Tattoo Aftercare

For cleaning: I always recommend unscented liquid antibacterial soap! Gold dial works well and is very accessible, just make sure its liquid and not bar soap to avoid bacteria. The Saniderm Tattoo Aftercare Foam Soap is another one I recommend as it is very gentle on sensitive skin and is specifically formulated for healing tattoos. If you want to save some money while ordering you can use my code ARIESINKZ for 15% off at checkout.

For moisturizing: Unscented lotion like Lubriderm is my personal favorite for healing at a low price point and very accessible. I find it works better than Aquaphor because you reduce the chance of over saturating/ drowning your tattoo. If you need a little moisture than lotion during the scabbier stages, I absolutely love the Mad Rabbit soothing gel. I’ve tried a lot of different moisturizing methods and this combo is by far my favorite. You can use code ARIESINKZ at checkout for 20% off Mad Rabbit.

A person with pink hair and tattoos on their arms is preparing tattoo ink using a tattoo machine and pink ink bottles in a tattoo studio.

Steps for healing:

Day 1: First day of the tattoo there is no need to do anything if you have a saniderm covering :)

Day 2: The morning after your tattoo. The best option is to order some saniderm beforehand so that you can take off the saniderm placed during appointment, wash off all the plasma build up gently in the shower, let air dry and then put on a second new piece. The plasma build up can cause sainderm to peel up early and irritate the tattoo more than necessary. This also leads to a higher likelihood of the saniderm not staying sealed the full 4 days.
(You may keep on the same original saniderm but know that if it starts to leak out or pull up and expose the tattoo at all you will have to remove it and start the washing process early. DONT cover the tattoo with ANYTHING else other than saniderm (or other brands of second skin) if it comes off early! They are specially formulated for tattoo healing and if you try to wrap with Saran Wrap or anything else you will likely get an infection.

Day 3: Leave on for 4 full days starting the day of placement from the second piece.

Day 4: On the 4th day remove in the shower pulling downwards starting from bottom corner (think about how you would pull a command strip off of the wall). Then immediately wash with soap. Pat dry with a paper towel and moisturizer.

Day 5: Repeat washing, drying and moisturizing process 2x a day (morning and night) for 2-4 weeks.

DO NOTS while healing: No soaking your tattoo in hot tubs or bathtubs (showering is fine even with saniderm on) no saunas. Try to avoid sweating while healing ESPECIALLY while you have your saniderm on. Your saniderm will fill with sweat and cause your tattoo to blur while sitting in the sweat. Do not have your tattoo in direct sunlight for at least 2 weeks, preferably 4. Don’t scratch or pick a your tattoo while healing. And don’t let your tattoo dry out. It is very important to keep it clean and moisturized.