After Care
Caring for your new tattoo is pretty straight forward, and every artist will have slightly different advice. In most cases, the goal is simple – speed up healing and prevent infection. For any tattoos received at Nickel & Dodge please follow the recommend post care detailed below.
What to do
1. Wash your hands before touching any treated area.
2. Cool packs (not frozen) may be used to help reduce swelling. Dampen paper towels or cotton pads with filtered/bottled water and place in the fridge for 30 minutes….10 minutes on and 10 minutes off. Cooling the area is most beneficial the first 24 hours. Sleeping slightly elevated may also help in the reduction of swelling.
3. Blot your procedure. We have created a wound and all wounds weep body fluids (some will weep more and for a longer period than others). Blotting off these fluids and excess pigment is critical to a good result and optimum color retention. If these fluids are allowed to remain on the tattooed area and accumulate, you will get heavier scabbing. Heavy scabbing can pull out the pigment which will result in light spots and unevenness of color. Dampen a paper towel with bottle or filtered water…may use sterile water or sterile non-saline eyewash as well. Blot your new procedure every 15 minutes upon leaving the studio. Continue until weeping has subsided. The following three days please blot the area periodically throughout the day. If you have eyebrow hair please make sure you are getting beyond the hair and actually blotting the tattooed skin. Same instructions for eyeliners. This can be a tender area to blot but it is important that you do. Lips...keep them in their natural position while blotting.
4. Cleanse your tattoo. Use only the mild cleanser we have provided you on and around the procedure area. DO NOT use any cleansing products containing acids (glycolic, lactic, or AHA), or any exfoliates. Use a very light touch when caring for your new tattoo. Cleanse your procedure twice a day. Make sure you rinse off all cleanser. Pat dry. Wait 15 minutes before applying ointment after getting the procedure wet. Never put ointment on a wet or damp tattoo. Showering - do not take an exceptionally hot shower and keep bathroom doors open as to NOT cause a steam effect. Keep your face/procedure out of the water while you do your other shower “stuff” first. At the very end of your shower wash your hair and rinse back away from your face. Wash your face either avoiding procedure area or over procedure area with a very light touch. Do not let the shower spray hit you directly in the face. So your face/procedure will only be getting wet at the very last end of the shower.
5. Ointment. ONLY USE THE OINTMENT WE PROVIDE FOR YOU. NOTHING ELSE! Follow the agenda below for the appropriate procedures.
Lip procedures, you may start using your ointment immediately following the procedure and continue for 7-14 days, apply several times a day.
Eyebrows, no ointment for the first 24 hours. Apply a thin, light coat of ointment 3 or 4 times a day for the remaining of the healing process (5-7 days). Always blot of any of the prior ointment and area before applying new layer of ointment…this applies to all areas.
Eyeliner, no ointment for the first 48-72 hours, after which you apply a very light coat of ointment once in the morning and once in the evening for the following 2 to 3 days. Eyes are very sensitive to ointment so use sparingly. Try to keep the ointment contained to the eyeliner above and below the lashes, not in the eye itself. If you feel any discomfort IN the eye itself, this is not normal and you should immediately see an eye doctor and contact us as well. Although it is important to use ointment, using it excessively can starve the skin of air and can result in pigment loss during the healing period. So use, but use sparingly, just enough to moisten. ALLERGIC REACTION IS EXTREMELY RARE BUT POSSIBLE. IF YOU NOTICE ANY BUMPS OR RASH OR THINK YOU MAY BE HAVING A REACTION…STOP USING OINTMENT IMMEDIATELY, CLEANSE AREA AND CALL THE STUDIO. 701.720.8791
5. Absolutely NO pet grooming, gardening, dusting, or anything that causes dust, dirt and dander for a minimum of 72 hours. Waiting 5 full days is best. Wearing glasses outdoors is a good way to protect healing eyeliner. NO EXERCISING FOR 10 DAYS…NO EXCEPTIONS. DO NOT DO ANY ACTIVITY THAT CAUSES SWEAT IN THE AREA OF THE PROCEDURE OR YOUR FACE TO HEAT UP AND TURN RED. ABSOLUTLY NO LAKE ACTIVITIES. DO NOT GO TO THE LAKE OR BEACH. NO HORSEBACK RIDING, NO CAMPING OR RIDING ATVS. NO NOTHING OF THIS SORT. DON’T’ DO IT! STAY OUT OF THE SUN! KEEP IT PROTECTED AND KEEP IT CLEAN! TLC FOR YOUR NEW PROCEDURE.
6. During your healing process DO NOT expose your new procedures to chemicals, hot tubs, saunas, direct shower spray, hot water, salt water, chlorinated pools, lakes, or ponds. Direct sun exposure and tanning beds should be avoided indefinitely….both are counter-productive to the cosmetic procedure.
7. Absolutely NO topical makeup on the healing procedure(s) for a minimum of 5 days. Topical makeup is bacterial and your new procedures(s) need adequate time to heal to avoid irritation and/or infection. You may apply your makeup around the new procedure area but avoid applying ON the healing areas. After any eyeliner procedure, please use a new mascara. DO NOT USE an eyelash curler for 2 weeks. This instrument pulls the eyelashes and the tissue containing the eyeliner pigment that surrounds the lashes. You must allow the eyeliner to heal before stressing the tissue in this area. No contact lenses for 5 full days. No tweezing or waxing the eyebrows for 10 full days. NO FACIAL, PEELS OR ANY OF THAT FACE STUFF FOR TWO FULL WEEKS!
8. Some tenderness, puffiness (even bruising), redness, and itching is quite normal for the tattoo healing process. DO NOT PICK, PEEL, OR SCRATCH the treated area as this could result in your color healing uneven, as well as the risk of scarring and infectio
9. Lips special instruction. The first 3 days drink through a straw, avoid salty, spicy, or oily foods. Use a natural toothpaste. DO NOT use toothpaste with bleach, peroxides, chemicals, and abrasives. These agents are not good for healing color.
10. Lastly….relax. Don’t worry about a thing. It’s just a tattoo that will lighten, soften and heal in a matter of days. Do exactly as wee have advised you to do OR what not to do and all heals well. Complications are extremely rare.
What to Expect
Eyebrows
Day 1-3 Your eyebrows are about 15 to 20% darker then what they will heal to be. They will also appear thicker than what we drew on. This is due to oxidation and swelling. Don’t be concerned with the darker, thicker appearance, this is part of the healing process. A scab is always larger than a wound. You may also have redness that will subside within the first 48 hours. Start ointment after 24 hours to 48 hours. Don’t forget to blot off excess fluids.
Day 4 The peeling begins. The dark outer color will start peeling off revealing the softer lighter color. Keep moist but don’t over do it. You should rub a rice grain sized amount of ointment into the tattoo until the ointment is barely visible. Over using ointment can lead to poor pigment retention.
Day 5-8 Dark outer color finishes peeling off. The color is lighter and softer, and the brows themselves are a littler thinner. The color may have a grayish or ashy tone for a few days until the color clarifies. It could appear that you are missing color and have light areas at this time do to layers of dry skin over the new pigment. Give your eyebrows 6 full weeks to heal and for color to fully bloom. Use ointment no longer than 10 days.
Eyeliner
Day 1 • You will have anywhere from slight to heavy swelling. This depends on the amount of histamines in each client’s body. You may have bruising. You may appear as though you have been crying or have allergies. The eyeliner will appear thicker and darker than what it will heal up to be. No contact lenses for 5 days. No Visine.
Day 2 • The morning of day 2 is most likely when the swelling will peak. Plan to use your cool packs! The darker and thicker appearance lingers, and the area will feel tight and tender.
Day 3-4 • Less swelling. The eye tissue still feels tight and somewhat drawn. The peeling process begins. Start ointment in 48-72 hours. Some feeling of pinching and itching is quite normal, the ointment will help relieve this feeling.
Day 5-7 • Dark outer color continues to flake off and you will see a softer, thinner eyeliner. Color may look grayish or ashy until the color clarifies.
*You can go back to wearing your contact lenses at day 5.
*Note. Wait 8 weeks before applying eyelashes or eyelash extensions, as well as using Latisse or any other like products. Latisse and other like products have been documented to lighten the tattooed color on some occasions.
Lips
Day 1-2 • Swelling, tender, heavy thick and bright lipstick appearance. You may experience discomfort in the lips.
Day 3 • Less swelling, pigment appears as a thick texture…crusty. Peeling process may begin on this day.
Day 4 • Peeling begins or continues from the 3rd day. The pigment may peel all or most of the way by this day. The lips have gone without moisture directly on the lip tissue so they will feel very chapped. Keep moist with ointment at all times.
Day 5 • Very chapped lips. You are almost finished with the first chapping state (there are two during the healing process).
Day 6 • You will begin to see a soft version of the color start to appear.
Day 7 • Lip color may or may not disappear. They may appear to be “frosty”. This is the second chapping process. There may appear be a grayish or whitish haze over the lips. This may continue for up to 13 days.
Day 14 • Color starts to really bloom from within more and more each day. The lips are starting to re-hydrate allowing the color to show.
Day 30 • The healing process is primarily complete. The color you see now can be considered your permanent lip color. Lips may remain dry for up to 2 months, use a good lip balm and sunscreen and they will soon return to normal. If a touch up is needed, 10 weeks of healing is required.
*Some may not experience a prolonged frosting stage and will see lots of color by the 7th day.
*Note…you may see changes in your lip color based on your body’s temperature. When your body is colder you may see less color. When your body is warmer you may see more color, brighter and more vibrant.
All procedures are conducted in accordance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) blood borne pathogens standards. Once you leave our facility it is important to follow after care instructions to avoid complications. Tenderness to the area is expected. This is a wound that must heal. Complications are extremely rare, however, if you observe any conditions that are not consistent with the healing agenda descriptions above, such as any sign of infection, pus, red streaks stemming from the treated area, eyeball irritation, or abnormal discharge or conditions, contact your doctor for treatment and advise us as soon as possible at 701-720-8791.
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We look forward to a long and wonderful relationship with you!