HEALING YOUR TATTOO

I use Recovery brand Derm Shield bandage. Depending on your tattoo, you will either:

Leave the first bandage on for about 24 hours, replace it with a new bandage, and leave the second bandage on for 3-5 day(s), or

Leave the original bandage on for 2-5 day(s).

Usually, for color or solid fill black tattoos, I recommend the first option and I will give you an extra bandage for replacing the first one. For most other tattoos, I recommend leaving the initial bandage on for 3-5 days. For very delicate fine line tattoos or tattoos in sensitive areas, I recommend only leaving the bandage on for 2-3 days.

Caring for your tattoo with Derm Shield

The bandage is essentially a “second skin” for your tattoo, meaning as long as the bandage is intact, it protects your open skin from organisms or debris that could cause an infection, or other issues with healing. This means if your bandage gets punctured, scratched, or peels up at the edges and exposes tattooed skin, you should promptly remove the bandage, wash your tattoo, and follow the instructions in “Healing your tattoo after Derm Shield.”

Transparent Derm Shield is not UV protectant, so please keep your healing tattoo covered while in direct sunlight. Tattooed skin sunburns easily, and a sunburn can complicate the healing process.

You can get your bandage wet, including in showers and chlorinated pools. You can also work out while your bandage is on, however, if you are prone to profuse sweating or if your tattoo is close to sweat glands (armpit, chest, etc), you may find that sweat collects under the bandage and makes it peel up. I do not recommend submerging your bandaged tattoo in hot tubs, as the hot temperature can affect the adhesive.

If the bandage becomes excessively irritating or if you develop a bright red or bumpy rash on your skin either around or under the bandage, remove Derm Shield and wash your tattoo. Follow the instructions for “Healing your tattoo after Derm Shield.”

If you received more than one tattoo, treat them as separate tattoos and wash your hands between caring for each tattoo to prevent the spread of any potential infection.

Removing Derm Shield

Always remove the bandage under warm running water, in the shower is usually easiest. Starting at one corner, peel the bandage out and away from the tattoo, stretching it off the skin (similar to removing a Command Strip). Once the bandage is removed, use your clean fingertips to wash your tattoo with warm water and unscented, antibacterial soap- I recommend Dial Gold hand soap. If there are still bits of adhesive stuck to your skin, you can try scrubbing gently with Vaseline, then washing with soap again. Then let your skin air dry, or gently pat dry with a clean paper towel.

Applying Derm Shield

Make sure your skin is clean and dry. Round off the corners of the bandage with a clean pair of scissors, if it has not been done for you already. Peel off the paper side, and press the revealed sticky side of the bandage onto the tattoo, leaving at least ½ inch margin on all sides. Then remove the top layer by peeling back at the orange arrows. If you need to use more than one piece to cover your tattoo, overlap the pieces by at least ½ inch.

Healing your tattoo after Derm Shield

While your tattoo finishes healing, it is important to keep it moisturized. After you have washed and dried your tattoo, apply a thin layer of unscented hand lotion or tattoo butter all over your tattoo (Cetaphil, Aveeno, Cera-Ve, Hustle Butter, etc). I don’t recommend Aquaphor, because it is mostly petroleum and does not allow the skin to breathe. Similarly, I don’t recommend coconut oil, as it can clog pores in the tattoo and surrounding skin. I also don’t recommend Vitamin E oil while your tattoo is healing, as there have been instances of negative side effects of Vitamin E on open skin.

If your tattoo gets itchy or dry throughout the day, you can keep applying the moisturizer, in frequent, thin layers rather than thick layers, to make sure the skin can breathe. Make sure to use a clean finger to get moisturizer out of a jar, rather than “double dipping,” to prevent any bacteria from your skin getting into the jar.

Wash your tattoo with unscented, antibacterial soap no more frequently than when you are in the shower or if it gets dirty, to prevent overdrying. Continue this for about 2 weeks, or until the top layer of skin has scabbed and fallen off. After this point, you can treat your tattoo like normal skin and apply sunscreen and any lotion as needed.

Everyone heals differently, so don’t be alarmed if your healing process slightly differs from what I’ve detailed here. If you experience any difficulties with the bandage or have any questions, message me on Instagram or contact me and I’ll try to help out!