Tattoo Care

BEFORE:

•Make sure you get a good night’s sleep. Getting tattooed can be very daunting on the entire body,not just the area you are getting tattooed. You also want to make sure you have a proper meal before you get tattooed and are well hydrated. Feel free to bring a snack or some water or juice with you to the appointment. Breaks are given during the tattoo, and it is a good idea to keep your body energized.

•DO NOT get tattooed on an empty stomach..I cannot stress this enough. Failure to do this can result in you getting nauseus or fainting during the tattoo process.

•NO ALCOHOL the night before your appointment. Alcohol in your system during the tattoo process can have an effect on your skin, and how the ink goes in.

•DO NOT take drugs before your appointment. This will result in me sending you home and losing your deposit.

•Please make sure you shower before your appointment. Also, do not apply any skin moisturizers or creams to the area you are getting tattooed before your appointment

AFTER:

•After you get tattooed, you may experience soreness or slight bruising and swelling around your new tattoo…this is normal, and only lasts a couple of days.

•Remove bandage 3 hours after getting tattooed. Gently rinse off the tattoo with unscented soap and water. Be sure to remove any and all vaseline and blood cells.

•Allow to air dry for the next 3 hours. Leave the tattooed area open to the air. Do not allow anyone or anything to touch the tattoo (friends, pets, etc)

•Begin gently applying a SMALL amount of unscented moisturizer to the tattoo. I recommend H2Ocean, Lubriderm or Aveeno (Bepanthen in Europe). Gently massage the moisturizer into the tattoo until it is completely absorbed. Do not just slap on a layer of moisturizer, as this will cause problems with the healing of your tattoo. Also DO NOT apply moisturizer any more than 3 times a day…less is more. You will do this for the next 3 weeks.

•Rinse off the tattoo every morning with unscented soap and water, and pat dry with paper towel, or a clean towel. Always be sure to wash your hands before you touch your tattoo.

•When you shower, do not get the tattoo wet. DO NOT cover it, as this will cause the tattoo to sweat, and again cause problems. Make sure your showers are quick. If you have a tattoo on your neck, or if you have long hair that can touch your tattoo, please wash your hair in a sink. Continue doing this for the next 3 weeks.

•ALWAYS wear loose clothing over your tattoo during the healing time…your tattoo needs air to breathe and heal itself..if clothes are too tight, it will irritate the tattoo and this can cause a loss of ink, or an unpleasant healing of the tattooed area.

•NO SWIMMING, SAUNAS, HOT TUBS, OR EXCESSIVE EXERCISE for the next 3 weeks. NO EXCEPTIONS

•NO SUN on the tattoo for 3 weeks..afterwards, use only sunscreen with a minimum SPF 60 on the tattoo. Overexposure to the sun will fade out your tattoo, if it is unprotected.

•A few days after you get tattooed, the top layer of skin will peel, much like a snake shedding its skin. This is normal…DO NOT PICK AT IT

•Your tattoo will also be very itchy for a few days, DO NOT SCRATCH

•If you follow these instructions, you will have no problems at all and will have a tattoo that will look its absolute best.