At the completion of your tattoo, your tattoo will be bandaged with Sani-derm. Keep the bandage on for two to three days.

Once you take the bandage off, do not re-bandage the tattoo.

After removing the bandage, gently was the tattoo with dial Gold liquid antibacterial hand soap. Do not use a wash cloth or luffa.

It’s ok to get the tattoo wet in the shower, but you need to avoid all standing bodies of water. No hot tubs, rivers, bath tubs, swimming pools. Do not soak your healing tattoo!

Once you get out of the shower, don’t towel dry the tattooed area. Towels harbor bacteria from their last use, they are also abrasive. Allow the tattoo to air dry or gently dab it dry with a clean paper towel.

Once the tattoo is dry, apply a small amount of Aquaphor. A little goes a long way. You want to gently massage it into the skin like a lotion. Don’t leave a layer over the tattoo. If the tattoo can’t breath, it wont heal. On the other hand if it dries out, you will get scabbing and cracking of the skin as it heals. Apply the Aquaphor two to three times daily for the first week.

Wash the tattoo with fragrance for soap once a day and immediately if the area gets dirty.

After the first week, switch from aquaphor to a fragrance free lotion. Continue to lotion the tattoo once to twice a daily until the tattoo is fully healed.

The top layer of skin will peal and fall away. Allow it to do so naturally. Don’t pick or scratch at it, you can cause scarring. Tattoos also itch while they are healing. You can’t scratch the tattoo, you can gentle pat it.

During the healing process you should avoid direct sunlight, pet dander and getting the tattoo dirty. Tattoos typically take two and a half to three weeks to completely heal. You’ll know when the tattoo is healed when it is smooth to the skin and there are no shiny spots.

If you follow these instructions, you should have a good heal with no issues. If you don’t, you’re risking infection as well as permanent damage to the tattoo.