Client Tattoo FAQs

Clean all sheets, pillows, and clothes you intend on sleeping in. 

Make sure you have Bactine Spay, unscented soap, unscented lotion (no lotion pots), anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen, roll of paper towels and saran wrap. All of this can be found at any local pharmacy. 

Keep all animals off of clean bed linens (until tattoo has healed).

Check the area you will be tattooed for rashes, sunburn, eczema, and moles. Sunburn, rashes, and eczema need to heal before your tattoo can be applied. Moles should be checked by a dermatologist. 

If you are taking any medicines, have diabetes, psoriasis, or other auto immune disorders, inform me, and clear your tattoo appointment with your doctor.

Antibiotics MUST be finished at least 2 weeks prior to your appointment. 

If you have ANY allergies, make sure I am informed prior to our process. 

You cannot be tattooed while breast feeding, or while pregnant. 

Clear your schedule of gym visits, beach trips (no swimming, bathing, or hot tubs), camping and/or hiking excursions for at LEAST 2 weeks. 

Stay HYDRATED, do not excessively drink the night before your appointment. 

Eat a balanced meal at least an hour before your appointment. 

Do not take anti-inflammatories/pain medicine before your appointment. 

Leave bandage on for a minimum of 2 hours. 

With clean hands, remove bandage and clean well with HOT water with unscented soap. 

Dry off tattoo gently by patting with paper towels and spray with bactine spray. Let bactine spray soak into skin. And (again gently pat) dry with paper towel. 

Re- wrap tattoo with saran wrap over night. Do NOT apply any lotion or ointment to your tattoo. Tattoo will bleed uninhibited under the saran wrap over night. Make sure to wear dark clothes/clothes you don’t care about getting blood on. And perhaps sleep over a clean towel so as not to soil sheets. 

In the morning remove saran wrap again (with clean hands) and clean off again with HOT water and unscented soap. Make sure to clean off WELL. You will need to remove any excess plasma ( your skin will feel slick until you clean all of it off). 

Once clean, pat gently again with paper towel and spray again with bactine spray. 

Once spray has absorbed, pat dry with paper towel. 

Make sure all around the tattooed area your skin is dry and free from excess hair. 

Apply adhesive bandage, making sure to leave around a 2” gap at the bottom and sides in case your tattoo is still bleeding. 

You can find videos of this application easily online.

Take bandage gently off in the shower in 2-3 days. 

Dry off, and apply unscented lotion as desired. 

You will RE- wrap your tattoo in saran wrap instead of the adhesive bandage. 

Clean and re wrap your tattoo at LEAST morning and at night for the next 2 days. 3 times a day is preferred. 

On the 3 morning you can unwrap your tattoo, clean and spray with bactine spray a final time, and apply a thin layer of unscented lotion as desired. 

It will take your tattoo a minimum of 2 weeks to heal. 

Excessive sun exposure at least the first MONTH can fade your tattoo and cause skin damage. 

Hyperpigmentation can occur, and is MORE likely to occur if you do not cover your tattoo (or apply at least 50 SPF sunscreen every hour. 80-100 spf is preferred). 

Scabbing, flaking, itchiness, bruising, swelling (tenderness and redness) and pimples around the tattoo (folliculitis) are common in the aftercare process. 

Under no circumstances are you to pick at, peel or scratch at your new tattoo. 

Areas of tattoo can become raised and itchy even after tattoo is healed. This is is very common as scar tissue forms (and can become agitated with changes of health, and even weather)underneath skin from the procedure. Anti histamines (allergy meds) have helped me with this. 

Shadows around the tattoo that stick around after a tattoo is healed (sometimes referred to as a blow out) can happen, especially on clients with older skin, or thin skin. It is more likely to appear in paler clients as well. 

If you are not stringent in your aftercare infections can and will occur, IT IS AN OPEN WOUND. 

Signs of infection include: redness, swelling and tenderness becoming WORSE over the 3-5 days after your tattoo is done. Scabs that are ‘gooey’ and refuse to harden. 

Signs of allergic reaction: excessive and painful scabbing over only certain areas of tattoo (example: only where blue or red was used). 

Where there are scabs, scars can form. It is imperative you inform me if you think anything concerning is happening to avoid excessive scar tissue, hyperpigmentation, raised and even keloid scars. 

I cannot stress this enough: PLEASE, PLEASE CONTACT ME. 

If I do not hear from you, I will assume everything is fine. 

I am here to help, and want your tattoo to heal as best as it can. 

If you do not follow my instructions (and your tattoo does not heal well) I will have to charge you at least my minimum of $300 to touch up. 

Even following the aftercare as stringent as possible, sometimes things don’t always heal according to plan, and that’s okay! 

I am happy to touch up any of my work in this scenario for FREE. As long as you reach out to me within a year of when the tattoo was originally applied. 

These instructions are meant for my clients, and future clients ONLY. If you have questions about how a tattoo is healing and it is NOT done by me, I cannot help you. Please reach out to your original artist. Scheduling your tattoo with me confirms you have read this information, understand it, and assume the risks (listed and otherwise) of getting a tattoo.