of bandage - either you have an adhesive/latex sensitivity or the bandage is too tight and pulling on your skin too much. Remove bandage immediately and consider only keeping bandage on for 24-48 hours max instead of the recommended 4 days. If you experience a full on rash from the saniderm bandage, do not use in the future and notify your future artists.

+Small pimple-like bumps on the untattooed part of the skin - the tattoo is experiencing too much moisture and needs to be dried out. Discontinue soap/ointment and use a cloth or paper towel with witch hazel once or twice a day. If symptoms don’t clear up/get better within a few days, contact your artist. If symptoms worsen, go to your doctor asap.

+Tattoo healed lighter than expected or some of the black fill/color fell out - totally normal and often unavoidable without overworking and risk scarring. Go back to your artist for a touch up and don’t wait longer than 6 months to do so if possible.

+Ink completely fell out AND skin is swollen/hard - sounds like overworked scarring, in which case, you should notify your artist that you experienced this so they can do better next time. Most times you’ll have to wait quite a while for the scarring to subside and go back in to get it re-done.