Before your appointment

1) Refrain from the use of alcohol, aspirin, aspirin-containing medications, ibuprofen, or other blood-thinning medications for seven days before and two days after any procedure. Refrain from judgment-altering drugs for at least 24 hours prior to any procedure. No medication should ever be discontinued without first consulting your physician.

2) You cannot be pregnant.

3) You cannot be taking Accutane. If you have taken it in the past, make sure that it has been at least 6 months since your last dose. Better results come to those who wait closer to a year after their last dose of Accutane.

4) You cannot be sunburned.

5) Make sure to drink lots of water before your appointment.

6) If you’re getting sick, or are sick close to your scheduled appointment, please call me ahead of time to reschedule your appointment. Don’t come to get a tattoo when you are sick! Not only is it unfair to expose the artist and other people around you to your sickness; it may hinder your tattoos healing process. If I notice that you are sick, I have the right to not tattoo you at the moment, which could result in you losing your deposit.

7) Check to ensure that you have your ID, driver’s license, or passport. You must be 18 years or older to be tattooed in Utah County.

After your appointment

1) Remove bandage in a clean bathroom after 4-24 hours. The bandage may be left on overnight if it feels comfortable and secure. If the bandage is removed on the first night, the tattoo may stick to or stain clothing or bed sheets. Maintain clean bedding throughout the healing process (about 2 weeks).

2) After removing bandage, wash the tattoo immediately with warm water and soap. I recommend any non-scented soap. No soap with fragrance, moisture beads, or scrubs. 

PROCESS FOR WASHING A FRESH TATTOO:

-Carefully remove bandage.

-Make a lather in your hand with soap and warm water.

-Gently clean tattoo using a circular motion, until all ointment, blood, and excess ink is removed.

-Rinse the tattoo and wash once again, gently, until the skin is clean.

-A hair dryer on the ‘cool’ setting may be used; a clean paper towel may also be used to dab the tattoo dry.

3) Only use clean hands to wash your tattoo. NO washcloths, bath towels, bath sponges, or loofahs should be used to clean a fresh tattoo.

4) Once the tattoo is dry, apply Aquaphor healing ointment, made by Eucerin (or similar product). Apply a thin layer and rub it in, then dab excess off with a clean paper towel. Use a light layer of Aquaphor for the first 2 weeks then switch to a regular FRAGRANCE-FREE lotion such as Lubriderm, or any other fragrance-free brand.

5) Fresh tattoos sometimes “weep” during the first couple of days, meaning that plasma and ink form a thin moist coating on the skin. This can be dabbed with a clean paper towel. Press the paper towel to the skin and remove. Do not wipe the tattoo or be rough with it. Do not panic when you see the colors of the tattoo on the paper towel, or on your hands as you clean it. This is simply excess ink being sloughed from the surface of the skin.

6) Once a day, in the shower, is usually enough cleaning for any new tattoo, but washing morning and night is even better! Lotion may be applied to the tattoo as it dries out; however, if your skin is extremely sensitive, lotion may cause acne-like breakouts. This can be taken care of by reducing the number of lotion applications per day.

7) Wear loose, preferably cotton clothing over a fresh tattoo. The tattoo need not be re-bandaged except in certain, rare instances. A bra strap, tight waistband, sweaty gym shoe or itchy cotton sweater can potentially create healing problems. If you choose to re-bandage your tattoo after washing, be sure that only sterile bandages are used.

8) After a few days, the tattoo will begin to form flaky scabs that will fall off on their own. DO NOT PICK OR SCRATCH AT YOUR TATTOO. Keep it moisturized and the scabs will slough eventually. Once again, they will be the color of the tattoo. It normally takes 4-6 weeks for a tattoo to COMPLETELY heal (although the top layers of your skin will heal in closer to 2 weeks)