After Care Instructions

  • DAY 1-3

    • Wash your tattoo thoroughly under warm water with a fragrance-free, antibacterial soap and clean hands (Dial Gold). Do NOT use wash cloth, loofah, or anything other than your clean hands.

    • Allow to air dry for 10-20 minutes. Do NOT use wash cloth, towel, or other cloth item to dry your tattoo. You may lightly pat it dry with a clean paper towel, then immediately dispose of the paper towel.

    • Once dry, apply a thin layer of ointment to your tattoo. (Aquaphor, A&D, or other tattoo specific ointment. It should be rubbed into your skin like lotion. The surface of the tattoo should not have a thick or visible layer of ointment. You may blot dry with a clean paper towel if needed.

    • Wrap your tattoo with a clean piece of plastic wrap.

      Repeat this process minimum of 3 times a day for the first 3 days. Ideally 3-5 times a day.

    DAY 4-10

    • Continue to wash your tattoo as previously directed, minimum of 3 times a day.

    • Allow tattoo to sit under warm, running water for 10-15 minutes to loosen up peeling skin. Wash thoroughly with your clean hands and fragrance-free, antibacterial soap. Do NOT use loofah, wash cloth, or other exfoliant on peeling, flaky, or dry skin during the healing process.

    • Allow tattoo to air dry for 10-20 minutes.

    • Apply a thin layer of unscented, water-based lotion to the entire surface of your tattoo. (Nivea)

    • Continue to wash and reapply lotion until your skin has returned to its normal texture.

  • DAY 1-3

    • Wash your tattoo thoroughly under warm water with a fragrance-free, antibacterial soap and clean hands (Dial Gold). Do NOT use wash cloth, loofah, or anything other than your clean hands.

    • Allow to air dry for 10-20 minutes. Do NOT use wash cloth, towel, or other cloth item to dry your tattoo. You may lightly pat it dry with a clean paper towel, then immediately dispose of the paper towel.

    • Once dry, apply a thin layer of ointment to your tattoo. (Aquaphor, A&D, or other tattoo specific ointment.) It should be rubbed into your skin like lotion. The surface of the tattoo should not have a thick or visible layer of ointment. You may blot dry with a clean paper towel if needed.

    Repeat this process minimum of 3 times a day for the first 3 days. Ideally 3-5 times a day.

    DAY 4-10

    • Continue to wash your tattoo as previously directed, minimum of 3 times a day.

    • Allow tattoo to sit under warm, running water for 10-15 minutes to loosen up peeling skin. Wash thoroughly with your clean hands and fragrance-free, antibacterial soap. Do NOT use loofah, wash cloth, or other exfoliant on peeling, flaky, or dry skin during the healing process.

    • Allow tattoo to air dry for 10-20 minutes.

    • Apply a thin layer of unscented, water-based lotion to the entire surface of your tattoo. (Nivea)

    Continue to wash and reapply lotion until your skin has returned to its normal texture.

  • DAY 1-3

    • You may leave the Sani-Derm on your tattoo for UP TO 3 DAYS.

    • Ideally, you will remove your Sani-Derm bandage within 24 hours post-tattoo.

      BANDAGE REMOVAL

    • Remove the bandage in the shower, under warm, running water.

    • To remove, start with the bottom corner of the Sani-Derm, and pull downwards, not toward you. (Like a Command Strip, not a band-aid.)

    • Once fully removed, wash your tattoo thoroughly with a fragrance-free, antibacterial soap (Dial Gold) and clean hands. Do NOT use wash cloth, loofah, etc.

    • Allow to air dry for 10-20 minutes. Do NOT use wash cloth, towel, or other cloth item to dry your tattoo. You may lightly pat it dry with a clean paper towel, then immediately dispose of the paper towel.

    • Once dry, apply a thin layer of ointment to your tattoo. (Aquaphor, A&D, or other tattoo specific ointment.) It should be rubbed into your skin like lotion. The surface of the tattoo should not have a thick or visible layer of ointment. You may blot dry with a clean paper towel if needed.

      Repeat this process minimum of 3 times a day for the first 3 days post tattoo. Not your first 3 days post bandage removal. (Ex. If you remove the bandage 2 days after your tattoo, you will only need to repeat this process for an additional day.)

      DAY 4-10

    • Continue to wash your tattoo as previously directed, minimum of 3 times a day.

    • Allow tattoo to sit under warm, running water for 10-15 minutes to loosen up peeling skin. Wash thoroughly with your clean hands and fragrance-free, antibacterial soap. Do NOT use loofah, wash cloth, or other exfoliant on peeling, flaky, or dry skin during the healing process.

    • Allow tattoo to air dry for 10-20 minutes.

    • Apply a thin layer of unscented, water-based lotion to the entire surface of your tattoo. (Nivea)

      Continue to wash and reapply lotion until your skin has returned to its normal texture.

    Sani-Derm Risks

    • Prolonged exposure to the adhesive in Sani-Derm can result in formation of skin reaction to the adhesive. Please do not leave the bandage on for more than 3 days.

    • If you notice you are having a reaction to the Sani-Derm, please remove it immediately when you are somewhere safe to do so. (At home, not in a public bathroom etc.)

    • A reaction may feel like excessive warmth to the tattoo area, abnormal redness, pain, or swelling at the application site, or excessive itchiness within the first 24 hours.

    • Sani-Derm will contain all of the blood, plasma, and pigment that usually is washed off your tattoo during the healing process. It will form a bubble under the bandage that will look like it’s full of black goo. This is normal. Gross, but normal.

    • Sani-Derm works because it creates a good, clean, safe seal around your open wound. If that seal is compromised, immediately remove the Sani-Derm when safe to do so, and follow aftercare instructions as directed. If fluid can get out, bacteria can get in.

    • Do NOT try to tape down ruptures in the Sani-Derm, or otherwise “re-seal” a ruptured bandage for any prolonged period of time. This is deeply unsafe and will most likely result in infection. Also, ew. Don’t.

    • If you have any questions or concerns about your Sani-Derm, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.

    • Do NOT use wash clothes, loofahs, or other abrasive, non-disposable products on your tattoo. Fabric has a heightened risk of harboring bacteria, as well as risking reaction to detergents on your open wound.

    • Do NOT use chemical or physical exfoliants on your tattoo for the duration of healing.

    • Do NOT use products that contain fragrance, as fragrance contains alcohol and will hurt SO bad on your open wound.

    • Do NOT use oil-based lotions (or straight up oils) as aftercare lotion. Especially not coconut/olive/castor oils. They are very heavy and can slow the healing of your tattoo.

    • Do NOT go swimming or submerge your tattoo for any prolonged period of time for the first 3 WEEKS post tattoo. Even if the top layers of skin look healed, the lower layers may still be settling and you run the risk of messing up your tattoo.

    • For the love of the gods do NOT go into the ocean or the bay after getting tattooed. They literally test for the “acceptable level of fecal matter” every day. Every. Day. Do not put your open wound into the poop water. Those are your E. coli dice to roll, but please don’t.

    • Same goes with swimming pools/hot tubs/and sort of communal standing water. Not poop water, but chlorine isn’t much better. It’s gonna sting real bad.

    • Also, no sand for you. Sand is also yucky and full of bacteria and you have an open wound you crazy.

    • Do not apply sunscreen to your tattoo until the top layers are fully healed. Ideally, keep the sun exposure to a minimum until it’s safe to put sunscreen on it.

    • Do NOT allow your tattoo to sit with dirt/pet hair/kid ick on it. Wash it if it’s dirty. Looks dirty but already washed it 5 times today? Wash it a 6th.

    • Do NOT hesitate to reach out to me with questions, comments, or concerns. I am so happy to be able to help y’all when I can. Please send me an email with a photo of your tattoo and whatever info you need me to have and I’ll help to the best of my ability.

  • So you’ve healed your tattoo. You’re amazing! I hope you love it! Here’s some tips to keep it looking fresh2death.

    • Wear sunscreen. Even if it’s only on your tattoo. Wear every sunscreen they make all at once every sunny hour of the day. Sunscreen is the BEST way to keep your tattoo looking fresh through the years. The sun is your frenemy and will ruin your cool investment.

    • Lotion! Shea butter! Cocoa butter! Keep your skin hydrated. Don’t waste money on lotions marketed “for tattoos”. They’re just regular degular lotions, with some extra vitamin E thrown in the mix. Nivea is my go-to, it’s SO hydrating and is top notch and reasonably priced. Or, if you’re just a freak like me and want to keep a brick of raw, unprocessed shea butter in a bucket in your house, that’s good too! I usually mix some shea butter and Nivea in my hands, then coat all my healed tattoos in it and I feel like a moisturized little dolphin with sick body art. Try it.

    • Also, before you buy those cool “tattoo lotions”, shave the hair on your tattoo and lotion it up and compare. It’s the same thing they did in the advertisement. Woo. Saving money.

    • This might be a silly anecdote, but the better you take care of your body and skin, the better your tattoos will age. So here’s your annoying WebMD cure all; drink water, take your vitamins, eat healthy, refrain from excessive drug/alcohol use, etc etc.

  • BEST

    All products listed below are linked to Amazon purchase options to make it easy! You can also find them at any drug or grocery store.

    Fragrance-free Soap

    Ointment

    Lotion

    WORST

    Soap

    • Bath & bodyworks anything

    • Lush brand

    • Bar soaps

    Ointment

    • Vaseline

    • Any petroleum jelly

    • Coconut oil

    • Olive oil

    • Castor oil

    Lotion

    • Cetaphil

    • Aveeno

    • CeraVe

    • Anything scented

    • Coconut/olive/castor oil