TATTOO AFTERCARE

Follow the steps below to ensure your tattoo heals correctly and stays looking its best.

Steps for a Successful Tattoo (If you do not have the second skin bandage on)

1. Wash your hands before touching your tattoo.
2. Remove the bandage/saran wrap 1-2 hours after getting your tattoo.
3. Once you remove your bandage, wash your tattoo. Start with warm water and liquid antibacterial soap or sensitive skin (dove) and clean your tattoo, then rinse with cool water. (The warm water will help open pores to allow excess ink, blood, and plasma out, while the cool water will help close your pores to lock in the tattoo.)
4. Pat dry (DO NOT RUB) with a clean paper towel. (Do not use cloth towels as the fibres can get stuck to your tattoo)
5. The first 3-4 days: Rub a small amount of ointment on your tattoo with clean hands. (Don’t place your fingers back into the ointment after touching your tattoo. Make sure to rub the ointment in so that is not shiny, or greasy - you want the thinnest amount possible. Pat off any excess ointment with a clean paper towel. Wash, dry and apply ointment 1 - 2 daily, as needed.
6. Wear clean, soft clothing over your tattoo for the first 2 weeks - nothing abrasive or irritating. For a foot tattoo: go barefoot as much as possible. If you must wear shoes first wrap your clean tattoo in saran wrap, then cover with a clean cotton sock before putting on your shoes. Avoid sandals or flip-flops for this period of time to avoid chaffing and damage to the tattoo.
7. After day 3-4: On the 3rd or 4th day your tattoo will begin to peel. This is normal! Do not pick at the skin. Begin using a mild, uncoloured, unscented lotion, free of dyes or perfumes.
8. Use lotion for minimum 2 weeks, 2 -3 times daily according to how your skin is.

Steps for a success tattoo with the second skin bandage.

1. Wash your HANDS before touching your tattoo.
2. Remove the bandage after 7 days from getting your tattoo. (When removing your bandage, it would be easier to run it under warm water to allow the adhesive to dissolve for easier removal .)
3. Once you remove your bandage, wash your tattoo. Start with warm water and liquid antibacterial soap or sensitive skin (dove) and clean your tattoo, then rinse with cool water. (The warm water will help open pores to allow excess ink, blood, and plasma out, while the cool water will help close your pores to lock in the tattoo.)
4. Pat dry (DO NOT RUB) with a clean paper towel. (Do not use cloth towels as the fibres can get stuck to your tattoo)
5.: Rub a small amount of ointment on your tattoo with clean hands. (Don’t place your fingers back into the ointment after touching your tattoo. Make sure to run the ointment in so that is not shiny, or greasy - you want the thinnest amount possible. Pat off any excess ointment with a clean paper towel. Wash, dry and apply ointment 1 -2 ointments daily, as needed.
6. Please contact your artist or the shop if you have any further questions.

NOTE: This bandage is waterproof and breathable. During the 7 days that you have this bandage on it is ok for you to shower with it or get it wet. Just avoid having it submerged in water for long periods of time.

General Hints and Tips: Healing Phase Characteristics:

Stage 1: Week 1 (day 1-6): You’ll experience swelling, redness and some oozing that gradually gets better after a few days. You’ll also start to see some light scabbing.
Stage 2: Week 2 (day 7-14): Your tattoo will start to itch and flake. This continues until all layers of dead skin and scabs have fallen off.
Stage 3: Week 3 (days 15-30): The tattoo will look fully healed but may look slightly cloudy for a few weeks. Deeper layers of skin are still repairing, so continue to look after your tattoo.

What NOT to do:
• Do not let the blood dry
• Do not pick, scratch, peel, slap, rub or irritate your tattoo.
• Do not expose your tattoo to the sun for at least 3 weeks, after that you must use sun block.
• You can shower, but don’t soak your tattoo for 2 weeks. No swimming, soaking or hot tubs.
• Do not wash with body wash or a washcloth (scented body wash can sometimes irritate the skin)
• Do not use Vaseline, petroleum, Neosporin, or Bag Balm.
• Do not wear abrasive materials, jewelry, or shoes that rub against your tattoo.
• Do not let anyone touch your tattoo, unless they wash their hands.
• Beware of gym equipment; wash it well before using it.

Again if you have any questions or issues feel free to contact us!

What to do if you have an allegric reaction to the 2nd skin bandage?

If your skin looks like this, it’s usually an adhesive reaction/ sensitivity so it’s best to take off the 2nd skin. When this happens with the plaster/bandaids/tape of any kind, wash the area really well with unscented soap and then let the skin calm down before putting on moisturizers. Avoid rubbing and touching the area helps it calm down quicker. Let it dry and then after an hour or so use aquaphor or vitamin e ointment. It can take a couple days for the redness/ scaly skin/ bumps to go down. And if you have questions, or concerns please call the shop or message us on instagram (@lunainkstudio) for the quickest reply.