The main aftercare process and healing process should last about 2 weeks. It might take a little less or more time depending on the tattoo. Fine line heals quick and highly saturated tattoos can take longer.

Washing your tattoo. Your first wash happens right after you remove your bandage. Wash 1-3 times a day depending in how dirty the area gets. Use unscented antibacterial soap such as Dial gold, Dove or Dr. Bronners. Bar or liquid soap are both fine. Avoid applying the soap directly to the tattoo. Using your hands, get the soap sudsy and wash gently for about a minute. Rinse and air dry. Do not dry with hand towel. You can dap dry with a clean paper towel if you are in a hurry.

Lotion. Your body heals the tattoo not the lotion. The lotion is for keeping your skin from drying out too much and keeping the healing tattoo more comfortable. In fact, you can wait up to 3-4 days after getting the tattoo before putting it on. But that's personal preference. Apply unscented lotion 1-3 times a day. Apply very thin layer of lotion, your skin shouldn't be shinny. Less is more. Recommendation lotions are Cetaphil, Lumberderm and coconut oil. You can also use specific aftercare cream, but it does the same thing and costs way more. I don't recommend aquaphor or other petroleum based products. These are often applied too thickly and can suffocate the skin. However, if used correctly, they can be a great option especially for highly saturated tattoos.

Things to avoid while your tattoo is healing! -Submerging your tattoo in water. Swimming, baths, hot tubs, saunas, etc. These WILL make your tattoo fade fast, heal poorly and greatly raises the risk of infection. Limit showers to 10 minutes. -The sun. A sunburn will make your tattoo heal poorly. Do not put sunscreen on in the healing process, keep the tattoo covered by clothing. After it's healed use sunscreen as the sun will age the tattoo faster. -re-bandaging your tattoo. Unless given instruction by your artist, don't do this. It doesn't need it and if you don't clean it probably, you raise your chance of infection. -healing creams/balms and antibiotic ointments- /creams. Don't use them. They make your tattoo heal poorly. However, if you have an infection seek professional help and follow their instruction. If they say use anti-biotic cream use it. -Scented lotion/ soap. Avoid these, they make your tattoo heal poorly and your skin can have a bad reaction from them. -scratching/itching/picking. Let your scabs do their thing. If your tattoo itches you can gently slap it (it really works) or scratch around the area. -Tight clothing. Tight clothes add extra friction and can rub off scabs, irritate the skin and in extreme cases cause pressure blowouts.

Saniderm and similar bandages. You can leave on up to 5 days. Remove in shower after running warm/hot water on it for a few minutes to losen up the adhesive. Wash tattoo with soap and air dry. Pros: Heals tattoo well. Easy to use and makes the first few days of the process dummy proof. You can see the tattoo through it. Great for places that are hard to wrap with other bandages. Cons: some people have an allergic reaction to the adhesive. It can suck to take off. It can fill with fluids like blood, plasma and ink which some people find off putting. Costs more money. Not great for places with lots of movement like joints.

Short term bandage wraps. Leave on for at least 4 hours or until the following morning. Remove and wash tattoo with soap and air dry.

1. Wash your hands thoroughly before touching/cleaning your piercing. It is recommended to use (non-fragrance) anti-bacterial liquid soap such as Dial Gold Original (soap bars are never recommended). Do not use regular soaps or hair products on the piercing while in the shower because it may cause irritation or infection.

2. Apply Organic Sterile Saline Solution to a cotton ball until fully damped. You may add a few drops of Tea Tree oil to your solution mix (Tea Tree oil is known to act as an antiseptic solution).

3. Place the soaked cotton ball to the new piercing for five minutes until all dried up lymph (white crust) clears from the fistula (the hole where the jewelry passes through). If some lymph is still not cleared you may let warm water run over the newly piercing until is softens the lymph. It is not recommended to rotate your jewelry if necessary because this may cause regenerating cellular damage to the fistula and it may even be affected by any clinging bacteria from the jewelry.

4. It is preferably to pad dry your new piercing with a paper new paper towel. Regular cloth towels may pull your new jewelry completely out.

Every person heals differently, following proper care of the piercing can improve healing time on any piercing. All initial piercings should be given 6 to 8 weeks to change. Estimate healing times: Ears, Lips, Face, Oral - 3mo; Nose, Cartilage, Others - 6mo. or more.

May feel tender, itchy or swollen for a few weeks.

Bleeding after the piercing for a few days may occur.

Some scarring, bumps (hypertrophic scars), depressions or holes may show on skin after you remove the jewelry.

May secrete a whitish-yellow fluid (lymph), which may crust on the jewelry. This discharge may stop at full healing period.

Piercing may swell. Applying an ice pack to the new piercing may help and/or ask you medical physician if any anti-inflammatory such as Ibuprofen is recommended.

Piercing may emit a foul smell through-out the lifetime of the piercing.

Piercing may close within minutes if removed even if it feels like it has fully healed.

May be slightly red. Redness may persist on and off for the entire healing period.

Multiple piercings done in one sitting around the same area may be prone to infections more than normal.