Tattoo Info
Aftercare
Congratulations on your new tattoo! Now for the next essential step: taking good care of it so it heals beautifully!
Tattoos take 4 to 6 weeks to fully heal. During this time, there are several important considerations to ensure a safe and healthy process.
Aftercare Process
Bandage
At Mystic Moon Tattoos, we use a special kind of bandage known as UltraDerm. You may know similar ones from other brands, such as SecondSkin, Tegaderm, or Saniderm. This waterproof and breathable bandage creates a nurturing environment for your tattoo during its early healing stages. It is important to leave it on for at least three days and up to a week to keep your tattoo protected!
Redness
While redness and itchiness around the tattoo itself is normal, redness or rashes around the edges of the bandage might be an indication that you’re having a mild allergic reaction to the bandage. If this happens, don’t worry! Carefully remove the bandage right away (using the instructions below), give the area a good wash, and continue your healing process as normal, the rash should clear up on its own.
Bandage Removal
We recommend having something to eat before removing the bandage, as low blood sugar can cause lightheadedness during the removal.
When it’s time to take off the bandage, we recommend a warm shower to soften it first.
Slowly pull off the bandage, pulling away from yourself, and down with the direction of your hair growth. Be gentle as you pull off the bandage, as pulling too quickly can damage your skin or cause a loss of ink.
Removing the bandage should not be painful. If you are experiencing pain, stop immediately and loosen the bandage for a longer time.
Cleaning and Moisturizing
Once the bandage is off, it’s time to pamper your new tattoo! Use a clean hand, unscented soap, and lukewarm water to gently clean it. This will ensure it stays clean while also removing any residue from excess ink, plasma, and the bandage’s adhesive. After that, pat it dry with a paper towel or clean towel, and apply a pea-sized amount of unscented moisturizer. Think of it like moisturizing your hands - don’t leave any excess behind!
We recommend cleaning and moisturizing the tattoo twice a day.
Please avoid using Vaseline or Polysporin on your tattoo! Vaseline traps moisture, which can trap moisture on your tattoo, and Polysporin is designed to pull things out of the skin—something we definitely want to avoid. Antibiotics also lose their effectiveness the more you use them, so you want to avoid them unless absolutely necessary.
Routine
Continue washing and moisturizing your tattoo with unscented products for your full healing process, twice a day.
During the 4-6 weeks your tattoo is healing, make sure to follow these rules closely!
No soaking.
This means no baths, swimming, or hot tubs. Let water flow over it gently in the shower, but avoid direct pressure from the water stream.
No picking or scratching.
This can damage your tattoo. If it gets itchy, light pats, compression, or a little extra moisturizer can help!
No direct sunlight.
That means no tanning or fake tans. Sunscreen is not safe to apply to your tattoo while it is healing (though it’s important afterwards), so keep the area covered with soft, loose clothing. Be careful to avoid rough or abrasive material, as friction can interfere with healing.
No shaving or waxing.
Just like picking and scratching, this runs the risk of damaging your tattoo. Also note that due to the nature of tattoos, you cannot get laser hair removal in the area of a tattoo, as this will damage the tattoo.
Healing
You’ll know your tattoo is fully healed when it is no longer glossy or peeling. If this happens before the 4-6 weeks is up, make sure to continue your aftercare anyways, to ensure it is fully healed!
Your tattoo should be matte and flat to your skin. If you find your tattoo is still raised after healing, it could mean that you have mild scarring. See the Healing Risks section below for more information.
We love getting updates on healing and healed tattoos! Feel free to send us photos or pop by the shop during our hours—we're always excited to see your progress!
After Your Tattoo is Healed
Once you’re all healed up, you can maintain your tattoo with:
A good skin care routine with exfoliating and moisturizing.
Avoid damaging the skin
Applying sunscreen whenever you go out in the sun.
A good skin care routine promotes healthy skin, and helps keep the tattoo vibrant. While all tattoos fade over time, the sun will cause it to fade faster. This is because sunlight kills your skin cells, causing faster regrowth. The more your skin goes through these cycles the faster your tattoo will fade.
Healing Risks
Infection
If the redness around your tattoo does not go down within a few days, or the pain worsens, it might be a sign that something’s not right. Since tattoos are open wounds, there’s always a small risk of infection. Keep an eye out for warning signs, including:
Fever.
Swelling around the tattoo.
Pus or unusual discharge.
Swollen lymph nodes.
See a doctor immediately if you are showing signs of infection, as you likely require antibiotics.
It’s also a good idea to inform your artist. They can provide insight into what’s normal or might need extra attention.
Some important ways to avoid infection include:
Follow bandage instructions.
Bandages like UltraDerm help protect your tattoo when it’s at its most vulnerable. Leaving the bandage on for at least 24 hours (or longer) is a great way to prevent infection.
Keep the tattoo clean.
Only touch the tattoo with clean hands. If anything that could have unwanted bacteria touches your tattoo, gently wash the tattoo with clean, unscented soap.
Avoid soaking your tattoo.
Sitting in water (baths, pools, etc.) can introduce harmful microbes to the tattoo. Even if you’re being careful, it can still increase your chances of infection.
Excessive Scabbing
If the scabbing on your tattoo is thick and raised, it may indicate a healing issue. Don’t worry, this is not an emergency!
This kind of scabbing can happen for a few different reasons, like if the tattoo machine was working at too high of a setting, or the skin was gone over too many times. A person is more at risk in any of the following situations:
Tattoos involving heavy colour packing.
Thinner or mature skin.
Some skin sensitivities.
If this scabbing occurs, you’ll need to be extra cautious to prevent the scab from coming off prematurely, which could result in pigment loss or scarring.
Here’s how to handle excessive scabbing:
Be extra gentle with your tattoo, and make sure no clothing or other materials rub against it.
This type of scab will take longer to fall off naturally, be patient, as if removed prematurely, you may lose the pigment underneath.
Apply moisturizer more frequently, 3-5 times per day, to keep the scab softer and flexible, which will help prevent cracking or accidental removal.
Still don’t over apply moisturizer, you don’t want to leave a visible amount on the tattoo.
When the scab falls off, you may want to treat with vitamin E cream.
In this situation you will likely need more than the usual 4-6 weeks of healing time, but if you’re patient and careful, your tattoo will heal just fine.
Scarring
Scarring is complicated and can be caused by a variety of different things. Here are three main scarring categories:
Mild scarring:
Some tattoos may stay slightly raised even after healing, indicating mild scarring. This is more common in tattoos with thicker and heavier styles. These scars are usually matte and will stay raised permanently.
Scarring with pigment loss:
If the skin is overworked during the tattooing process, and/or aftercare is not followed properly, it is possible for scarring to be accompanied by pigment loss.
Severe scarring:
More serious scarring can occur from poor tattooing techniques, particularly if your artist is not trained properly or is inexperienced. Severely scarred tattoos can be accompanied by blowouts, pigment loss, and extreme premature expansion.
*Scarring is a complex issue, this is a very simplified version.
To help prevent and reduce scarring:
Do your research and choose an experienced artist who works in a regulated shop.
Follow your aftercare routine carefully.
If your tattoo is still glossy after the 4-6 week healing period, applying vitamin E daily can help speed up the healing of mild scars.