Tattoo Care

  If you are doing a “wet heal” : remember the term 4x4. Wash 4 times a day with a small amount of soft soap and rewrap with clean plastic wrap each time after washing. Once in the morning, once at lunch time, again at diner time and lastly right before bedtime. Do this for 4 days and your tattoo should be nearly healed. Hence the term 4x4. After the first 4 days, use a natural ointment or oil such as cocoa butter or afterinked to moisturize your tattoo for the next 3-4 days.

  If you are using Saniderm: leave the saniderm on for 3-4 days. Afterwards soak the bandage in warm water for at least 5 minutes to help break up the adhesive and remove your bandage. Your tattoo should be nearly healed but will still require some moisturizer such as something natural like cocoa butter or afterinked for the next 3-4 days.

  If you are using nothing other than the bandage that you left the tattoo studio with, remove the bandage when you get to a clean place or where you’re staying. Wash the tattoo with a small amount of soap with warm water and clean hands. Repeat this as much as you can throughout the day to keep plasma from forming into a scab. 3-4 times a day is great, however 10-15 times is also ok to do so. After 4 days start using a small amount of moisturizer on your tattoo such as cocoa butter or afterinked.

  Caution, if your tattoo isn’t healing well, it’s very likely you’re tattoo has been exposed to cat/animal hair/feces or possibly a dirty environment of some type. You can start off by using a thin layer of bacitracin on your tattoo for 2 days and continue washing as normal, if positive progress isn’t seen after 2 days, it’s best to call your doctor, although this is extremely rare, it can happen.