Good healing is half the tattoo. Follow these steps closely for the first 2–3 weeks and your piece will heal cleaner, hold its saturation, and age a lot better.
Leave the initial wrap on for the time recommended at your appointment (usually 2–6 hours, or overnight for a second-skin bandage). Don't peek early.
Remove the bandage and wash with lukewarm water and a fragrance-free, mild soap. Use your clean hand, not a washcloth. Pat dry with a clean paper towel — don't rub.
Apply a thin layer of fragrance-free lotion or the aftercare product recommended at your session, 2–3 times a day. A little goes a long way — over-moisturizing can trap moisture and cause issues.
Wear loose, clean clothing over the area. Avoid tight fabric that rubs against fresh ink.
Skip baths, pools, hot tubs, saunas, and open water (lakes, ocean) for at least 2–3 weeks, or until fully healed. Showers are fine — just keep it brief and gentle.
Cover the tattoo or keep it out of the sun while healing. Once healed, always use SPF on tattoos to protect the ink and color from fading over time.
Peeling and itching are normal around days 4–10. Let scabs and flaking skin come off on their own — picking can pull out ink and cause scarring.
Hold off on intense workouts, saunas, or anything that causes heavy sweating on the area for about a week, longer for larger pieces.
Some redness, warmth, and swelling in the first few days is normal. If you notice spreading redness, red streaking, excessive heat, pus, fever, or the area isn't improving after a week, that could be a sign of infection — contact a doctor and let me know as soon as possible.
Send a photo any time during the process — happy to check in on how things are looking.
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