Tattoo Aftercare
I offer two options for bandaging the tattoo after an appointment: second skin-type bandages, and regular wrap bandages. Aftercare differs slightly for the first few days based on the bandage you receive.
With Second Skin
Second skin is a type of clear plastic bandage that adheres directly to the fresh tattoo. It is meant to be left on undisturbed for a few days after the appointment. I typically use the brand Hypafix, though the shop occasionally stocks different brands if it is on backorder. Some clients have allergic reactions to the adhesives in the second skin and should not use this type of bandage; if you have a history of allergic reactions to medical adhesive (band-aids, medical tape, etc.), please let me know during your appointment. Clients with latex allergies should also be cautious as some brands of second skin contain latex.
Leave second skin on, undisturbed, for 3 to 5 days (up to 7 days).
If the bandage begins to peel up over a tattooed area, remove the bandage early.
If fluid begins leaking out from under the bandage or sweat visibly accumulates under the bandage, remove the bandage early.
If you begin experiencing redness around the edges of the bandage (not the tattoo), extreme itchiness, unusual or sudden soreness, or a rash, remove the bandage immediately. The reaction should clear on its own, but an antihistamine can be taken if it is particularly uncomfortable.
The bandage can be worn in the shower as it is waterproof. Do not soak the bandage underwater (in a bath, hot tub, pool, etc.) as it will come unglued, and standing water is an infection risk.
Remove the bandage in the shower or under the sink with warm (but not too hot) water. Pull the bandage parallel to your skin while removing it to prevent additional pain (in the same way you would pull a command strip off of a wall).
If the bandage leaves glue residue behind, it can be removed with a small amount of baby oil, Vaseline, or coconut oil. Do not leave the oil on the tattoo afterwards; wash it off with a gentle unscented soap.
With a Regular Bandage
A regular bandage consists of a soaker pad, flexible non-adhesive bandage wrap, and/or medical tape. It is not meant to be kept on longer than a few hours. This is the bandaging method that will be used if a client has an allergy or sensitivity to medical adhesive or latex.
The soonest the bandage can be removed is when you get home, but I’d recommend leaving it on a bit longer so that it can absorb any remaining fluid coming out of the tattoo. I typically recommend leaving it on until you are about to go to bed.
The bandage wrap I use is flexible and may tighten or loosen throughout the day. You may adjust it as needed so that it is comfortable and remains in place.
If the bandage gets wet, damaged, or otherwise soiled, remove it immediately and wash the tattoo with gentle unscented soap. Pat the tattoo dry with a clean paper towel and do not re-bandage it.
After Taking the Bandage Off
Aftercare for a tattoo once the bandage has been removed is the same, regardless of the type of bandage used.
Wash the tattoo at least twice a day and as needed with a gentle, unscented soap. Pat the tattoo dry with a clean paper towel. I recommend washing the tattoo at the very least in the morning and before going to bed, but if the tattoo gets particularly sweaty, dusty, or otherwise dirty throughout the day, washing it more may be necessary. Scented products may irritate the skin or cause allergic reactions.
Unscented water-based lotions such as Cetaphil, Aveeno, Lubriderm, Live Clean, etc. can be used as needed on a clean tattoo. Apply a thin layer evenly over the whole tattoo; be careful not to use too much lotion at once. I recommend using lotion at least twice a day (usually after washing the tattoo), or more often if you have particularly dry skin or if it is in an area of the body that moves and stretches a lot throughout the day.
Avoid using oil based lotions, but especially avoid using Vaseline as a moisturizer. Oil-based moisturizers can suffocate the tattoo and result in poor healing outcomes.
Do not soak the tattoo underwater. No baths, hot tubs, pools, rivers, lakes, etc. until the tattoo is healed.
Avoid exposing your tattoo to the sun. Wearing clothing to cover the tattoo is recommended if any time is going to be spent outside. Do not put sunscreen on a fresh tattoo.
Do not scratch at, itch, or pick at your fresh tattoo. It is normal for a tattoo to be dry, itchy, flaky, and scabby during the healing process; removing scabs and scratching the tattoo can affect healing and result in spots where colour is faded or missing.
Tattoos take between 3 to 6 weeks to heal. For the average person, 3 to 4 weeks is long enough to resume taking baths, swimming, getting dirty, etc. For those with diabetes or other immunocompromising conditions, healing may take longer.
Long Term Care
While a tattoo might not need daily care and maintenance after it has healed, but there are certain things you can do to slow its aging.
Keep your tattoo out of the sun as much as possible. Sun exposure is the fastest way to fade and age a tattoo. Wearing clothes over the tattoos or a high SPF sunscreen while outside can prevent this.
Come in for a touch up if you need it. I’m happy to touch up a tattoo for no hourly fee (just a $15 shop supply fee) for the first year of your tattoo. If there is anything that healed poorly or in a way that you are unhappy with, please come in and let me fix it. I will also happily touch up an aging tattoo for a discounted price if you would like an older piece sharpened and brightened up, as long as the original was done by me.
Stay hydrated! Anything that benefits your skin overall will help your tattoos stay sharp, bright, and saturated as the years go by.
FAQ
I have a question about your booking process or shop policies!
My booking process and policies are detailed on my Booking Policies page, as are some Pansy Poke Co. shop policies. Making a booking request is as simple as making a request on Venue and waiting for me to reach out to you. If you have any questions that aren’t answered on those pages, you can email me here. I prefer not to receive inquiries through Instagram as they are often missed. Please note that it can take me up to 3 business days to respond to general inquiries, depending on my schedule.
Can I bring a guest with me for my appointment?
It depends! I can typically accommodate having a guest sit by my station if I am given advance notice that someone will be tagging along (or in the cases where two people are coming in for tattoos together). If there is not enough room by my station for a guest that day, I may request that they wait in the front reception room. If you need a guest to accompany you for accessibility reasons, please let me know and I will make sure we can accommodate them!
What do I do if I need accessibility accommodations for my appointment?
If you need any kind of accommodation to make your experience easier and more comfortable, please add it as a note to your booking form or let me know before the day of your appointment. I will accommodate all requests to the best of my ability!
Will you tattoo over scars, birthmarks, stretch marks, moles, etc.?
Yes, on a case by case basis. Most things can be tattooed over with little trouble, but there are some cases in which I may ask to have an in-person consultation to look over the area and determine if a tattoo is possible.
I will typically only tattoo scars that are settled in to the skin (meaning, older scars- usually over a year old). Settled scars are typically paler, less raised, and smoother. Tattooing scars always comes with the risk that the ink may not take, or that the ink may take too much and cause blowouts on the scar. Tattooing on a settled scar reduces this risk.
Tattooing stretch marks carries the same risks as tattooing scars, but is typically doable with little issue.
If you have a history of keloid scars, I may recommend you avoid getting tattooed, as there is a risk that the entire tattoo develops into a large keloid.
Tattooing over freckles is generally fine; I may avoid going over larger freckles, moles, and birthmarks, however. This is because they can be difficult to tattoo over, but mostly because hiding them with a tattoo can make detecting skin conditions such as skin cancer more difficult in the future.
Can I use numbing cream during my appointment?
I do not have a problem with numbing cream and welcome anyone who feels that they need it to use it. I just request to be notified that you will be using it beforehand, and that you apply it before coming to the appointment. Numbing cream needs to be left on the skin for 30 minutes to an hour before becoming fully effective (depending on the brand), so make sure to apply it the appropriate amount of time beforehand so that we can get started at our scheduled time. I do not provide numbing cream for my clients, which means you must find and buy some yourself prior to the appointment. Most pharmacies carry topical lidocaine creams which will work fairly well. I can provide some slight numbing with Bactine during the appointment, but it will not fully numb an area and can only be used after a significant amount of skin has been tattooed.
There are a few other things to note about numbing cream:
In certain cases, numbing cream can change skin texture, possibly making it more difficult to tattoo and in turn extending the time needed for the appointment (and therefore increasing the cost of the tattoo).
Some clients have reported worse healing outcomes when using numbing cream, and it is worth researching this before deciding to use it.
Most topical numbing creams last 1-3 hours, depending on the brand and how quickly your body processes the numbing agent. The numbing might therefore wear off before your tattoo is done, and the sensation of it wearing off mid tattoo can be very unpleasant.
Do I have to tip?
Tips are always appreciated but never expected! You should only tip if you want to and are comfortable doing so. If you’d like to give me a non-monetary tip, a thank you card, a piece of art/craft, a trinket/knickknack, a sweet treat, or an iced latte with oat milk are always extra appreciated :)
Do you let other artists tattoo your designs?
As a baseline, no, I do not. I may sell tattoo tickets for repeatable flash designs in the future, but that is not something I have put together yet. If you live far from where I work and would like to get a design of mine tattooed, feel free to reach out via email or Instagram. I am open to talking about selling my designs on a case by case basis for the moment.
I think I am having an allergic reaction to my tattoo/I think my tattoo is infected!
If you think you are having an allergic reaction or think you may have an infection, head to a walk-in clinic or to your family physician to get it looked at. You can send me photos of the tattoo so that I can let you know what I suspect is happening and direct you better, but it is always best to get the opinion of a medical professional.
An allergic reaction may look like redness on the borders of the bandage or tattoo, a rash, itchiness, and swelling. Most allergic reactions on fresh tattoos are actually to a type of bandage that may be used called second skin. Removing the bandage and washing the tattoo typically resolves the symptoms in that case. Allergic reactions may also be caused by soap or lotion, especially if scented products are used. These reactions typically clear up after the client stops using the products. Rarely, an allergic reaction to the pigment used in the ink may occur; in this case, consulting a medical professional is advised. Red is typically the colour that causes the most reactions, though it is once again quite rare. In the case of any reaction, it is always best to get the opinion of a medical professional if you are concerned or if the symptoms are severe.
An infection may look like redness all over the tattoo, significant swelling, unusual pain, itchiness, unusual amounts of fluid leaking from the tattoo, white or greenish fluid leaking from the tattoo, and warmth in the area. If you think you have an infection, consult a medical professional immediately. A walk-in clinic or family doctor can prescribe you antibiotics, which is typically all that is needed to clear up an infection. In some cases, the infection may be caused by contaminated aftercare products; in that case, it is worth replacing soap, lotion, paper towel, and any other aftercare products you may be using. Avoid homemade lotions if possible, as the risk of contamination is higher. If you have an infection, please inform me so that I may review what happened and determine if it is possible that something on my end was contaminated, so that I can sanitize or replace it. Any touch ups needed as a result of an infection are completely free of charge.
My tattoo is fading faster than normal/I am unhappy with how my tattoo is healing.
If you are noticing that parts of your tattoo are fading faster than usual, blurring more than expected, or if you are otherwise unhappy with a healing outcome, please reach out! I will happily touch up and fix any and all issues with a tattoo after it has healed. I ask that the tattoo be fully healed before the touch up appointment is made, as tattoos can look different while still healing.
Touch ups cost $15 for shop supplies for tattoos done within a year of the touch up, and can be booked via my Booking Request Form or my reaching out to me directly via email. I offer touch ups at a discounted rate for older tattoos. The shop supply fee may be waived for touch ups in certain circumstances.
Will you be doing a guest spot or attending a tattoo convention in XYZ?
I currently only travel to Calgary, Alberta for guest spots a few times a year. I occasionally attend the Calgary and Edmonton Tattoo Shows, but not every year. If there is another city or show you’d like me to visit, let me know! I may just travel further if there is enough interest.