1. Keep the secondskin/tegaderm on your tattoo between 3 and 5 days. No need for any aftercare during this time; just go about your life as normal. Ink, blood and plasma pooling under the wrap is normal.
If the secondskin starts to peel off before the 3-5 days mark and it becomes partially exposed or air bubbles make their way into the bandage don’t worry and follow next steps.
2. After 3-5 days, take the Secondskin/Tegaderm off in the shower with clean hands. It helps to have water between your skin and the adhesive as you pull. Peel slowly and carefully. Wash with unscented antibacterial soap and let air dry or pat dry with paper towels.
3. Continue washing the tattoo as indicated above twice a day (in the morning and evening), as well as any time it may have been exposed to bacteria. Pat dry with paper towels / leave to air dry. Avoid regular towels as they can harbor bacteria.
4. Apply a thin layer of moisturizer whenever the skin starts to feels dry, and continue to do so every day for the first three weeks of healing. I recommend using Hustle Butter or any natural moisturizer of your choosing. Try to avoid any petroleum based products since they won’t let your skin breathe very well. Make sure to read through the ingredients before choosing a moisturizer to avoid allergic reactions. There’s a balance between moisturizing so little to the point that it dries up and your skin cracks, and so much that the '“scab” is too wet and comes off before it’s supposed to.