Aftercare Instructions

How to Care For Your Body Art:

  • Please leave the tattoo wrapped in the original bandage for the first 12 hours. It may drain a small amount of serous fluid and ink, but leave it wrapped to protect the site. We suggest sleeping with a towel under the site for a few days to avoid staining your bedding.

  • When it has been 12 hours please remove the original bandage and gently wash the site with antibacterial soap and warm water. The tattoo is essentially an open wound, so the site will be sore and inflamed for several days as it heals.

  • Air dry after washing. Then on dry skin apply the first clean dressing that was given to you at your appointment.

  • Leave that bandage in place for 24-48 hours. Repeat the process of removing and gently washing. Air dry again.

  • Apply the second clean dressing that was given to you at your appointment and leave this last dressing in place for 3-4 days.

  • When the bandages are finished, wash the site with gentle antibacterial soap and warm water once a day until it is healed. You may apply a gentle, fragrance free lotion (Eucerine for example) when the tattoo starts to dry and peel.

  • The tattoo will feel itchy as it heals. It is important you do not scratch or pick at the healing tattoo. Picking and scratching will effect the final result.

  • Expected healing time is approximately three weeks.

Restrictions and Limitations:

  • Please avoid sitting in water for three weeks after your tattoo: bathtubs, swimming pools, hot tubs, and lakes/rivers are all potential sources of bacteria.

  • During the first three weeks, please treat your body art gently. Keep it out of the sun, try to avoid having clothing rub against it, and keep it clean.

  • If you notice any signs/symptoms of infection including but not limited to redness, swelling, tenderness at the site, red streaks leading from the site towards the heart, fever, or purulent drainage please seek care from a physician.

  • If you notice any signs/symptoms of an allergic reaction: included but not limited to rash, hives, or signs of anaphylaxis such as difficulty breathing please seek care from a physician.

Public Health Information:

Remember, tattoos are considered permanent. They can only be removed with a surgical or laser procedure, and any effective removal may result in scarring.

Outside of the normal limits of healing, any concerns that your body art has resulted in complications, infection, or disease should be reported to:

Denver Department of Environmental Health
Public Health Inspections- Body Art
101 W. Colfax Ave Suite 800
Denver, CO 80202
phiomments@denvvergov.org
(720)-865-5401

You may also report to your artist any concerns about complications, infections, or disease. The rules and regulations governing body art establishments and body artists require that the body artist report those conditions to the Department within 24 hours of discovery.