tattoo aftercare

General guidelines for tattoos by Pink Petal Tattoo

♥ For second skin bandage:

You can keep your clear bandage on for 3 to 4 days.* Remove carefully in the shower, then wash your tattoo gently with antibacterial soap. Do not use a washcloth, sponge, or loofah. Pat dry gently with a clean paper towel.

For the next 7 days: 2 times per day, wash your tattoo gently, pat dry, and apply an unscented body lotion. Make sure the lotion is fully absorbed into your skin.

*If the bandage starts leaking, burning, or you have an adverse reaction to the adhesive, remove the bandage and follow the guidelines in the traditional aftercare section below.

♥ For traditional healing:

Keep your plastic wrap on until you get home, or for 2 to 4 hours if you are far from home. After removing, wash your tattoo with antibacterial soap. Do not use a washcloth, sponge, or loofah. Pat dry gently with a clean paper towel, and apply a very thin layer of Aquaphor.

For the first 4 days: 2-3 times per day, wash your tattoo gently and apply a thin layer of Aquaphor. Try not to disturb the scabs and let them fall off on their own.

For the next 10 to 14 days: 2-3 times per day, wash your tattoo gently and apply an unscented body lotion. Make sure the lotion is fully absorbed into your skin.

♥ General guidelines for healing:

Avoid strenuous activity for a full week. Sweat and movement can inhibit your tattoo’s healing and cause infection. (As someone who loves working out, I know this can be hard! Use your best judgement, but know that this short period of patience is imperative to correctly healing a piece of art you'll have the rest of your life.)
Don't scratch! Your tattoo will get flaky and itchy as it heals. You can slap it a little with clean hands when it's itchy.
Leave your scabs alone. They may be the same color as your ink, but this doesn’t mean the color will fall out of your tattoo. Don’t pick at them! Let them fall off naturally.
Avoid soaking your tattoo in water until it’s fully healed. Stay out of baths, pools, hot tubs, oceans, and other lovely bodies of water for 30 days.
Wear loose cotton clothing over your new tattoo. You don’t need to re-bandage your tattoo. If your clothing gets stuck to it, get the fabric wet before gently peeling it off your tattoo, so you don't disturb any scabs.
Keep your new tattoo out of the sun. UV rays will fade your ink! After your tattoo has healed, use sunscreen any time you go outside to protect your artwork.
If you notice any signs of infection such as streaking, notify me and immediately go to your doctor or urgent care.

♥ If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please don’t hesitate to email me at any time!

Thank you for trusting me with your new art.