If you were given an adhesive bandage:

You must follow your artist’s given instructions for how long to leave the adhesive bandage (most likely Saniderm or Recovery Derm Shield) on your new tattoo - usually three to five days depending on the tattoo and location. The bandage is waterproof, so you may shower with it on, but do not soak your new tattoo in the bath or hot tub as these can harbor a great deal of bacteria. In general, you should be wary of hot water as heat can loosen up the adhesive. For the first few days, avoid any activities that result in excessive sweating, such as sitting in a sauna or going on a run, to prevent the bandage from being prematurely pushed off.

Your adhesive bandage will fill up a bit with fluid; the amount of fluid largely depends on how much open skin you have and how much ink is in your new tattoo. Your body is pushing out excess ink and plasma as it is healing which is completely normal. This may seem very gross, and possibly alarming, but this is exactly what is supposed to happen! If your bandage is leaking a bit, you can drain the fluid, clean the area, and patch over the leak with a Band-Aid or medical tape until it is time to remove your adhesive bandage. You may need to remove the bandage entirely if it is leaking excessively and no longer properly protecting your tattoo.

Carefully remove the bandage with clean hands - doing so in the shower makes this much easier. Let warm water rinse over the bandage for a few minutes to loosen up the adhesive. Gently tug at the edges all around the tattoo and slowly pull the bandage off little by little - this may take 10 minutes or so depending on the size of your tattoo. Be sure to pull the bandage parallel to your skin (like you are removing a Command strip from a wall) instead of away from your skin. Doing so helps to minimize not only pain but the amount of adhesive residue that can sometimes stick around for an additional 24 hours or so. Dispose of the used bandage immediately. (If you have any adhesive residue still left on your skin, baby oil or coconut oil can help remove it a little quicker. This residue left from the bandage is not detrimental to your tattoo, but it can be annoying.)

Gently rinse off the excess ink and plasma that has built up beneath the bandage. Wash your tattoo thoroughly with warm water and a gentle, fragrance-free anti-bacterial hand soap (something basic like Dial Gold, Softsoap, etc. - tattoo-specific soaps are not necessary). Allow to air dry or pat dry with a clean paper towel. Do not use a hand towel or bath towel within the first week of healing as these can harbor a great deal of bacteria. Wash two to three times per day until fully healed - this usually takes about two weeks in total (including wrapped time). Using clean hands, be sure to moisturize with a tiny amount of fragrance- and petroleum-free moisturizer after and between washings. Do not oversaturate. See below for more information on moisturizing your healing tattoo.

You may have been given a second piece of the adhesive bandage to change into. Full color tattoos or those with a lot of shading tend to push out a great deal of ink and plasma as they are healing, especially in the first 24 hours. This may cause your bandage to leak or even come off. The morning after (or the night of, if need be) getting your tattoo, you should remove your initial adhesive bandage once it has filled up with ink and plasma. Wash your tattoo thoroughly and air dry or pat dry with paper towels. Once your tattoo is completely dry, put on the extra piece of adhesive bandage that you were given and leave on for the instructed amount of time, usually another 2-4 days. Do not put any moisturizer on your tattoo before putting an adhesive bandage on it.

You may need to remove your adhesive bandage early. If your skin has any sort of negative reaction (such as redness or bumps under/around the adhesive bandage), you should remove it immediately and begin regularly washing your tattoo. Please inform your artist as soon as you can, ideally before the time you get another tattoo.

If your bandage is coming off and no longer serving any purpose, you should remove it early and begin washing your tattoo 2-3 times per day. Ask your artist for additional instruction if you remove your bandage within 48 hours or less.

Until your new tattoo is healed, you will need to take extra care to keep it clean. After all, a new tattoo is essentially an open wound that you want to heal nicely! Wash your tattoo as soon as possible if it has come in contact with anything unsanitary like dirty dish water or gym equipment. Moisturize regularly and keep it out of direct sunlight until healed; once healed, be sure to moisturize daily and use sunscreen. Try to minimalize handling your new tattoo outside of aftercare. Do not pick at or scratch your tattoo while it is healing.

If you have any sort of allergic reaction to inks or any aftercare products., please notify your artist immediately. If you have any questions, feel free to email your artist or the shop.