Preparing For Your Tattoo
-Moisturize the tattoo site using a gentle moisturizer twice daily for two weeks leading up to your appointment. Tattoos are much better received in hydrated skin. This is important as it enables me to tattoo faster and better and will also set the piece up for a good heal, as tattoos do not heal well in dry skin. (If you have very dry skin I will not be able to tattoo you and we will need to reschedule.)
-I cannot tattoo on skin that is sunburned, bruised, heavily broken out, rashy, or otherwise damaged.
-NO ALCOHOL the night before or the day of your appointment. You must be completely sober for the session or I WILL NOT tattoo you. Your appointment will be cancelled and you will lose your deposit, no exceptions.
-Get a good night’s sleep the night before your session.
-Please shower before your session.
-Make sure to eat a good meal and drink plenty of water before coming. For longer appointments feel free to bring snacks and/or a water bottle. (If we are scheduled for a long session and you have not eaten before arriving, I will ask that we reschedule.)
-Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing that will allow me easy access to the site you are getting tattooed.
Tattoo Aftercare
Caring for your new tattoo:
Starting immediately, keep an eye out for signs of infection. These include excessive weeping or oozing past day one, excessive redness and swelling past day one, rashes, discoloration, and pus. Contact your doctor if you see anything alarming.
Your tattoo is a fresh wound and it should be treated as such. Cleanliness is the most important thing.
If you do not follow the rules or proper hygienic care instructions, you run the risk of infection, ink loss and bad healing.
Before beginning any aftercare routines, wash your hands.
-For machine tattoos, leave the dermshield on for a maximum of 24 hours. For handpoke, leave the dermshield on for a maximum of three days. It is normal for there to be a buildup of blood, ink, and plasma under the dermshield.
-Carefully remove the dermshield by peeling it back over itself, like removing a glove. DO NOT pull the dermshield away from the skin or rip it off quickly. You may use warm water to help with removal.
-Gently wash your tattoo with basic, unscented soap, and rinse well with warm water. Keep your tattoo out of the direct shower stream. Gently splash water over it with your hand when you are washing it.
-Let your tattoo air dry, or gently pat it dry with a clean paper towel. NO TOWEL DRYING.
-Do not moisturize on the first day.
-Gently wash your tattoo twice a day and optionally apply a thin layer of moisturizer. More is not better!
-Wear clean, loose-fitting clothing until the scab is gone.
-Once the scab is gone, continue to moisturize your tattoo until it is fully healed, usually in four weeks.
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT
-NO SWIMMING, HOT TUB, SAUNA, OR SUBMERGING YOUR TATTOO FOR FOUR WEEKS
-DO NOT ALLOW YOUR TOWEL TO COME IN CONTACT WITH YOUR TATTOO UNTIL THE SCAB IS COMPLETELY GONE! AIR DRY OR CLEAN PAPER TOWEL ONLY
-NO SUN EXPOSURE ON THE TATTOO SITE FOR AT LEAST FOUR WEEKS
-KEEP YOUR PETS AWAY FROM YOUR TATTOO UNTIL IT IS HEALED
-AVOID STRENUOUS EXERCISE FOR THE FIRST WEEK WHILE YOU HAVE A FRESH TATTOO
-DO NOT SCRATCH!!!
Good practices/healing tips:
-Try to rest while your body is healing.
-If your tattoo is very itchy, you can gently ice it with an ice pack covered with a clean paper towel.
-If your tattoo is on your lower body, try to keep it elevated for the first couple days, to keep swelling down.
-Do not put pressure on your fresh tattoo.
-Try to avoid sleeping on your fresh tattoo.
-It is ideal to avoid alcohol for the first week while your tattoo is healing.
-Once your tattoo is fully healed, always wear sunscreen!!! This will keep your tattoo from fading.
Please reach out to me by email if your tattoo needs a touch up (these are free of charge within the first six months).
Thank you for taking such good care of your tattoo! I would love to see healed photos, which you can send me anytime via email or DM.
