Always wash your hands with antibacterial soap before caring for your tattoo.

Second skin Bandage care:

1. Leave Sani-derm bandage on for a minimum of 24 hours. The bandage is a breathable covering that can be left on up to 4 days. Please do not leave it on for longer. If you feel like your skin is becoming irritated from the bandage - remove it. Some people have skin sensitivity to the bandage adhesive. It is easiest to remove the bandage by slowly pulling down on it like a command strip instead of just ripping it off. This can be done in the shower to ease removal.
2. After removing the bandage, we recommend a hot water rinse. Start water cool and increase the temperature as you get used to it. Gently handwash the area with an antibacterial soap to help remove all traces of blood, leaked ink and plasma. Avoid using items that could possibly irritate the area like sponges, exfoliators or wash cloths. A good hot water rinse is about 10 minutes long. This helps sooth the area, clean it and pull out and remove any dried fluids from the tattoo.
3. Gently pat dry with a clean towel. Avoid rubbing the tattoo and causing irritation. Let air dry for about a half hour so that it can breathe and dry our excess moisture.
4. Apply a very thin layer of ointment (just enough to make your skin slightly shiny) such as H2Ocean Auquatat available in our studio. If you are using H2Ocean foam or the moisturizing lotion, apply a very thin layer and gently rub in all the way. If you cannot rub a product in all the way you have too much on.

Spray on Bandage Care:

1. Do not wash your tattoo until the bandage has peeled or flaked off. Some areas may peel quicker than others. This process is generally around 5 days.
2. At this time, wash your tattoo with antibacterial soap and water.
3. Gently pat dry with a paper towel. Avoid rubbing the tattoo and causing irritation. Let air dry for at least a half hour to dry out excess moisture.
4. Apply a very thin layer of ointment (just enough to make your skin slightly shiny) such as H2Ocean Auquatat available in our studio. If you are using H2Ocean foam or the moisturizing lotion, apply a very thin layer and gently rub in all the way. If you cannot rub a product in all the way you have too much on.

Daily Care After Bandage Removal

1. Wash and moisturize your tattoo twice a day, typically once in the morning and once at night or if something gets on the tattoo that is concerning. Over washing can be irritating, so more is not necessarily better. If you find twice a day is too much, adjust to your body's preferdnce. You can apply ointment or moisturizer with clean hands anytime your tattoo feels tight and/or dry. After the initial unbandaging, a quick, gentil wash is all that is necessary.
2. Do not soak your tattoo in water or exposing it to excess moisture such as taking baths, swimming, saunas etc. Regular showers are fine, just avoid long showers with water constantly running over your tattoo.
3. Do not hot tub or submerge your tattoo while it is healing, in any water that is chemically treated as this can irritate and, in some cases, remove ink.
4. Wear clothing that does not rub excessively on your tattoo while it is healing to avoid irritation.
5. Tattoos can be itchy during the healing phase. Avoid scratching - slapping, patting or moisturizing can alleviate itching.
6. Heal time is generally one month. Once your tattoo is healed, apply sunscreen to avoid the bleaching effects of the sun

If you feel like you are experiencing any problems during or after healing don't hesitate to stop by the studio, give us a call or email us. We will be glad to help!

Slight loss of ink is a natural part of healing, this is why we encourage touch ups. Any ink loss from scab mishaps can also be addressed. Feel free to schedule before you leave your appointment or soon after. We require a month of healing before we can do a touch up. If the tattoo is not fully healed, tattooing it can be more damaging then helpful. We will not touch up tattoos that are not healed.

*Disclaimer: These aftercare instructions are based on a combination of vast professional experience and common sense. This is not to be considered a substitute for medical advice from a doctor.