Supplies you need for your new tattoo!

• Dial Gold Pump Soap or other mild, unscented soap (do not use bar soaps)

• Aveeno Unscented Lotion or Cetaphil Lotion. Any mild, unscented lotion will do, but these are the two I recommend. Do not use petroleum based products on your healing tattoo.

How to care for your brand new tattoo:

• Leave bandage on for 3-5 days (no longer than 5 days!)

• If edges of bandage peel feel free to trim them, if they peel past the tattoo or if plasma/ink begins to leak outide the edges, remove the entire bandage no matter how many days it’s been.

• Once you’re ready to take off the bandage, remove it in the shower. Let the warm water help lift the adhesive, pull the bandage up away from your skin and slowly peel off.

• DO NOT rip the bandage off dry like a bandaid, this can pull out line in your tattoo, or injure your skin.

• Gently wash the tattoo with your soap of choice, making sure to get all the dried plasma and ink off. Do NOT scrub your new tattoo until it is fully healed.

• Wash soap off completely. Pat dry with a clean paper towel.

• Once fully dry use a thin, light layer of unscented lotion. The skin should barely have a sheen to it.

• Repeat the washing and moisturizing steps until your skin returns to pre-tattoo texture.

What to avoid during healing:

• Your new tattoo is a large, open wound. Please treat it as such!

• Avoid scratching or picking at your tattoo (this will pull the new ink right out of your skin), if your tattoo itches be sure to slap or pat the area gently with the ball of your fingers.

• Avoid swimming or submerging your tattoo in water, showers are totally fine, just nothing longer than that and definitely not in public bodies of water (pools, hot tubs, oceans, lakes, rivers, etc). 

• Avoid direct sunlight to the area, tanning beds, or tanning lotions/ products, these will cause damage to your tattoo and how it heals.

• Avoid tight clothing, or scratchy/ non-breathable materials on the area during the healing process.  

• Avoid excessive sweating or dirty services to the area. Try not to work out for at least a week after your tattoo, and make sure to fully clean it after any work outs.

• Avoid any bodily fluids to the tattooed area during the healing process.

How to maintain your tattoo:

• To keep your tattoo looking fresh for as long as possible, always use sunscreen on your tattoo! Find a good moisturizer with SPF. My tattoos tend to use a lot of color, and the sun is Public Enemy #1 to color tattoos!

• Moisturize and hydrate! Your skin will thank you for it and your tattoo will look better, longer!

• Blurring is normal in all tattoos. The lines will blur out as it ages, and the color will fade. If you take care of your tattoo, you can help minimize these effects, but they will happen, so don’t freak out when they do! I always include one free touch up within the first year, and will gladly do touch ups throughout the life of the tattoo if you want them (for a small fee).

If you have any questions or concerns about your new tattoo, please reach out to me via email (sarabeth.tattoo@gmail.com). There are no stupid questions!