How should I care for my tattoo?
Congratulations on your new tattoo!
The moment the artist finishes, the responsibility shifts entirely to you. Your new body art is an investment in self-expression, but it’s also an open wound.
Proper aftercare is non-negotiable. It's the only way to prevent infection, ensure the best possible healing, and guarantee your modification looks vibrant and clean for life. Let's get into the essential steps to protect your health and your art.
DAY 1-3: STICK IT & FORGET IT!
-Leave your adhesive bandage on for about 48 - 72 hours after receiving your tattoo (remove sooner if your skin appears to be increasingly red or irritated, or if you know you are sensitive to adhesives)
We suggest not to leave it on longer than three days.
-Within the first 12 hours of receiving your tattoo, you’ll likely notice some pooling of ink, blood and plasma below the bandage. This is normal! But if the bandage begins to leak, take off immediately and proceed to bandage removal.
-After 36 hours, some of the pooling ink, blood and plasma may begin to dry under the bandage and look kinda crusty. This is normal! But it’s probably approaching the time to take off the bandage.
DAY 3: REMOVE BANDAGE
-I recommend taking this off with clean dry hands, or at the end of a hot shower.
-Peel bandage off (along the hair grain) in a downward direction, close to the skin, like a command strip. Do not pull outwards away from your skin. (It may feel like pulling tape off of a sunburn.) Take nice deep breaths as you pull it off, or sit down on a bench in your shower area if possible.
-Once bandage is removed, gently wash with water diluted unscented soap and ensure all soap is rinsed completely off. We recommend NEUTRAL LIQUID SOAP. Avoid direct water pressure and instead, splash water gently onto skin.
-Let air dry for 10 minutes.
DAY 4: APPLY LOTION
-Apply a thin layer of lotion on your tattoo. We recommend : Pegasus tattoo cream - ointment
Panthenol wund salbe
Hustle Butter
Coconut oil or butter
Trust that your body knows how to heal itself! Do not over-moisturize or treat it any differently than you normally would. We want your skin to heal as naturally as possible.
-Until the tattoo is healed, avoid prolonged sun exposure and the beach, avoid getting overly sweaty, avoid submerging your tattoo entirely in water (i.e. bath, pool, ocean, etc.), and avoid tight clothing on the area that was tattooed.
-During this time, your tattoo may appear dry, flaky, scabbing, itchy, red, etc. Remember this is a fresh wound and to treat it with care! Your tattoo will be healed when it is no longer doing those things. If it appears to be doing anything else (rash, bumps, excessive pus or bleeding, etc.), please contact us.
For relief from itchiness, you can use a cold compress over the tattoo with a cloth barrier between it and your skin or slap it :)
Enjoy your new Tattoo