Initial Cling Film Use Leave the cling film on for 2 to 3 hours after getting your tattoo. This initial period helps protect the new ink from bacteria and environmental contaminants. Once you remove the initial cling film, avoid re-wrapping your tattoo unless necessary.
It's generally recommended to keep cling film or any other protective covering on a new tattoo for the first 24 to 48 hours. After that, you can remove it, but be sure to follow these guidelines:
When the tattoo is dry to the touch, cover it completely with a new piece of plastic wrap, using small pieces of tape as needed to hold it in place. Do NOT use any healing ointment or moisturizer. With this method, the tattoo is kept completely covered with plastic wrap 24 hours a day, usually for 48-72 hours.
A tattoo is a wound and if you cover it, it will heal faster but can pull the ink out of your skin as well. Do not wrap again after the first time.
You shouldnt keep saniderm on for 7 days. 3-4 days is the correct length of time. At this point if the tattoo isn't completely sealed in the saniderm then you should just remove it and care for it as usual. Keep it clean and your hair out of it if your hair is long.
ACCELERATE THE TATTOO HEALING PROCESS – Saniderm tattoo care bandages help prevent scabbing, which means accelerated tattoo healing and less irritation. Less scabbing also means the risk of damaging your tattoo is greatly reduced.
Healing With Saniderm
Alternatively, if the fluid that collected beneath your Saniderm has dried out or has become itchy or uncomfortable, it is perfectly okay to remove the bandage and begin washing/caring for your tattoo -- even if this happens before the 3-5 day mark!
Your first night sleeping, your artist might recommend you re-wrap the tattoo with plastic wrap (like Saran Wrap) to sleep without the tattoo sticking to your sheets. This is generally for larger or solid-color tattoos. If your artist did not recommend re-wrapping, just let the tattoo stay exposed to air overnight.
You can shower 3-4 hours after getting a tattoo, if you have a Saniderm bandage on, however, if you have a plastic wrap wait 24 hours to unwrap your tattoo and shower. In either case, shower in cold or lukewarm water and avoid prolonged soaking or submerging your tattoo in water for 3-4 weeks.
-Ideally you will leave your adhesive bandage on for about 3 days after receiving your tattoo (remove sooner if your skin appears to be increasingly red or irritated, or if you know you are sensitive to adhesives.) I'd suggest not to leave it on longer than four days.
Unfortunately, there's no way to control what your body does while you sleep, but keeping your new tattoo covered during the night will help mitigate the risk of causing any injuries by scratching it.
You can pat the tattoo gently with a clean paper towel, but you must let the tattoo dry, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes after each cleaning. Any extra moisture trapped by immediately covering the tattoo is an invitation for bacteria to multiply.
I recommend changing the cling film four times a day – breakfast, lunch, dinner and before you go to bed.” But you must wash the tattoo each time, using warm water and a mild soap – our aftercare foam wash is gentle for this purpose. “Always wash your hands first and never reapply the same cling film.
Carefully wash your tattoo area three times a day with soap and water, and gently pat it dry. Keep applying a moisturizer or ointment after you clean your tattoo to keep it moist. After 5 days, you can switch from an antibiotic ointment to a gentle fragrance-free body lotion.
Don't worry, this is completely natural. It happens because the old skin, damaged during the tattooing process, forms a thin layer over your tattoo and masks its true appearance. In time this old skin will naturally exfoliate itself, revealing your tattoo underneath in all its vibrant glory.
While it might seem harmless in the heat of summer with an inviting pool in your midst, several issues can pop up if you allow your tattoo to get wet before it's fully healed. Infection – Since fresh tattoos are open wounds that require healing, exposing them to water also exposes them to any harmful bacteria present.
Leave the cling film on for 2 to 3 hours after getting your tattoo. This initial period helps protect the new ink from bacteria and environmental contaminants.
Use the Aquaphor for the first 2-3 days then switch to a regular FRAGRANCE-FREE lotion such as Lubriderm, or any other fragrance-free brand. 5. Fresh tattoos sometimes “weep” during the first couple of days, meaning that plasma and ink form a thin moist coating on the skin. This can be DABBED with a clean paper towel.
To aid the skin healing process, the tattoo needs to be kept moist. You can use a very thin layer of hypoallergenic ointment or fragrance-free lotion like Vaseline® Intensive Care™ Advanced Repair Unscented Lotion, or Vaseline® Healing Jelly Original. Repeat daily for 2-3 weeks to help wound healing.
Using Castile Soap for Tattoo Aftercare
No need for alarm as this is quite normal. What you're seeing is in fact excess fluid (plasma) and ink from the tattoo process. Using Dr. Bronner's Baby Unscented Pure-Castile Liquid Soap for tattoos is perfect for this step!
Leaving the bandage on for too long can result in infection, so always change your bandage within the stated timeframe. Most tattoos can be properly healed with 2 applications of the bandage, with each application being left on the skin for 1-2 days, for a 3 or 4 day total.