TATTOOS BY LAURA EXLEY
AFTERCARE:
Remove bandage
Wash your tattoo with warm water and mild soap (preferably no scent or dye) using your fingertips. You’ll feel the texture of your skin and the tattoo, it will no longer feel slick from excess blood, plasma, ink or balm. Soap from a pump is preferable as bar soap can get hairs and bacteria stuck to it that may transfer to your tattoo.
Allow the tattoo to air dry or use a paper towel (as our bath towels can harbor bacteria) to gently blot it dry.
Use a tiny amount of tattoo balm or unscented or dye-free lotion on the tattoo. If it looks shiny, you’ve probably got a bit too much on there and can blot off any excess with a paper towel. You’re looking to just alleviate the feeling of it being tight. “Moisturizing” is too much in this case.
Wash the tattoo about twice a day for 2 days then once a day afterwards. Put a small amount of balm/lotion on after cleaning the tattoo.
Don’t soak the tattoo in water until it is fully healed. A waterlogged tattoo scab can come off early, leaving light spots where you don’t want them.
So no rivers, lakes, oceans, streams, pools, hot-tubs, saunas, super hot showers, etc until your tattoo is fully healed.
DO NOT PICK OR SCRATCH YOUR TATTOO! This may lead to light or missing spots on your tattoo. You can give your tattoo a light slap to help alleviate the itchiness.
If you have furry friends at home, avoid getting their hair near your tattoo as dander can sometimes irritate our healing tattoos.
Don’t let people touch it!
Try not to wear tight or abrasive clothing against the tattoo as it heals.
Avoid sun exposure until your tattoo is fully healed. It's good practice to use sunscreen on your healed tattoos to protect their longevity. UV rays can lighten your tattoo the same way a t-shirt fades in the sun.
TOUCH UPS:
Of course, we always want your tattoo to heal well in the first place. Do let it heal a full 5 weeks and let me know if anything needs attention, ie: light spots, color loss, etc. I usually just charge my tray fee of $30. However, if I can tell you soaked the tattoo, or picked at it, or fried it in the sun, I will charge full price to touch it up. ;)
SURVEY / EXTRAS:
If you had a great experience today and don’t mind taking the time, I’d be grateful if you left a review for me or the shop on google bit.ly/3NsnjAu
Telling your friends about me or Electric Kitten also helps get the word out about our little tattoo shop and we’re grateful for it!
If there’s anything you feel that I or the shop can do to improve any future visits/experiences, please let me know! We always want you to have an awesome time with us! =)
Please reach out via email if you have any questions. (If it’s a question about healing, please type “URGENT” in the headline - that’ll really get my attention!)
Remove bandage
- Second Skin/Tagaderm: About 24-48 hours from placement. Get some (unscented, undyed) soap and warm water all on the edges of the bandage. Using your fingers, lift edges of the bandage and begin stretching the plastic outward, away from your tattoo. Stretching the bandage will break down the adhesive. This takes a bit more patience but is MUCH better for your skin and tattoo than just peeling it off. Follow the info below about washing your tattoo. If you have a second sheet of Second Skin/Tagaderm, you can apply it after this step. Leave it on for another 3-6 days and repeat the removal/cleaning process.
- Non-Absorbant pad: remove after about 3 hours to overnight from placement as directed by your tattooist. You won’t need to put another bandage on.
Wash your tattoo with warm water and mild soap (preferably no scent or dye) using your fingertips. You’ll feel the texture of your skin and the tattoo, it will no longer feel slick from excess blood, plasma, ink or balm. Soap from a pump is preferable as bar soap can get hairs and bacteria stuck to it that may transfer to your tattoo.
Allow the tattoo to air dry or use a paper towel (as our bath towels can harbor bacteria) to gently blot it dry.
Use a tiny amount of tattoo balm or unscented or dye-free lotion on the tattoo. If it looks shiny, you’ve probably got a bit too much on there and can blot off any excess with a paper towel. You’re looking to just alleviate the feeling of it being tight. “Moisturizing” is too much in this case.
Wash the tattoo about twice a day for 2 days then once a day afterwards. Put a small amount of balm/lotion on after cleaning the tattoo.
Don’t soak the tattoo in water until it is fully healed. A waterlogged tattoo scab can come off early, leaving light spots where you don’t want them.
So no rivers, lakes, oceans, streams, pools, hot-tubs, saunas, super hot showers, etc until your tattoo is fully healed.
DO NOT PICK OR SCRATCH YOUR TATTOO! This may lead to light or missing spots on your tattoo. You can give your tattoo a light slap to help alleviate the itchiness.
If you have furry friends at home, avoid getting their hair near your tattoo as dander can sometimes irritate our healing tattoos.
Don’t let people touch it!
Try not to wear tight or abrasive clothing against the tattoo as it heals.
Avoid sun exposure until your tattoo is fully healed. It's good practice to use sunscreen on your healed tattoos to protect their longevity. UV rays can lighten your tattoo the same way a t-shirt fades in the sun.
TOUCH UPS:
Of course, we always want your tattoo to heal well in the first place. Do let it heal a full 5 weeks and let me know if anything needs attention, ie: light spots, color loss, etc. I usually just charge my tray fee of $30. However, if I can tell you soaked the tattoo, or picked at it, or fried it in the sun, I will charge full price to touch it up. ;)
SURVEY / EXTRAS:
If you had a great experience today and don’t mind taking the time, I’d be grateful if you left a review for me or the shop on google bit.ly/3NsnjAu
Telling your friends about me or Electric Kitten also helps get the word out about our little tattoo shop and we’re grateful for it!
If there’s anything you feel that I or the shop can do to improve any future visits/experiences, please let me know! We always want you to have an awesome time with us! =)
Please reach out via email if you have any questions. (If it’s a question about healing, please type “URGENT” in the headline - that’ll really get my attention!)