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.
This bandage should be left on anywhere between 3 and 24 hours after getting your tattoo – depending on the bandage used and the size of your piece. Tattoo bandages often come off before going to bed the first night. Usually, you should remove your tattoo bandage after 3-4 hours.
DAY 1 ( SANIDERM):
If your artist bandaged your tattoo with a clear adhesive film like SANIDERM or TEGADERM, you can leave the film for up to 3 days. There may be a lot of fluid that builds up in the film and that's okay as long as nothing leaks in or out of the film.
Below are the care instructions copied directly from Saniderm's website: “After you apply the first Saniderm bandage, we recommend leaving it on your new tattoo for between 8 to 24 hours. Everyone heals differently, and the length of time will vary depending on how much fluid your tattoo is weeping.
If for some reason your second skin comes off after a day or so do not rewrap, please keep your tattoo clean and moisturised. Do not wear tight clothes, do wash and clean and apply aftercare balm as advised. Once your fresh tattoo is exposed, it will have a higher chance of infection.
Second Skin should be kept in place for a minimum of three hours and can stay intact up to ten days, to protect your new tattoo. Make sure that when you're removing the product, you don't disturb any bleeding or ink that may have stuck right below where you cut the Second Skin.
If your tattoo is bandaged with Saniderm (Second Skin), you should keep the bandage on for 3-4 days. During this time, it is normal to see some fluid build up beneath the bandage.
So, how long should I have my tattoo wrapped? Keep your tattoo wrapped for 2-4 hours after leaving the tattoo shop. If using protective tattoo film instead of plastic foil, keep the wrap on for 3-4 days.
After your tattoo is completed, your artist will bandage your tattoo for your trip home. Leave the bandage on for one to three hours. When you take the bandage off, wash it with very warm water (as hot as is comfortable) and mild liquid hand soap (like Dr.
You'll need to keep your tattoo wrapped in cling film from one to three days. Depending on the size of your artwork this may be longer and your artist will let you know but a general rule of thumb is: Small line-work pieces – keep the cling film on for one to two days.
“If it's left on for long periods, it will get infected. 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.
Over-moisturising can lead to inflamed tattoos and potentially infection. Excess moisture can clog your skin's pores which prevents it from breathing, something that's important for your skin to heal. This can lead to breakouts on the skin that can damage the tattoo.
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.
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.
If your new ink was wrapped in plastic wrap, here is what you should do: Once returning home, go ahead and remove the plastic wrap and gently wash your tattoo with warm water and soap. The soap you use, should be a non-colored, non-perfumed, anti-bacterial soap.
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.
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.
Keep the tattoo clean and dry, and avoid soaking it in water for at least a month (showers are OK, baths are not). If your clothes are likely to rub on it, keep it covered with gauze/clingfilm and medical tape.
What if my Saniderm Comes off Early? 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. For further information on this, check out our full article on using multiple bandages in succession!
Getting your tattoo wet is OK, but soaking it is not. Yes, you can (and should!) shower with a new tattoo, as long as you don't completely soak it. Avoid swimming—whether in a pool, lake, or the ocean—and submerging your tattoo in a bath or hot tub for two to three weeks, though; this may cause serious damage.
SecondSkin is a semi-waterproof bandage so you can shower like normal during this time. It's alright if the SecondSkin gets wet but you cannot soak (no bathtubs, hot tubs, pools, etc.). Avoid hot showers and limit your time in them. Do not wash the SecondSkin when you are in the shower.
SECOND - SKIN
It's water resistant, so you can shower with it, but avoid prolonged water exposure.
ONCE YOU GET YOUR TATTOO, IT IS NOW YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. TAKE GOOD CARE OF IT IN THE BEGINNING AND IT WILL LOOK BEAUTIFUL FOR LIFE. Leave the second skin on for 3-4 days. You will notice some ink/blood oozing underneath the bandage; it is NORMAL.
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.