1) Once your tattoo session is over your artist will clean the area and apply a bandage. They will either use cling wrap, a black bandage, or a second skin bandage (saniderm or tegaderm).

2) If your artist has used cling wrap or a black bandage you will keep the bandage on for a few hours. If your artist has used a second skin bandage you will keep it on for 3-4 days.

3) Once you have removed the cling wrap or black bandage you will clean the area with antibacterial soap, pat dry it or let it air dry, then apply a small amount of aftercare lotion (After Inked, Hustle butter) or Aquaphor. If you are using Aquaphor only use it for 3 days, applying a small amount 2 to 3 times a day. After the 3 days switch to unscented lotion for a month. If you’re using an aftercare lotion you will use it for a month no Aquaphor is needed. Do not apply another bandage.

4) If your artist used a second skin bandage you will leave it on for 3-4 days. You can shower with it on. The tattoo will seem to look as if ink is falling off or not readable, do not worry as your body is releasing plasma which is normal during the healing process. After the 3-4 days you will remove the bandage in a warm shower, clean the area with antibacterial soap, pat dry it or let it air dry, then apply a small amount of aftercare lotion or unscented lotion for the remainder of the month 2 to 3 times a day. If the bandage starts to peel before the 3-4 days and the tattoo is no longer covered, air seems to be steeping in, or it’s leaking you can remove the bandage, clean the area and apply aftercare lotion.

5) Complications and infections are rare in tattoo. From the tattooist side, NYC Dept of Health acknowledges that tattooing is not a public health problem when performed by licensed tattooists wearing  new gloves, new needles and following universal precautions.

6) If the area remains red, swollen, hurts or looks unusual to you after 3 days, be safe, repeatedly dab the area with alcohol and consult your personal care provider.

7) If a tattoo accidentally dries out it may form a scab. Your body produces a scab to protect the injured skin. Keep the area safe until new cells grow beneath the scab and cause it to fall off on its own.

How to take care of your new piercing without disrupting your whole life.

First: ALWAYS wash your hands or wear rubber gloves before touching (use Latex or Nitrile if you have a latex allergy.)

Important: it may hurt, but start regularly moving (pushing/pulling, rotating) your jewelry to prevent it sticking inside. Use a dash of your currently tolerated body lotion if you have trouble moving it.

Cover it with a jumbo band-aid to avoid accidents (especially nipples) as they will hurt a lot when jostled. Do not wear anything tight over piercings.

Piercings near hair: move the bar just a bit so that hairs do not wrap around the bar.

AFTERCARE

Most piercings need 2 things:

1. A non-harsh soap currently tolerated

2. Saline spray (or) a pinch of sea salt in drinkable water

3. Mouth rinse if it’s an oral piercing: after eating anything (non-antibacterial, non-alcohol because that disrupts your mouth bacteria)

Clean your new piercing 2 times per day. Use extra moisturizer if piercing is dry, only a bit to keep the surrounding skin moist.

Cleaning when not in the shower: use a Q-tip with liquid soap to remove any “dry” matter with warm water.

Cleaning in the shower: using liquid soap, clean the bar and any ornament and surrounding area. Move the jewelry back and forth. Rinse away all soap. Apply a little moisturizer on the skin.

Oral Piercing Aftercare

For the next 4 weeks:

Anytime you eat drink, kiss, smoke, or put anything in your mouth you must rinse. On the external side of a Labret, Monroe, or nose piercing you can treat as a regular piercing.

Do not: Take your jewelry out to clean it.

Do not: Swim in chlorinated water.

After three or four days if your piercing is very red, liquid is coming out, or hurts a lot consult your health care provider immediatley.