How to deal if the second skin is coming off early!? 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.
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.
With second skin, your tattoo will heal faster. But without it, it will still heal fine (with proper care). The only time I or my artist have purposely opted out were due to hinged areas that wouldn't hold second skin well (such as elbow, wrist, etc) - it's most important the tattoo heals evenly than anything.
This is plasma building up from your skin and pulling up micro fragments of ink – it's a completely normal part of the healing process. Keep the second-skin on for a minimum of 1-2 days, and a maximum of 7 days after your appointment. After this, slowly and gently remove it under warm running water.
Second skin is a clear medical grade adhesive bandage that acts as a breathable layer for the skin, protecting the area from infection and damage during the healing process. Second skin allows the blood's plasma to help in healing the tattoo.
During this phase, your body will be pushing excess ink and plasma to the surface, preventing the adhesive from attaching to the freshly tattooed area. This means Saniderm can never damage or extract your ink.
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.
If it does leak out (and the seal between the second skin and your skin is broken), remove the bandage and continue with aftercare as instructed below.
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.
During this time there will be a buildup of fluid (plasma, ink, blood) underneath the bandage. This is normal and should remain contained within the Saniderm. Though your tattoo may look blurry, remember that it's just the fluid. Your tattoo is fine.
If it peels so much that any part of the tattoo is no longer completely covered, take it all off and resume normal tattoo aftercare explained in the section above. If you notice any redness/discoloration, rash, itchiness or any other unpleasant reaction, remove the Saniderm and wash the area immediately.
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.
SANIDERM METHOD
After Saniderm is applied, leave it on for 3 - 5 days. You can work, exercise, and shower as you would normally, but do not submerge the Saniderm underwater. After you take off the bandage, wash with hypoallergenic soap and apply small amounts of unscented moisturizer.
Leave it alone. If the bandage starts to leak body fluid from the seal, you can only replace the bandage within the first 24 hours. If you are past 24 hours and the SecondSkin comes off, exposing the tattoo, do NOT replace the bandage.
In some cases, a tattoo blowout may resolve itself as the tattoo heals. But if, after your new tattoo healing, it is still looking funky, you may need to have it removed by a specialist. It's often the best way to get rid of a tattoo blowout.
If the Second Skin starts peeling or peels off straightaway after the application, don't panic. Just remove it, clean the tattoo and reapply.
Does Aquaphor Cause Fading in Tattoos? There are rumors that Aquaphor makes tattoos fade, but from our experiences and many others, this just isn't true. If a tattoo is done correctly and the ink is where it needs to be, ointment should only help your tattoo heal correctly.
Aftercare for normal healing without Second Skin:
Rinse well and pat dry with paper towel. Do not re-bandage. Apply a VERY THIN layer of Bepanthen or our aftercare ointment 2-3 times a day for 3 days. On the 4th day switch to a small amount of unscented hand lotion.
How to deal if the second skin is coming off early!? 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.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE SANIDERM? If Saniderm falls off during healing, gently remove the bandage and wash with clean hands and liquid (non scented) soap. To remove Saniderm run lukewarm water over it as you peel it back.
While laser is definitely the best method of removing tattoo ink, certain pigments used in cosmetic tattoos don't respond well to laser treatment. The ingredients in these pigments can be very different from those used in conventional ink, and laser treatment could change the color of some rather than lightening them.