Protective Film Healing Instructions

The Method

The following instructions will help guide you on what to do and what to expect during the healing process. It's imperative that you follow these instructions to ensure proper healing and to prevent an infection. There are different methods/styles of tattooing that may require different healing instructions. The differences in healing instructions are relative to the level of trauma the skin must undergo to achieve the effects of a design. The instructions here highlight my method of healing a realism tattoo.

Your skin will endure many hours of agitation. It's very common to experience a burning sensation, bruising, and swelling during and after a session. Skin types vary so some may experience this more than others. An anti-inflamitory pain reliever may be taken if one chooses to, such as Tylenol, to help with these symptoms once you're home. Once a session is over, I will thoroughly clean, dry, and apply a Derm Shield protective film on the tattoo. This film is very effective in helping to minimize skin peeling, preventing infections, and to provide the convenience of little to no maintenance of your tattoo. You do have the choice to opt out of using the film. If you do, you'll have to follow a different set of instruction found in the Traditional Healing Instructions section of the After Care drop down menu. I strongly discourage anyone from using the protective film if you have an allergy to adhesives.

General Care

Once the protective film has been applied, you will need to monitor the healing process of your tattoo over the next 24 hours before replacing it with a new one. It's typical to see blood, plasma, and ink under the protective film where heavier shading has been applied. This is normal. However, some may experience excessive plasma forming underneath the film. This will be apparent if the film starts to bulge out like blister full of fluid. If this happens, immediately take the film off to wash the tattoo with antibacterial soap, rinse, dry with a clean paper towel, and apply a new film no matter how far into the first 24 hours it has been. (Do not apply any ointments or creams to the tattoo. The skin should be as dry as possible before applying a new film). You'll replace that protective film in 24 hours again, with the exception that it had to be replaced close to the end of the first 24 hours. The 2nd protective film, or 3rd if it needed to be changed sooner, will stay on for the next 5 days. Immediately take the film off again, and repeat the cleansing process, if excessive fluid continues to form within the 5 day healing period. Do not reapply the film again at this point and contact me for further instructions. It's rare for plasma to continue forming under the film excessively after changing the film the first time. However, it's still very important to keep an eye on the tattoo so you know what course of action to take. If you're unsure as to what should be done at any point during the healing process, don't hesitate to contact me. All questions are encouraged and welcome.

Removal of Protective Film

When it comes time to remove the protective film, I recommend doing so while you're either in the shower or while you're running warm water over it in the sink. It helps to apply a bit of unscented antibacterial soap on it to help loosen up the adhesive. Begin by pulling on the film by an edge or corner. Allow the film to stretch and it will start to separate from the tattoo. Carefully continue pulling on the edges and corners of the film in an even fashion across the skin and away from the tattoo. (Do not remove the film by peeling it back or by pulling it straight up off the skin. Removing it in this manner may cause unnecessary pulling and removal of ink and prematurely healed skin). Next, once the film has been completely removed, use warm water and liquid Dial Gold soap to wash any ink, blood, and plasma that may be present. Do so by gently rubbing the soap on the area in a circular motion with your fingers. Rinse as you go along until the tattoo is completely clean. The process shouldn't take more than 30 seconds, even less on smaller tattoos. The over exposure to any kind of moisture can prolong the healing process. Finally, gently pat the tattoo dry with a clean paper towel. After the first 24 hour film removal, keep patting the tattoo dry until all the plasma stops surfacing. Sometimes this may take about 5 minutes on areas with heavier shading and line work. Make sure the tattoo is bone dry, before applying another film. For an after 5 day film removal, apply a non scented lotion, such as Lubriderm, that's free of chemicals and fragrances to help moisturize the skin. I highly recommend Hustle Butter as an alternative. Hustle butter is a high end skin healing moisturizer that's full of nutrients specifically designed for healing tattoos and can be found on amazon or any Ulta beauty supply store. It can also be used after the healing process to keep tattoos looking vibrant. Always read the ingredients to avoid any allergic reactions.