Here are some simple steps for taking care of your tattoo!​
If you choose, you may go home and shower an hour or two after getting tattooed. Your body may be shaking and shivering; this is a great way to cleanse the new tattoo, relax and warm up!
​If you will be going to bed, or laying down for any reason, we highly suggest re-wrapping your tattoo with plastic wrap after showering; or leaving on the Saniderm. This will help protect your sheets & clothes; as the tattoo may still be oozy. The body's natural response is to reject the ink, so it will ooze for up to 24 hours while the tattoo heals.
AVOID WRAPPING your tattoo beyond the first 24 hours, Unless following specific Saniderm suggestions.
Below are the top 6 tattoo products we recommend using, in order for optimal results! Receive 10% OFF these products when you purchase 1 or more different aftercare products same day as any service.
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Wash with a mild soap, anti-bacterial soap like Mad Rabbit Refresh Gentle Cleansing Bar Soap or a pure glycerine soap works best!
Avoid scented soaps with perfumes, as these can dry out the tattoo. We sell Mad Rabbit Unscented bar soaps for during and after healing.
Be sure to use your HustleButter, if you purchased some with us. If you run out or lose it, you may also use coconut oil.
If you're sore, take Tylenol or Advil, it helps!
Avoid Aquaphor as it is purely petroleum jelly, and this is known to disrupt the healing process with tattoo ink, break up tattoo ink and cause excessive fading.
In addition, you may also purchase Mad Rabbit Repair Gel to use before applying Hustle Butter, during the first few weeks of healing. This helps to SOOTHE fresh, irritated tattoos; helps to speed up the recovery process with many natural ingredients, hydrates with anti-aging properties and ingredients like aloe vera, chamomile, peptides, Vitamin B12, glycerin, and Bisabolol - an antimicrobial and ani-inflammatory.
We have used this on many of our own tattoos and highly recommend it, as it helps to cool and speed up the recovery, more so than just using Hustle Butter by itself!
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Keep washing with soap and moisturizing.
If you run out of Mad Rabbit &/or Hustle Butter, any alcohol free lotion works great. You may also order more products from us online, pay, and choose to pick up, have us deliver, or ship!
Lotions like Bath & Body Works or anything with perfume oils will dry out your tattoo and possibly pull the ink out.
We use and love HustleButter + Mad Rabbit Soothing Gel from start to finish and beyond.
​A GREAT RULE OF THUMB:
IF IT ITCHES, WASH IT AND APPLY MAD RABBIT + HUSTLE BUTTER. NEVER SCRATCH YOUR TATTOO WHILE IT IS HEALING!
Whatever you do, DO NOT USE any products with petroleum (A&D ointment, Vaseline, Aquaphor, etc) as this can suck the ink out of your skin!
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SWEAT & GYMS:
Please wait on working out at least 72 hours before returning to the gym. If you MUST, we highly suggest showering immediately after exercise is done in order to avoid possible infection; purchasing and using SANIDERM can also help.
(We also sell these in studio for your convenience!)
KIDS & PETS:
As much as we love kids and pets, please avoid letting them lick or touch your fresh tattoo for the first 72 hours or more. They are cute, but they harbor great amounts of bacteria. ​ POOLS, BEACHES & HOT TUBS:
Please avoid swimming or submersion into swimming pools, rivers, oceans, seas, hot tubs, and other similar bodies of water for 21 days. These bodies of water harbor large amounts of bacteria, which can enter the body via the tattoo, and cause a super infection or even death in severe cases. ​ SUN:
Please allow your tattoo to heal for 21 - 28 days before direct sun exposure. If you will be in sunny weather, please take care to cover the tattoo (i.e. long sleeves, etc.). Once the tattooed is healed (scab has fallen off), ALWAYS apply SPF 30 or higher to your tattoo to help the ink last longer. Sun exposure is one of the fastest ways to cause ink fallout, and fading! We also carry and sell Mad Rabbit Tattoo Sunscreen!
BRUISING:
Bruising is normal. Every body heals differently and different rates. It is extremely common to get odd scabs, bruises and have delayed healing on tattoos near the bend of arms from the constant bending. Foods rich in vitamin C and iron will help with bruising. ​ FADED LOOKING TATTOO(within the first couple weeks):
We call this a "milky" look. This is normal! It means your skin is growing new skin and will eventually go away. ​ RAISED SKIN:
You may notice that some days your tattoo is more raised than others. This is normal and happens to everyone. You just had a group of needles poking your skin hundreds of times per minute!
Fall Out & Scars:
With black and grey tattoos, the darkest areas of your tattoo can sometimes lose ink. We do our best to maintain the integrity of your skin but diet, hormones, skin hydration, how moisturized your tattoo is while healing can impact what your body does while it is healing.
Please remember that you forcing a foreign substance (tattoo ink) into your skin. Your body's natural instinct is to push the ink back out, so you will see plasma (also known as ink sacs, tattoo ooze, etc). If you do not moisturize sufficiently, the body will create a scab, the scab dries out and falls off - pulling tattoo ink with it. As it does so, you may end up with raw, new skin where the ink was. This can happen, but can be prevented. We know we say "use Hustle Butter + Mad Rabbit Soothing Gel" often, but these are the best products we have used to help avoid this from happening.
If you are unsure, please feel free to reach out! We are happy to help answer your questions if they aren't addressed here. ​
These are our studio suggestions for optimal healing results. We strongly encourage you to follow these directions; and understand that everyone heals differently. Please remember, that once you leave the studio, it is your responsibility to care for your new ink! We do our best to set you up for success!
THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
If your tattoo feels hot, throbbing, or continues to ooze after the first couple days, please see a doctor as soon as possible. We do our best to maintain a clean and sterile environment at our shop, but failing to properly care for your new tattoo can result in unwanted healing, as well as possible infection.