One Week Prior

-Ensure you’re hydrating enough throughout the day, between 11-15 cups of water .

-Exfoliate your skin, scrubbing off any excess layers to ensure a smooth stenciling/tattooing process. Your skin type will determine how frequently you should exfoliate~to be safe, I’d say between 1-3 times the week prior should be sufficient.

-Lotion the area that will be tattooed 1-2 times a day with any non-scented hydrating lotion-Aveeno, Coconut Oil, or Shea butter work well.

24 Hours Before

-Limit Alcohol/caffeine consumption the night before and morning of our appointment.

-Get a full night’s rest so your body is able to best withstand the stress triggered by being tattooed.

-I will shave you during the Prep Process, so don’t feel the need to pre-shave for me!

Day of the Appointment

-Get a proper meal 2 hours before being tattooed to keep blood sugar levels steady.

-Bring along a snack/meal and a drink to your tattoo appointment. If our session is 4 hours+, I will require you to bring a meal, or order one mid-appt to ensure your blood sugar levels stay steady, and your body can withstand a longer duration of stress.

Being properly fed and watered will ensure a smoother appointment, and I have snacks on deck we can apply to your tattoo total if you forget!

You may notice plasma, blood and fluid in your bandage-this is normal! We want the tattoo to sit in those healing juices to kick start the healing process. Leave the bandage on for the discussed duration, (4 hours-48 hours depending on tattoo and bandage style.)

Once the discussed time frame is up, you can remove the bandage in the shower & wash your tattoo with warm soapy water, using only your fingers to clean the tattooed area.

Absolutely no luffas/scrubs/cloths on the tattooed area until the tattoo is healed.

For soap, anything non-scented from a pump works well. I recommend Dial Gold. Pat dry with a clean towel, and leave alone for the rest of the day.

The following day, and for the following three weeks, wash your tattoo 2-3 times a day. Around the 3-5 day mark, you’ll notice the tattoo become dry, itchy, flakey, and peely, kind of like a sunburn-this is normal! You can apply A VERY thin, light layer of lotion (Coconut Oil, Shea Butter, Aveeno,) no more times a day than you wash it. Ensure your tattoo is dry before applying any lotion.

FOR TWO WEEKS, do not submerge your tattoo in water. Showers are fine, but absolutely no baths, hot tubs, or swimming.

DO NOT expose your healing tattoo to direct sunlight, or tanning beds for 2 weeks after being tattooed. Once the tattoo is healed, ensure you apply SPF 30 when the piece is exposed to sunlight/tanning beds to prevent UV rays from prematurely aging the tattoo.

The tattoo will be fully healed in 6 weeks, at that point-1 year from the date of receiving the tattoo, you are eligible for one free touch up.

Failure to follow aftercare instructions will result in a touch-up fee if the piece does not heal properly.

If you have ANY questions or concerns during the healing process, be sure to reach out to me as well as to schedule a touch up if necessary.

What’s not normal during the healing process: excessive redness and heat radiating from the tattoo, discharge that is green or yellow coming from the tattooed area (clear discharge is normal, it’s plasma and a standard part of the healing process.) Depending on the area you’re healing and the aftercare protocol you’re following, the tattoo may have a more challenging time healing than a small, simple tat, leading to increased redness and irritation. If you are worried about infection, I recommend you see your doctor. I can give you advice based on my years in the industry and my own experience in healing tattoos. Infection is rare; in years tattooing, I have had clients come to me with an irritated piece or an allergic reaction due to Saniderm/the pigment we used. When in doubt, ask me; worst case, see a medical professional. Google or Reddit may provide more anxiety than answers.