Unless otherwise requested due to skin sensitivity/allergies I use second skin for aftercare (the self-adhesive, thin, breathable protective film).
The Second Skin can be worn for three to five days. It is very comfortable and carefree. But that doesn't mean you should forget about it altogether!
Check your tattoo a few times a day and make sure that:
there is no wound fluid leaking from the patch.
the entire tattoo is covered with the patch. It's okay if the second skin curls a little bit at the edges but no closer than 1 cm from the tattoo itself.
the tattooed area doesn't get any warmer or redder than when you left the shop.
the skin around the patch doesn't get irritated.
If any of these things occur, remove the second skin immediately. If none of these things happens, you can wear it for up to 5 days maximum.
The second skin patch may fill with wound fluid. It doesn't look very appealing but don't worry, it's perfectly normal and actually creates the perfect environment for your fresh tattoo to start healing.
Try to keep the second skin patch as dry as possible. If that means showing off your best acrobatic moves in the shower then go for it! And yeah, we love 'em too, but no baths, swimming or spas!
If the edges of the patch start to curl up a bit and it gets in the way, you can carefully try to cut the excess bits off with a clean(!) pair of scissors.
Keep your tattoo out of the sun and don’t wear tight clothing on top of it.
Ready to remove it? Here's how:
Wash your hands with an antibacterial soap (like Unicura). Please don't use a bar of soap because they harbour bacteria. Use a pump dispenser instead.
Let some lukewarm water run over the second skin. Even better, get it nice and wet while you're having a shower. This helps to make the adhesive dissolve.
Pick an edge of the film and start stretching it out. Don't try to rip it off like you would a regular band-aid. Instead, stretch it out, parallel to your body. This will thin out the second skin and release the vacuum. It's hard to explain in words how to pull it off correctly so here's a Youtube video of someone doing it right: Example of removing second skin
Take your time with this, it might take a while. You can run some water under the second skin to help things along.
Once it's off, gently wash off all the wound fluid with a bit of antibacterial soap. It's important to remove all the fluid as this is what creates a hard scab and you want to avoid that if possible.
Rinse off all the soap and gently pat the tattoo dry with a paper towel.
Let it air dry completely before putting on a really thin (and we mean really thin!) layer of Bepanthen ointment. Don't touch the tip of the tube but apply some on the back of your hand and use that. This way you're not accidentally putting bacteria back into the tube. Oh, did we mention the layer must be really thin? You don't want to suffocate the tattoo using too much Bepanthen ointment.
For the next two weeks:
Proper aftercare is very important for a well-healed tattoo. Here's how to do it:
For the next two weeks, you'll be cleaning and moisturizing your fresh tattoo two to three times a day as follows:
Wash your hands with antibacterial soap from a pump dispenser, for example, Unicura Balans.
Rinse off your tattoo with water (no soap).
Pat it dry with a clean paper towel.
Apply a little bit of Bepanthen ointment on the back of your hand and from there gently massage it onto the tattoo. Can't say this enough, a very thin layer will do!
If you find that during the day the skin starts to really itch, or it looks or feels dry, just repeat the steps above an extra time.
Keep your tattoo out of the sun.
Do not swim, take a bath or go to a spa.
Do not wear tight clothing.
For the next six weeks:
After 6 weeks the tattoo is fully healed!
Do not shave or wax the area.
Keep your tattoo out of the sun.
Start using sunscreen after 6 weeks, preferably factor 50.
Don’t wear tight clothing.
If you need a touch-up, contact me after 6 weeks! Then you can really see how it healed.