If your artist wrapped the tattoo in cling film, it may still stay on well for the first night. If the piece has leaked enough for the cling film to come loose, it might be a good idea to take that cling film off.
Keeping the area clean: Keeping the tattoo covered and protected while sleeping can help prevent the buildup of dirt, sweat, and other substances that can irritate the skin and slow down the healing process.
Remove the cling film after 2/3 hours, wash the tattooed area gently, pat dry, and apply the designated tattoo cream thinly over the tattoo, following the instructions on the cream tube.
“I recommend rewrapping for the first three days – especially if you're going to work. This is also a good way of saving your fave bedding from getting covered in goo!” But, in contrast to Dexter, Liv says that you should never put any cream under the cling film.
Avoid sleeping directly on your new tattoo, at least the first 4 days.
If your artist sent you home with adhesive wrap, you can leave that on the tattoo overnight and it should protect both the ink of your new tattoo and your bed sheets. Relieving extra worry about getting residue or ointment on your sheets makes for a better night's sleep…and that is the ultimate goal!
If you can, you should try to avoid sleeping directly on the tattoo. For instance, if you have a tattoo on your back, try to sleep on your front and let the tattoo breathe. A lot of tattoo artists recommend sleeping with the wrap that was put on.
In most cases, you are fine to remove your wrapping after a few hours as long as you are comfortable washing your tattoo with warm soapy water. However, it is not unusual for a tattoo artist to recommend keeping your tattoo wrapped for the first night.
No. We don't recommend taking a shower within one hour of getting a tattoo. Even with a Saniderm bandage on, it's wise to let the ink settle for several hours before getting your tattoo wet. In many cases, the plastic wrap, bandage or covering on your tattoo will be required to stay on for much longer than an hour.
So what product should you use? You may have heard some rumours that Bepanthen shouldn't be used on new tattoos, but this absolutely isn't the case. Bepanthen is by far one of the most highly recommended tattoo aftercare products and is the go-to ointment for most tattoo artists and studios.
Your first piece of Saniderm applied by the artist must be worn for 24 hours, do not remove it early. You will have irritation, redness, bleeding, seeping, and ink collect under the bandage.
If the wrap begins to peel up, you can use surgical tape to keep it down, but if the tattoo is exposed, you will need to reapply Tegaderm (preferred), or switch to Conventional Aftercare - picking up on the day that the wrap came off. 5. Allow the wrap to stay applied for 3-7 days straight, the longer the better.
Do not overmedicate – tattoos should be moist, not coated in medication. On the first night, you may want to wrap your tattoo to prevent sticking to your bedding. It is helpful to tape a loose non-fabric bandage or paper towel over your freshly medicated tattoo for the first 3 days.
Once you've removed the wrapping on your fresh tattoo, keep it off! It's time to let the healing process begin and let your tattoo breathe. If you rewrap it, you'll be trapping in moisture, which leads to bacteria growth, which leads to infection.
Cling wrap or plastic wrap helps to create a barrier between your skin and the outside world, which helps to reduce the risk of infection. Another reason why tattoo shops use cling wrap or plastic wrap is to keep the area clean.
Yes, you can (and should!) shower with a new tattoo, but there are a few things to remember. "Use lukewarm water and do not directly soak the tattoo for too long," Smith notes. "You should also avoid scrubbing your tattoo or using harsh soaps as that can irritate healing skin."
AFTER CARE DO'S -Leave the cling film on for 1-2 hours, or until you get to a clean environment in which to wash your new tattoo. -Take the cling film off, and have a hot bath to thouroughly soak & wash your tattoo. -Pat dry with clean tissue or kitchen roll.
You can leave SecondSkin™ on for up to seven days. We do recommend changing the bandage around the 24-36 hour mark.
Hibler says the safest option is to use a gentle (aka fragrance- and preservative-free) cleanser, ointment, moisturizer, and sunscreen. He adds that many products safe for eczema-prone skin are also great options for tattoo aftercare because they have gentle formulas that retain moisture and restore the skin barrier.
Tattoo touch-ups can only take place once your tattoo is fully healed (anywhere between 4 weeks to 6 months). Touching up a tattoo before it has had the chance to heal will only aggravate and further implicate the artwork. Touch-ups have the same healing protocol as initial tattoos.
In order to heal your tattoo needs to breathe. Cling wrap prevents it from doing so and also can trap bacteria and increase the possibility of infection. Your tattoo artist might have cling wrapped it when they finished working on it, but once you take that off you should not cling wrap it again.
Don't sleep on your tattoo
This could not only cause the tattoo to stick to the sheets while you're sleeping, but it could also starve the area of oxygen, which can delay healing times. Your wound needs good, fresh air in order to breathe and regenerate effectively.
"During the healing process, you should moisturize your tattoo three to six times a day," Ladna says. "Keeping your tattoo hydrated during the initial days is especially critical. If your tattoo becomes too dry, the healing may actually take longer, and you may risk losing color saturation."
Actually a massive amount of adrenaline is dumped & pumped through your body during the inking,as you come down from that (and everything else) your body wants/needs recovery hence such a great sleep as your body recuperates.
After a week, the redness and swelling should have subsided. At this point, the skin should begin to scab and flake. The itchiness may persist, but the tattoo should gradually appear more vibrant as it continues to heal.