Aftercare

Dreamcatcher healed tattoo by Alicia Maye. Pink, purple, and blue feathers, color realism, upper thigh placement.

The work is done... Now your skin needs the opportunity to do it’s part. Let's make sure it heals beautifully!

The most important things: wash gently with plain soap, keep it moisturized but not smothered, don't pick or scratch, stay out of water for 3 weeks, and text me at (360) 515-1915 if anything looks wrong.

  • You can leave it on overnight — it'll protect the tattoo from staining your sheets. If you'd rather take it off sooner, wait at least 2-3 hours and do it in a clean bathroom. You can actually leave it on for up to 3 days if it holds — but no longer. After day 3 your skin needs to breathe to heal properly, and those first 3 days are the most critical window for infection. Either way, wash immediately after removing it.

  • Use plain Dial or Dove soap — no fragrance, no moisture beads, no scrubs. Lather in your hands first, then clean gently in circular motions until all ointment, blood, and excess ink are gone. Rinse, repeat, pat dry with a clean paper towel or cool hair dryer. Never use a towel, washcloth, or loofah. Always clean hands only.

  • Once completely dry, apply a thin layer of Aquaphor for the first 3 days — dab off any excess. After day 3 switch to a fragrance-free lotion like Lubriderm, 2-3 times a day or whenever it feels dry.

    Here's the thing about moisture: more is not better. Too much product suffocates the skin and can create soft, gummy scabs that lift away from the surface — and when those scabs go, they can take ink with them. You want the skin hydrated, not coated. If it still feels greasy or shiny an hour after applying lotion, you used too much. A thin layer that absorbs fully is just right. Apply again before it begins feeling dry or flaky.

    Your skin needs air to heal. Let it breathe.

  • Yes — probably. Fresh tattoos weep plasma and ink for the first few days, press and lift with a clean paper towel, don't wipe. Colors on the paper towel are just excess ink, not your tattoo disappearing. Flaky scabs form around day 3-4 — do not pick or scratch, ever. Mild itching is normal — pat gently with clean hands. Transparent white patches within the first week are normal. It may remind you of a sunburn and that is also normal. Full healing takes 2-4 weeks.

  • No submerging in water for 2-3 weeks. No sun exposure on the fresh tattoo. Avoid pet dander, sweat, and tight clothing over the area. No alcohol or recreational drugs for the first 3 days. And please — avoid seeking advice from friends or social media. Everyone heals differently.

  • Some redness, tenderness, and swelling in the first day or two is completely normal — your skin just went through something and it's responding. That's not infection, that's healing.

    What you're watching for is redness that gets worse instead of better after the first couple of days, increasing pain, significant swelling, blisters, or anything that looks or smells off. Those are red flags. Text me and see a doctor right away — caught early, antibiotics can save your tattoo. Left untreated, an infection can permanently damage the work.

    When in doubt, text me at (360) 515-1915. I'd rather reassure you than have you wait too long.

  • Stay hydrated.
    Healthy skin heals faster.

    Also don’t hesitate to text me at (360) 515-1915 before you panic-Google anything. I mean it.