Tattoo aftercare
A fresh tattoo is an open wound. The first three weeks decide whether the line work stays crisp and the color stays saturated for the next thirty years — so the work you do at home matters as much as the work we do at the chair.
These instructions are a baseline. Your artist may give you a small adjustment based on placement, size, and your skin's behavior — when in doubt, follow what they told you, not the internet.
Step 1
Keep the bandage on for the first 2–4 hours
Leave the wrap in place until you can wash up in a clean environment. If you're given a second-skin bandage, follow your artist's specific timing instead — those stay on much longer.
Step 2
Wash gently with unscented soap
Remove the wrap, wash with clean hands and a fragrance-free liquid soap, and pat dry with a clean paper towel. Don't rub. Don't soak. Don't reach for a washcloth — they harbor bacteria.
Step 3
Moisturize lightly, twice a day
Apply a thin layer of unscented lotion morning and evening. Less is more — a heavy coat suffocates the skin and slows healing. We sell a small bottle of our preferred lotion at the front desk.
Step 4
Avoid water immersion for two weeks
Showers are fine — quick, lukewarm, no direct stream on the tattoo. No baths, no pools, no hot tubs, no lakes, no beaches, no saunas. Submersion is the single fastest way to compromise a fresh tattoo.
Step 5
Don't pick at scabs or peeling skin
Itching and light flaking is normal in week two. Slap, don't scratch. Pulling at scabs lifts pigment with them and creates patchy lines — and that's exactly what touch-ups are for, so we'd rather avoid them.
Step 6
Stay out of direct sun for a month
UV light is the long-term enemy of every tattoo. Keep the new piece covered with loose clothing for the first thirty days, then apply at least SPF 30 any time it'll see sun for the rest of its life.
Step 7
Watch for trouble, but don't panic
Mild redness, light bruising, and a clear ooze in the first three days are all normal. Spreading redness, yellow or green discharge, a fever, or pain that gets worse after day three are not — call the shop and we'll route you to the right place.
Step 8
Come back if anything looks off
A touch-up within 90 days is free if the piece healed under our aftercare. We'd rather see you back in the chair than have you live with a tattoo you're not proud of.
If a question comes up at 11 PM on a Sunday and you can't reach us, treat the tattoo like any other minor wound: clean hands, gentle soap, thin moisturizer, no occlusive dressing. We'll be back at the shop in the morning.
Have a question this page doesn't cover? Reach out and we'll get you a real human answer.
Note: final aftercare instructions to be reviewed by the artists at each shop. This is a placeholder pending client sign-off.