Aftercare
Healing is
half the work.
The quality of your tattoo six months from now depends on the six weeks after your session. Follow this guide closely — and call us if anything looks or feels off.
Healing timeline
- Day 0 – 1
Leave the bandage on for 2 – 4 hours. Wash with unscented soap, pat dry, apply a thin layer of aftercare ointment.
- Days 2 – 3
Wash gently morning and night. Expect mild redness, slight swelling, and a shiny appearance. This is normal.
- Days 4 – 6
Peeling begins. Do not pick or scratch. Switch to unscented lotion once the tattoo stops secreting fluid.
- Days 7 – 14
Peeling continues, then subsides. Colors may look temporarily dull — this is the milky healing layer. It clears.
- Weeks 3 – 6
Fully surface-healed. Keep it moisturized and out of direct sun. Deep tissue healing continues under the skin.
- 6 weeks +
Come back for your 6-week check-in. Complimentary touch-ups are done within 90 days if needed.
Do
- — Wash gently 2 – 3× daily with unscented soap
- — Apply a thin layer of aftercare ointment / lotion
- — Sleep on clean sheets
- — Wear loose, breathable clothing
- — Hydrate
Do not
- — Soak (pools, baths, hot tubs, oceans) for 2 – 3 weeks
- — Expose to direct sun for 4+ weeks — then always sunscreen
- — Pick, scratch, or peel
- — Work out heavily for the first 3 – 5 days
- — Re-bandage after the initial removal
When to call us
Increasing redness after day 5, warmth radiating from the piece, red streaks extending outward, fever, or discharge that isn't clear fluid. These are signs of infection and worth a phone call.
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