Healing

Basic 3 week Rules

• No scratching
• No fragrance (lotion, soap, perfume)
• No swimming (shower is ok, but don’t let much water hit the wrap and no soap around the wrap)
• No tight clothes nor jewelry around the new tattoo
• No sun/uv light

Our shop’s favorite way to heal tattoos is with a medical grade adhesive skin wrap called Tegaderm. It holds in the body’s natural healing enzymes while providing a waterproof and sterile barrier to external contaminants including liquids, bacteria and viruses. It also protects against friction with clothes. *You may heal your tattoo without this wrap but longer healing times are required and scabbing and scarring may occur without all the healing benefits you get from using this medical grade wrap.

Leave the wrap on for 5 to 7 days. Remove the adhesive wrap by peeling back the edges and pulling the sheet back over itself in the direction of hair growth with water hitting the skin as you are peeling it. It’s likely that your wrap will fill up with plasma that is tinted by the ink. If it starts to leak, push out the excess plasma + ink mixture through the leak area, pat dry and put a little piece of tape to close it off. Never put tape on the actual healing tattoo, only on regular skin. If foreign substance gets trapped underneath, please remove wrap in the shower and follow the aftercare method below.

To remove the wrap, carefully clean the tattoo with a fragrance-free antibacterial soap (we recommend Dial Gold or Dr. Bronner’s baby castile soap). Pat dry with a clean paper towel (do not rub it, do not use a towel or other cloth) Apply a super light layer of lotion or tattoo aftercare (we recommend Aquaphor or fragrance-free Lubriderm) The tattoo will begin to peel within the next couple days. Do not pick or scratch. You will want to wash it 2 times a day and keep it moisturized until it is fully healed. Once healed, always apply SPF while in the sun to prevent fading.

We guarantee our work here at Basilica Tattoo, if you require a touch up, please contact us within 90 days after that tattoo appointment.