What should I do if the Second Skin peels off before time? If the Second Skin starts peeling or peels off straightaway after the application, don't panic. Just remove it, clean the tattoo and reapply. You can also peel it off, clean the area and continua with the normal after care.
If the second skin film comes off before 3 days, do not worry, just start with the following aftercare. Always wash your hands before touching your tattoo. Use a PH neutral soap without perfume and alcohol. Clean the newly tattooed skin gently, and rinse well, tap dry the tattoo with paper towels.
This happens to me sometimes. Take the Saniderm off, wash with that soap and put on some light unscented body lotion (aquaphor is too heavy to use right away) repeat that 2-3 times a day for the next two weeks and you'll be good to go. Saniderm is great but not necessary as long as you clean it.
No need to worry if your second skin is peeling off early - jump in the shower and warm water (never hot water straight after being tattooed) will relax and soften the adhesive, allowing you to remove it with ease.
If at any point your Saniderm peels up to expose part of the tattoo, or fills up with liquid from an outside source (such as water from the sink or shower), remove the Saniderm completely and swap over to the dry heal method for the remainder of the healing period.
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!
If the adhesive bandage begins coming off, do not stick it back down, instead remove the plastic early. Additionally, the adhesive bandage will accrue body fluids and ink underneath, your tattoo is not falling out or staining your skin.
Once you remove our SecondSkin™ bandage, keep your tattoo clean and start using our aftercare cream as needed. You may experience some redness around the tattoo where SecondSkin™ was applied to the un-tattooed skin. This is also completely normal and may occur with any type of medical adhesive.
Aftercare for normal healing without Second Skin:
Leave bandage on for a minimum of 3 hours. After removing the bandage, clean tattoo gently with unscented soap and warm water. Rinse well and pat dry with paper towel. Do not re-bandage.
“Ghosting” can sometimes occur after tattoo removal, where your skin retains a pale white shadow of the original image – as such, speaking to a practitioner beforehand is important, as this can be more noticeable on darker skin tones.
To remove the second skin—while in the shower, slowly peel/roll the second skin off. This will be uncomfortable but will not damage your tattoo.
However, everyone's body heals differently, so it's not a bad sign to see peeling happen later. If it happens earlier, you may want to talk to your artist, as bits of pigment could be pulled from the tattoo and ruin the overall look.
Do not try to save the saniderm, switch to wet healing. Clean the tattoo with unscented soap like you have been doing, pat dry and apply a thin layer of lotion like lubriderm. Do this 3x daily until all of your scabs naturally fall off (don't pick them).
SANIDERM AFTERCARE
Leave the Saniderm on for 3-5 days - do not leave it on for over 5. While the Saniderm is on: You do not need to do anything to the tattoo. You may notice excess ink pooling inside of the bandage - this is normal.
If your artist has applied a second skin, leave it on for 5 to 10 days. There will be blood, leftover ink and plasma that will build up under the second skin.
Applying a second skin to a new tattoo often leads to common problems like wrinkles, peeling, and incorrect coverage, which can affect how well your tattoo heals. If not done right, the dressing might not protect the tattoo properly, or it could trap too much moisture, leading to irritation or even infection.
Dermalize is an adhesive bandaging that comes as a roll or pre-cut squares. It's recommended to leave Dermalize bandages on for a minimum of 5 days. The adhesive used is similar to SecondSkin and requires excessive lukewarm water to remove.
Second skin basically acts as a makeshift scab, but it's even better than a scab your body would create. It creates and maintains a moist environment for your skin to heal, and acts as a barrier to bacteria while still allowing the vapour barrier to pass through it.
It is okay if your Saniderm Bandage begins to peel off early. If this happens, remove the tattoo wrap and apply a new tattoo bandage as needed.
Is it normal to have fluid under the Second Skin? It's completely normal. The fluid that gets trapped between the skin and the layer of Second Skin is a mixture of Blood, Plasma and Ink.
After you leave the studio you will have been cleaned and bandaged; remove the bandage after 3-4 hours. Don't remove the bandage until you can properly clean the tattoo with mild soap and warm water.
You notice an air bubble under your freshly applied Saniderm bandage — now what should you do? While an air bubble under Saniderm is not necessarily “bad,” it will likely cause problems with adhesion further on down the line.
Your tattoo is going through the normal healing process.
This milky skin sticks around for 1-2 weeks, and it might make your tattoo ink appear less vibrant. A lack of ink isn't a problem if your tattoo is still peeling and healing.