Healing Your Tattoo

Congratulations! So you got a tattoo, but now you need to know how to take care of it. I use whats called the "8 day Heal" technique, using tattoo tegaderm film patches to cover and isolate the tattoo while it's open and prone to infection. Read below and follow step by step to get the best heal. 

Step 1: Your tattoo will be cleaned and sanitized immediately after taking photos before the first wrap of film is applied. This initial wrap stays on for 24 hours and is to only to be taken off early if the plasma leaking from the tattoo bursts it (be prepared to see a "soup" of black ink and plasma under the wrap, this is normal). Do not hold it under water as it will cause the adhesive to loosen and water to get in an enclosed space right next to an open wound. 

Step 2: Take the wrap off after the 24 hours is up. If you can, use hot water in a shower so that the adhesive can come off. To cause less irritation and pain, find a corner on the top of the wrap and pull upwards, very gently, exposing the underside of the wrap to the water. Clean the tattoo with water and rinse away any residual plasma and loose ink, but do not hold the tattoo under the stream of the water. 

Step 3: Exit the shower and wash off the tattoo with cool water and antibacterial soap then clean off with a clean paper towel. Next, taking rubbing alcohol and rub it gently over the tattoo (preferably with disposable gloves) before gently drying with another clean paper towel. Immediately afterwards, apply the new wrap that was provided to you. 

Step 4: This new wrap stays on for 7 days. It will leak plasma and blood, sure, but it will be almost completely healed by the time you're ready to take it off. While both wraps are on, do not hold it under the water, expose it to sunlight, or allow children or animals to interact with it (mostly cause they've got to touch everything, for some reason).

Step 5: Take off the wrap! Repeat the process in Step 2. 

Step 6: For the next two weeks to a month, you're going to develop a routine of hydrating and cleaning. Three times a day, you're going to wash the tattoo gently, dry it off with a clean paper towel, and finally apply a small, thin layer of unscented lotion that is not petroleum based. Rule of thumb for applying lotion is if you can see a shine after you've put on the lotion, take a clean paper towel and gently dab it off. Repeat the washing and applying lotion three times a day or when you see the tattoo dryer than normal.