Tattoo Aftercare Tips | Moisturizing Before Tattoo

HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR TATTOO

The First 24 Hours

Keep the pad we applied at the end of the session on for 18(ish) hours (usually just till the following evening) and avoid showering until you are ready to remove the pad.
During that 18(ish) hours of time, your body is pushing out plasma and the pad is absorbing it, and that's what we want!
If a leak happens, that is okay! Do your best to dry the area at the leak but be sure to keep it covered.
DO NOT REMOVE less than 12(ish) hours!

The Morning After the Tattoo Appointment...

You'll want to start this process in the morning, (ideally about 18(ish) hours from the end of our appointment, but longer is fine if needed. (Just not more than 24 hours)
I recommend jumping directly into a short shower WITH THE BANDAGE AND PADS ON. Let the warm water from the shower soak into the pad and loosen the bandage from the tattoo and help soften anything else that has dried so we are not pulling off anything unnecessarily.
While still in the shower, after the pad as been removed, you'll want to wash it and clean it completely with a liquid antibacterial hand soap. Be sure you get all the residual soap and residue off of the tattoo. We are about to seal it from the world for 4 to 5 days, so we don't any of that stuck inside the bandage to irritate the tattoo healing process.
After the shower, let it air dry. DO NOT USE A TOWEL. Instead you can use (but not required) a single use paper towel if you'd like to dab it dry. Just try not to over do it.
Once it is COMPLETELY dry, It is important to apply the Second Skin immediately to minimize the time that your tattoo is exposed.

Applying the Second Skin

The second skin product will not stick to moisture, which is why it's okay for your tattoo as it will still weep a bit of plasma to keep it from sticking to it. But if the skin beyond the tattoo around the edges is still damp from the shower, it wont adhere properly, so make sure the area is totally dry! No need to add any additional lotion before the second skin application once it’s been washed and dried.
Just to say it again to make sure it is understood, you'll want to make sure the area is clean and any extra soaps or residues are washes completely off. You also do not need to apply any additional lotions after it's washed and dried. Also, make sure the SKIN EDGES SURROUNDING THE TATTOO ARE DRY. The second skin product wont stick to moisture which is why it wont stick directly to your tattoo right away. I cannot stress this enough, lol.
This Second skin is going to be on for 3-5 straight days so make sure the tattoo that is getting sealed inside the second skin is clean and ready to start the healing process! Think of it like it is a new screen protector for your phone, we don't want any dust or hair getting trapped under there.
You'll apply just one just one strip at a time starting from the bottom. Each piece will then overlap itself by about 2 inch and then 2 inches all directions out from the tattoo. You'll continue to apply new pieces upward to the top of the tattoo until it is all covered. Air bubbles are fine, and little crinkles around the edges are okay too, just as long as the tattoo itself is sealed off well.
To start, remove the white backing of the product. BE CAREFUL, do not let the sticky parts fold on itself because it won't unpeel! I also recommend working with just one strip at a time.
Once all the white backing is peeled off the back of the piece, (this is the like a screen protector part) place the sticky side down on top of the clean tattoo. pressing the second skin to the edges is the most important part of this process as the goal is to complete seal the tattoo off from exposure. Nothing in, nothing out. And that happens when the edges are dry, and the second skin can stick well to the it.
Once it is stuck down and the edges are sealed, find the little yellow arrows in the middle of the grid pattern, and then remove the top grid layer by peeling up at those arrows to reveal the clear second skin piece.
Repeat this process for each new strip one at a time until you reach the top of the tattoo and you have a solid seal with 2 inch borders around the whole piece.
Then youre done!

The Next 4 - 5 Days

Once the Second Skin has been applied. You're going to leave it on for 4 - 5 days. I say 4-5 days because of the amount of work we have done in your session. There is more trauma caused with this type of tattooing than your average smaller tattoos or different styles. So its important that you make sure to leave it on so you do not interrupt the healing process before the body is ready.
It is VERY IMPORTANT to keep the second skin on during this duration. AGAIN, KEEP THE SECOND SKIN ON AND REACH OUT TO ME IF YOURE HAVING PROBLEMS.
By applying second skin, you are preventing the body from creating its normal defenses by preventing platelet coagulation from happening. This is beneficial so that your body has a man made protection that works way better than a scab and your body then only has to worry about shedding the single layer of damaged skin, rather than having to worry about shedding the damaged skin, and then also the flakes and scabby platelets. So if you were to take the second skin off early, AND you already prevented the bodies normal processes, then you're left with no protection at all and are super susceptible to healing complications.
The second skin will be ready to come off when it starts to look 'dry' underneath the barrier, or as if the tattoo is starting to overly 'stick' to the bandage. That usually means the body is ready to start shedding the damaged skin.
If you notice any red irritation due to the adhesive around the edges of the Second Skin, you can peel it up slightly in that area to help with the irritation, but do not remove it entirely! The irritation will go away after its removed after a few days. Having a minor reaction to the second skin is a normal occurance as well. It's the same as when you leave a banda-aid on for too long. If youre concerned about it, feel free to send a picture over to me so I can take a look.

LEAKING

Leaking is SUPER common, but that is is why I sent you home with extra pieces. If/When a leak occurs, DO NOT REMOVE THE SECOND SKIN. Instead, find where the leak is coming from, try to force out any remaining liquids, then dry the area around that leaking spot SUPER thoroughly, and then apply an over sized patch of a new piece of second skin to the area.
If you develop major fluid build up, and the second skin is sliding all around the tattoo and leaking all over the place and practically sliding off of you, then, you can reapply a new set of second skin. Before you do so, double check and make sure you have enough pieces to cover the whole tattoo again. If you are going to reapply a new layer of second skin, then remove the current one, wash it really well again just like the first time, let it air dry again, then wait about 30 mins in a clean environment before applying the second layer. The goal is to try and catch the tattoo at the end of the weeping phase, so that extra 30 mins can help dry it out slightly and stop some of the weeping.
If you've applied all hte second skin you have, and youre still leaking, that is okay. It will stop eventually. But the goal with this is to keep it sealed off. So getting creative with paper tape, bandages, etc to get that second skin sealed off is going to usually be better than removing it too early. If youre concerned at all about what's happening, please please PLEASE reach out to me before you remove the second skin so we can see whats up. I usually have my phone in front of me so be sure to send an email or message with 'aftercare questions' in the subject so i know to answer it immediately.

Removing the Second Skin

To remove the Second Skin, I recommend jumping into a warm shower to allow the adhesive to loosen a bit. Start from an edge near the bottom and peel it backward as close against the skin as you can. If you lift it straight up and a 90 degree angle, you'll notice it pulling up on the tattoo unnecessarily and we want to avoid that the best we can.

After the Second Skin Removal

Once you have removed the Second Skin, its going to look pretty odd. You might notice some red irritation around the edges, and your tattoo looking a bit shiny or 'milky' even. That is totally normal! Its going to need some time to adjust to being outside of the bandage and get back to being normal skin again. It can take a few weeks for it to calm down a bit.

Once the second skin has been removed, you'll start a simplified version of a traditional tattoo healing method for the next month or so. You will wash it a few times a day with warm water and an antibacterial hand soap (liquid dial gold hand soap is great). After that, pat it dry with a clean disposable paper towel. You'll then apply a tiny tiny TINY amount of moisturizer to the tattoo AS NEEDED (a basic white hand lotion is ideal. Aquafor (in small amounts), Lubriderm, Curel, Eucerin, etc.).

During the traditional healing month, the moisturizing process can be tricky, so a basic rule of thumb to keep in mind is that if you look at your tattoo and it looks dried out and like it needs some lotion, then put a small amount of lotion on it. If you're looking at your tattoo and you can't tell if you need lotion or not, then it does NOT need it. Lotion is extremely helpful, but not necessary to heal a wound. When you cut your arm of scrape your knee, your first thought isn't to put lubriderm on it lol. Any lotion will work out for you as long as it doesn't burn excessively, sting excessively, or cause rashes, then the products you're using should be good! We only usually say unscented because there is less ingredients in it that you might react to.

If there is too much moisture present (that can be from too much sweat, to much moisture etc) then the brain can think that the wound is open again, even though it isn't. so its going to want to try and protect itself by pushing out plasma again trying to create new scabbies. But you already have a layer there, its just too wet. So your body will continue to add layers, and it constantly stays damp and then adds more layers and eventually you have this big ole scabby there and are then susceptible to healing complications and probably will need some touch up work. So remember to keep it dry enough to not let that happen!

Flaking of the skin will occur so be sure not to pick or scratch at it and let the flakes fall off when they are ready. If a flakey is removed before it's ready to come off, you WILL pull the ink out of that spot as well. So be careful!

When can I work out or go swimming again?

Working out and getting back to normal is usually a 2ish week process. But the general rule of thumb is that if there are still little scabbies and flakey on it, then you'll want to avoid excessive dramatic movements (like in working out) and avoid submerging it in water for too long.

A note about A&D, Ointments, and Neosporin. Most people that I know of react adversely to these products during the healing process and usually cause healing complications.

Questions?

If you have any questions or concerns with your Second Skin, please ask them! I am quickest to respond via Instagram, but I am also super quick with an email as well! I want you to feel comfortable and confident with the healing process, so please don't hesitate! Remember, there are no stupid questions if you are genuinely asking them.