Traditional Healing Instructions

The Method

The following instructions will help guide you on what to do and what to expect during the healing process without a protective film. 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 procedures. The differences in healing instructions are relative to the level of trauma the skin must undergo to achieve the effects of a design. The following instructions emphasize my method of healing realism tattoos.

Your skin endures many hours of agitation during a tattoo. It's very common to experience a burning sensation, bruising, plasma fluid weeping from the skin, 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. When a session is over, I will thoroughly clean, dry, apply a thin layer of ointment, and wrap the tattoo with some cellophane. The cellophane can stay on the tattoo for a maximum of 3 hours. However, it's ideal to take it off and wash the tattoo as soon as you get home. The sooner the tattoo is washed and dried, the sooner the skin will undergo its healing process.

General Care

After an appointment, the tattoo is wrapped in cellophane to help protect the skin from the elements. At your earliest convenience, no more than 3 hours after leaving the shop, wash the tattoo with warm water, and liquid Dial Gold soap. Make sure that your hands are clean before doing this. Gently rub the soap onto the tattoo with your fingers in a circular motion while simultaneously running water over it. Once all the soap, blood, and plasma are rinsed off, dry the skin with a clean paper towel by gently patting it. Never use anything else for drying a tattoo. Continue to dry it by gently patting it if you notice plasma continuously weeping from the tattoo. Everyone's skin is different so some may notice more weeping of plasma from the skin for a longer period of time. Patting it dry, in this scenario, can take up to about 5 minutes sometimes. Once the skin remains completely dry, apply a very thin layer of cocoa butter or Hustle Butter. If the skin is shiny, you've applied too much. Simply pat the excess off with a clean paper towel. The right amount should barely be noticeable after its been applied. A little goes a long way. The cleansing and moisturizing procedure should be done twice a day. It takes 2-3 days for the skin to begin feeling rougher, dryer, and a bit hardened. This may happen sooner on certain skin types. Once the skin shows these attributes, hold off on getting it completely wet with direct water. The excess moisture softens the hardened layer of skin that will protect the wound underneath. I advise to use a clean paper town, that can be soaked in water mixed with Dial Gold soap, to gently wipe the tattoo down and then pat it dry. You'll repeat the application of cocoa butter or Hustle Butter after every cleansing and as needed. There are many different skin types so one must get in tune with the characteristics of one's own skin. Some skin types require the application of a moisturizer more often than others. The key is finding a balance between the skin's point of becoming dry and point of becoming too moisturized. Over moisturizing prolongs the healing process and causes the skin to further reject ink. Allowing the skin to get too dry causes stretching and cracking of the newly formed layer of protective skin. I can always assist by contacting me if you have any questions. This protective layer of skin will start to peel like how skin peels with a sunburn. Some skin will be thin and flaky and some other parts of the tattoo may have thicker layers of skin peeling. Allow the skin to fall off on its own during this stage of the healing process. Don't rub or pick at any of the peeling skin. It takes a few days for the skin to fully peel off. The new layer of skin that is left exposed will be shiny on some parts of the tattoo. The skin may continue peeling very thin layers of skin a bit longer but once its nearly finished, you'll notice that the skin has lost that somewhat shiny glare to it. Moisturize the tattoo generously 2-3 times a day from here on out to further boost the skin back to health. The time it takes for different skin types to fully finish peeling varies within the first two weeks of healing. It typically takes 3 weeks for the majority of skin types to be healed. Sometimes 4 depending on the skin type and if the tattoo was properly taken care of. The cocoa butter and Hustle Butter can be used for the life of the tattoo to maintain its vibrance.

What to Avoid

Avoid getting a new tattoo wet besides needing to wash it. Any excess moisture will prolong the skin's healing process and can expose the skin to bacteria that will cause an infection. Keep your new tattoo away from any dirty surfaces and away from all pets. If your new tattoo comes in contact with a pet or anything they've touched, immediately wash your tattoo and re-moisturize it. Pet's and dirty surfaces are the most common sources for infection on newly tattooed skin. Avoid submerging your tattoo in water like in a tub, hot tub, pool, or ocean water. All will cause an infection. Avoid over moisturizing and letting the tattoo get too dry. Don't do any physical activity that will cause the skin to rub up against clothes or stretch the skin. This will surely cause the skin to prematurely peel and crack causing damage to the skin and scarring. Avoid covering the tattoo or wearing tight clothes around it. Covering it suffocates the skin from its necessary exposure to oxygen and can also cause an infection along with prolonged healing. Always contact me for any questions or concerns at any point during the healing process.