Aftercare

Immediate Aftercare

Immediately after your tattoo is completed, your artist will sanitize and bandage your tattoo. Leave the bandage on for 1-5 hours depending on the size of your tattoo and as instructed by your artist. It's important to keep your bandage on during this time as the risk of secondary infection is the highest when the tattoo is fresh.

Once your time is up, take bandage off and discard. Wash hands. Rinse off any excess ink and plasma and gently wash with a foaming antibacterial soap. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry with a clean paper towel. Apply a very thin layer of your artists recommended tattoo aftercare salve.

Days 1-5

The first five days are critical for protecting your tattoo from infection and conditions that could lead to pigment loss. We recommend following this protocol twice daily, preferably once in the morning and once before bed, unless the tattoo exposed to conditions necessitating a third wash. We do not recommend covering the tattoo during this period.

Wash Your Hands: Before touching your tattoo, always wash your hands thoroughly with antibacterial soap.
Clean Your Tattoo: gently wash your tattoo with lukewarm water and a mild, fragrance-free soap. Use your hands to clean the area gently. Avoid using a washcloth or sponge as these can be too abrasive.
Pat Dry: Gently pat your tattoo dry with a clean paper towel. Do not rub or use a cloth towel that may harbor bacteria.
Apply a very thin layer of tattoo salve to the tattoo

Days 5-12

After the first 5 days, your tattoo will become dry, cloudy and flaky. Scabbing can occur at this point. Once the tattoo starts drying out you can switch from your ointment to a fragrance-free mild lotion.

Gently wash and dry to avoid pulling off scabs or dry flakes of skin
Apply fragrance free, hypoallergenic lotion liberally when tattoo feels dry or itchy .
Tattoo will become itchy at this stage, do not scratch the tattoo, instead, slap the area.
Do not pick at scabs or pull dead skin off. Its best to let the body shed on its own.
Excessively picking will lead to pigment loss

Avoid

Submersible water: washing and showering is fine, but don't submerse tattoo in baths, pools, the ocean, hot tubs, natural bodies of fresh water.
Animal contact: do not allow pets to lick or lay against a fresh tattoo. Also take precautions when cleaning pens, cat boxes, cages, etc.
Dirty, sandy or dusty conditions: If your job requires you to be in contact with hazardous, biohazardous or dirty conditions please take the proper precautions to ensure the tattoo doesn't come in contact with any contaminants. Always check with your artist if you're unsure how to keep your tattoo protected.
Public Gyms: Avoid public gyms and any activity requiring a mat for the first 5 days.
Sun exposure: Make sure you keep your new tattoo out of direct sunlight for two weeks.

After Aftercare and Lifetime Care

After the first two weeks your tattoo should be mostly healed up, although for heavy color work or people that heal slower may experience a long healing time. Once the tattoo is free of flakey skin and any scabs have naturally fallen off you can resume normal activities. Tattoos take between 3 months to a year to completely settle into the skin. Black and grey work will gradually get lighter and color work will blend more evenly in this timeframe.

To keep your tattoo looking its best for years to come use waterproof SPF75 sunblock while outside (even on cloudy days). Nothing impedes on the vibrancy of a tattoo more than sun exposure. Direct exposure can lead to certain colors like white, teal, and yellow turning a brownish hue and over time the entire tattoo will start fading. For those with large scale work {sleeves, backs, bodysuits) we recommend scheduling a refresher appointment to freshen up lines and vibrancy every 10 years. Lastly, healthy lifestyle and regularly moisturizing thet tattoo will go a long way in keeping your tattoos looking fresh and vibrant.

Questions or Concerns?

It's imperative to create good communication with your artist if you have any concerns or questions about your healing process. We are here to help, and Palo Santo Tattoo has 20 years of experience behind it to ensure our clients are in the best hands possible before. during and after their tattoo procedure.