Aftercare

Heal it right

A tattoo is an open wound for the first few days — how you treat it decides how it heals. Follow this and your piece will stay crisp for years.

🕐 Day 1 — Leave the wrap on

  • Keep the bandage/second skin on as long as your artist told you — usually a few hours, or up to a couple days for second skin.
  • When you take it off, wash your hands first. Then wash the tattoo gently with lukewarm water + unscented soap.
  • Pat dry with a clean paper towel — never rub.
  • Apply a thin layer of unscented lotion or tattoo aftercare ointment. Thin — if it's shiny and slick, you used too much.

📅 Days 2–14 — The routine

  • Wash 2x a day with unscented soap, pat dry, thin layer of lotion.
  • Don't pick, scratch, or peel — let flakes fall off on their own. Picking pulls ink out.
  • Wear loose clothing over the area. Tight fabric + fresh tattoo = irritation.
  • No soaking. Quick showers only — no baths, pools, hot tubs, or ocean for at least 2 weeks.
  • Keep it out of direct sun while healing. After it's healed, sunscreen is forever — sun is the #1 tattoo fader.
  • Skip the gym for a few days if the tattoo is somewhere that stretches or sweats heavy. Sweat + bacteria = bad combo.

🗓️ What healing looks like

  • Days 1–3: Red, a little swollen, maybe oozing a bit of plasma/ink. Normal.
  • Days 4–7: Itching and light peeling/flaking. Normal — don't scratch.
  • Weeks 2–4: Looks healed on the surface, but the skin underneath is still settling. Keep moisturizing.

🚨 Hit me up if you see this

  • Spreading redness or red streaks moving away from the tattoo
  • Hot to the touch, swelling that gets worse after day 3
  • Thick yellow/green discharge or a bad smell
  • Fever or chills

That's beyond normal healing — contact your artist, and see a doctor if it doesn't improve. Don't try to tough it out.

Healed up? Add to it.

Two weeks of clean healing earns you the next session. Cover-ups start at $200 — half-day ($600) and full-day ($1,100) sessions are the best value for big pieces.

Book your next piece 📲

$150/hr • $50 minimum • Cover-ups from $200 • Half-day $600 / Full-day $1,100