Aftercare

Aftercare Instructions: Using Cree8iv Care

Tattoo Advice:

Congratulations! You have a brand-new OPEN WOUND. It is NOT a Tattoo until it is healed.

Getting a new tattoo involves breaking the skin surface so there is always a potential risk for infection to occur afterwards.  Aftercare is not simply the ointment. It is the environment you heal your wound in, and the total care you take to heal it properly. So, it is important that you follow product instructions:

Disclaimer: We cannot pre-determine allergic reactions in every situation, so if complications arise, discontinue use.

REGULAR DRESSING:

**Aftercare begins 2 hours after the bandage is applied and doesn’t stop until the skin is back to being smooth.**

ONE: Leave the bandage on for at least 2 hours. 

Note: If you cannot wash it after 2 hours, the bandage stays on until you can, but only up to a maximum of 6 hours – The longer the bandage stays on the soggier your skin will get which is not great for tattoos.

TWO:  Wash Your Hands before you remove the bandage and then do so carefully – Some medical tapes may require a wet removal.

THREE: Gently wash your tattoo with our Revive Mild Soap* and warm water using just your hand!

Note: Do not rub as skin will become irritated but you want to make sure that all debris is removed, such as blood and dried ink.

FOUR: Pat dry with a clean towel or air dry.

Note: DO NOT reapply the bandage once you’ve washed it. 

FIVE: Once the tattoo is dry, apply a very thin layer of our Revive Tattoo Salve*.

Note: How often you re-apply the Salve depends on how often it gets rubbed off. If your tattoo looks dry, or feels tight or itchy, you need to wash your hands and re-apply. If it’s already shiny, leave it alone. The less the tattoo gets touched during the healing process, the better. Wounds need oxygen to heal, gooping the slave on will block oxygen from your wound and raise the temperature. (Bacteria loves moist, warm environments).

  • DO Shower daily and wash your tattoo before you get out with our Revive Mild Soap.*
  • DO Wear loose clothing to minimize rubbing irritation and fiber transfer. Also be mindful of the discharge and Salve while healing (may damage good clothing).
  • DO Change your bedding but be mindful of the discharge while healing (may damage good bedding).
  • DO Keep a new tattoo covered and protected if working in a dirty/dusty/oily environment but ensure it can still breathe and is not dry.
  • DON’T Remove it or peek at it, as it is intended to reduce the risk of introducing infection to the newly traumatized skin.
  • DON’T Submerse your tattoo (oceans, baths, saunas, dishwater, lakes, etc.)
  • DON’T be in direct sunlight for a long period of time or exercise the area excessively;
  • DON’T Pick, rub or scratch the itch!
  • DON’T Wear nice clothing; the discharge and salve may ruin it;
  • DON’T Wear tight or restrictive clothing on the area tattooed, this can cause irritation and fiber transfer, etc.
  • DON’T Use polysporin unless there is an issue with your tattoo. This is a rapid healer which can create thicker scabs. When those come off, they can pull ink from the skin.
  • DON’T Use lotion for a healing tattoo. (You would not put lotion on a cut).
  • DON’T Dry heal your tattoo. Your tattoo is a wound and wounds need to be cleaned for optimal healing. Plus, doing this can result in thicker scabs which may also pull ink from the skin.
  • DON’T Stop Aftercare until the skin is back to being smooth!

 

THE HEALING PROCESS – WHAT IS TYPICAL TO EXPECT WITH YOUR NEW TATTOO:

Most tattoos will heal on the outside in approx. 2 weeks average but the under layers can take up to 6 weeks to heal. How long it actually takes will depend on YOU: your overall health condition, how well you take care of it, what it gets exposed to and the level of injury (heavy shading/color will take longer than linework or light shading). After the aggressive trauma your skin endures from the tattoo procedure, your immune system is in overdrive. Your body sees the tattoo ink as an alien body that needs to be wiped out with extreme prejudice. Your tattoo looks great today, and even better tomorrow when the redness, swelling and bleeding have stopped. After tomorrow, it will look awful while it continues through the following approximate stages:

Stage 1: Healing begins right after the tattooing is completed. The first 5 days of care are critical to your health, the integrity of the ink and the overall quality of your tattoo. Any amount of heat in the shower will sting and washing it will not be pleasant, but it must be done daily. Initial bleeding and discharge is normal and with that comes a little pain, swelling, a sunburn sensation, and other minor discomforts that get better every day. DON’T Freak Out – the tattoo can discharge up to 6 days! This is when people think that their ink is bleeding out. This is not the case. The ink that seems to be ‘bleeding’ out is actually a mixture of your body’s fluids and the residual ink that stained the outermost layers of the skin. This mixture is actually what you are trying to remove, along with any environmental contaminants, during the washing process. (Keep in mind – washing to aggressively can cause the healing process to start all over again.)

Stage 2: Your tattoo will begin to dry up. As it does this, it will get itchy. This is normal. Do not pick or scratch it! Give it a slap if you can manage – that will smarten up that haywire nerve ending. Do not let your tattoo dry out!

Stage 3: Most of the scabbing, if not all, will be gone. Eraser-like flakes are common but harmless. It may still be a little sensitive to the touch, but it should appear almost fully healed. Though it looks healed the deeper layers are still healing so continue to look after your tattoo. After the scabs are gone, your tattoo will look blurry, milky or faded. You did not lose all of your ink. Once the old dead layer of skin is gone, it will brighten back up again. After this stage, you can go back for touch-ups or additional sessions.

Infection, Reaction or Rough Heal?

Disclaimer: Please be aware that while we would like to be notified of any issues, we cannot assist with any complications and the advice in this article cannot replace that of a licensed physician and you are advised to seek medical help in the event any occur.

Regardless if it’s your first, or fifteenth, potential health risks exist with ANY tattoo. You can decrease the risk of infection by following proper care and cleaning for a new tattoo as per the Tattoo Aftercare sheet provided to you. However, if you have other diseases or health concerns, you may be at risk for complications, even if you take proper care of your new tattoo.

EVERYBODY IS DIFFERENT AND EVERY TATTOO IS DIFFERENT:

Because different types of tattoo ink as well as different colors have a variety of chemical compositions, there is no way of telling whether or not you may develop some sort of reaction to any of them. Tattooing pigment into skin is an unnatural process for the human body. Everyone’s body, body chemistry and immune responses are different and can change over the course of time due to age, relative degree of health, exposure to chemicals, sun exposure, etc. so it can react to it in many different ways or none at all.

REACTION:  If you DO develop a reaction, the most common will be dermatitis. Dermatitis causes inflammation, rashes and swelling around the site. Keep in mind that many other factors may play a role in a reaction like this. Some people who have sensitive skin will simply develop irritation at the tattoo site from the trauma and injury and nothing to do with the ink. In rare cases it is possible to have a severe reaction. Another thing many people do not realize is that when there is a moderate to severe allergy to the ink, the skin will automatically reject the ink, resulting in a lack of color on the tattoo.

INFECTION =  S.H.A.R.P. (Swelling, Heat or fever, Ache or pain, Redness or streaks, Pus)

If you think that you may have an infection in or around your new tattoo, consult a doctor as soon as you are able to obtain treatment for the infection before it leads to more serious problems and complications.

ROUGH HEAL: If you pick your tattoo, bump it, scratch it, irritate it with clothing or bedding, fail to apply the ointment to create a protective barrier, or have skin issues such as psoriasis, blood circulation problems, etc., it is possible that your tattoo will heal slower than normal. Evidence of this would be thick scabbing, increased redness, and an overall irritated appearance, isolated to one area or all over. This is nothing to be concerned about unless other symptoms above present themselves and will usually resolve itself in time with proper care. Usually, as this is not an actual medical condition, Polysporin will be recommended on the rougher areas in combination with the A&D ointment for the non-affected areas.

TOUCH UPS: Because we have no control over if and how well you take care of your new tattoo, accidental or purposeful irritations, or what it is exposed to once you leave the studio, we charge a $50 fee for a 30-minute touch up session. The purpose of this is to correct color loss, or fading, not to add to your tattoo. It covers a portion of the Artist’s supply cost and time. Workmanship human errors can occur, and they will be corrected once it has healed, free of charge.

SECOND SKIN: if your artist has put second skin on, follow their directions. If the second skin has broken the seal in any spot and is leaking fluid, OR you are experiencing any reaction, it has to be removed. Do not keep on longer than 7 days. To remove, lift up 90 degrees to stretch it out then peel back. Do not remove like a bandage to avoid increased pain. Once removed, begin aftercare steps starting at #3 outlined above.

 

Revive Tattoo Salve: Replaced our prior use of A&D Ointment

Revive Mild Soap: Replaced our use of regular unscented/undyed soap

*Please note that the prior products are still good to use, we just no longer carry or provide them in the studio.