Every tattoo artist will have a slightly different way that he/she recommends taking care of your tattoo. Because of the many different factor in a tattoo, it is important to carefully listen to what your artist tells you is the best aftercare for your tattoo. What we are describing here is our general best practices for tattoo after care.

• After your artist has wrapped your tattoo in plastic wrap, leave it covered for 3 hours. Your tattoo is an open wound while its fresh which can be a breeding ground for bacteria, so it’s important to keep it wrapped for the full three hours.
• After the three hours are over, carefully unwrap your tattoo and wash the area with warm water and antibacterial soap. Be cautious not to rub or be rough with your tattoo when washing it.
• After you have washed your tattoo, pat it dry and give it 5 to 10 minutes to air dry. Then apply a thin layer of aquaphor to the whole area of the tattoo.
• For the first three days after the tattoo, Wash and apply aquaphor 3 to 5 times a days, making sure to be gentle as you wash the tattoo and keep a constant thin layer of aquaphor on at all times.
• 4 to 5 days after the tattoo, switch from aquaphor to a not-scented lotion and continue to apply that whenever your tattoo is feeling dry.
• Soon after this last step your tattoo may start peel. Continue to apply lotion throughout the time where your tattoo is peeling.

Extra Tips on the Healing Process

It is important to not pick at your tattoo if it begins to peel, the skin will fall off in its own time and it can destroy your tattoo to try and rush that process. Avoid going in bodies of water such as the ocean, chlorine pools, and jacuzzis. Also avoid giving your tattoo a lot of direct sunlight as that can destroy the tattoo while it is healing. Lastly, remember that the better you take care of your tattoo the better it will look once it is done healing.

When working on larger tattoos, the time it takes to complete can be pretty lengthy and take multiple sessions of tattooing. This can be concerning for people who physically can not sit for long periods of time and people who have a hard time doing long sessions because of pain tolerance issues or anxiety.

The key to effectively dealing with is communicating with your artist early in the process of getting a tattoo. Our artists would be happy to work with you in a way that is comfortable and enjoyable for you, because we care about the entire tattooing experience and want that to be enjoyable.

By communicating with your artist they are able to discuss the time it will take and how many sessions you would want that broken up into. So always be upfront with your artist about any health issues or concerns.

If you have anxiety about having long tattoo session or know you have low pain tolerance, there are a few things that can help deal with the process. It’s important to not psyche yourself before the tattoo, mindset has a large effect on how you react to tattooing. If possible, try to find the most comfortable position, this sometimes can be impossible depending on the location of your tattoo. Lastly make sure to stay hydrated and bring small snacks to keep energy up throughout the process.

One place to start when looking for a tattoo is with a tattoo flash. With tattoo flashes you can see lots of choices, some better than others. Sometimes you may find a flash of something you want or are looking for, but the feel or design is not quite what you are looking for. Talk with your artist about what it is you like about the piece, what you would change, color schemes, whatever it is you want to change. Our Artist will work with you through what you want so that we can create the tattoo that is right for you.

Custom drawings are another great way to choose a tattoo. For custom tattoos, be sure to bring your ideas with you, do research before you come in, get reference materials, look at different styles, etc. It is important that if you want a custom tattoo, that you know what you want. Your artist can’t decide what tattoo you would like, they are there to help bring your ideas to your skin.

Wanting to directly copy another persons tattoo can be disrespectful to the wearer of the tattoo and the artist who did the piece. If you have a specific tattoo you like, bring in a picture and we can make something similar with its own unique twist.

Alec Turner

If you are wanting a portrait of someone, it is important that your reference material is the right size, good clarity, and nice resolution. If there is ever any problems with providing these, talk to your artist to see what can be done. The more reference material you bring, the more your artist will have to work with to accurately bring about the portrait.

If you do not know what you want at all, it is best you wait to get a tattoo until there is something that you really want or can’t wait to get. Tattoos are a life long decision, so it’s best to take your time in deciding what you want on your skin forever.