Aaron Mckinney is a tattoo artist from Kennewick Washington working at Van's High Caliber Tattoo. Specializing in realism, geometric and illustrative tattoos as well as floral and many other styles.

Congratulations on getting your tattoo! The painful part is over, but you’re not out of the woods yet! Your tattoo is an open wound and must be treated as such. It’s up to you to make sure your tattoo heals properly and avoids infection and ink fallout. Only follow these instructions. Do not take the advice of friends, family, or other artists.

THE BASICS
Keep it clean and prevent it from drying out. Follow these steps and make sure you have all of the following BEFORE you remove the plastic.

STUFF TO GET
1: Paper towels
2: Dial anti-bacterial PUMP hand soap (or equivalent)
3: Ointment (Hustle Butter is recommended, Aquaphor or A&D ointment also work)
4: Plain white unscented lotion (Lubriderm red lid or blue recommended)

DIRECTIONS
Leave the second skin or Derm Shield on for 48-hours. It is normal for the plastic to look like it is filling up with ink. This is your body's natural healing fluid and is not bad for the tattoo. You may shower with the plastic on, just make sure it doesn’t fill up with water. If the edges of the plastic start rolling up early, trim them with scissors. If part of it comes off or becomes filled with water, remove it. When you remove the plastic, do so carefully and preferably during a shower. Dispose of the plastic and thoroughly wash the tattoo and surrounding skin with hot soapy water. Use a paper towel while you wash to gently wipe away all of the slimy goop and ink. Use only Dial Gold Antibacterial hand soap or equivalent. Make sure you lather up the soap in your hand with water before applying to the tattoo. Dry with PAPER towels only. Do NOT re-wrap the tattoo with plastic after that.

AFTER THE PLASTIC IS OFF
Let the tattoo breathe for about five minutes after each wash before applying moisturizer. WASH THE TATTOO TWICE A DAY AND MOISTURIZE EVERY 3 HOURS. Do this until fully healed (about 2 weeks). Make sure you always have a freshly washed hand before moisturizing. To moisturize, rub a small amount of ointment into every part of the tattoo, then WIPE AWAY EXCESS. Do not leave your tattoo coated with moisturizer; you want your tattoo to breathe. After two days of ointment, switch to lotion; applying ointment too long can result in pimples. Note that applying lotion too soon can feel harsh because it contains alcohol. DONT LET IT GET WET LONGER THAN 5 MINS. While showering, try to only get the tattoo wet at the end of the shower and also keeping paper towels nearby to dab it dry as it gets splashed. Be careful not to scrub the tattoo as you wash it -- be very gentle. The first wash you should be very thorough, but other ones be sure to be more careful. Only dab it as you dry it, do not rub it dry. Wash it more than twice A day if it gets dirty during the day. It is normal for scabs to form or to see little pieces of ink coming off as it’s healing. Allow these pieces to fall off on their own and never pick off pieces as this can result in pulling out ink. When the tattoo is in the itchy phase, slap it if you must but do not scratch. Take extra care with tattoos in high movement areas or areas that rub on clothing. The more the skin moves and gets rubbed while healing the worse the heal will be. Wear loose fitting clean clothing to protect the tattoo while working in dirty environments. Wear socks and shoes for foot tattoos (turn socks inside out) while healing. DONT TOUCH IT, hands are dirty. NO POOLS, HOT TUBS, RIVERS, etc. until fully healed. NO BAR SOAP, NO NEOSPORIN. Avoid sun exposure while healing. Getting a sunburn while the tattoo is healing can result in permanent raised welts. Icing the tattoo while healing is not recommended, although if you feel the need to, make sure nothing dirty is touching the tattoo.

LONG TERM CARE
Apply sunscreen after it is healed if you are going in the sun. For best results long-term, avoid as much sun exposure to the tattoo as you can. I recommend covering with clothing if you are going to be in the sun for long hours. Sunscreen only works for about 80 minutes under best conditions and then must be reapplied. Failure to protect your tattoos from the sun will not be the end of the world, but it will cause the tattoos to fade faster and have less contrast. Continuing to moisturize your tattoos regularly will ensure the best results as well. Most tattoos could benefit from a follow-up session. The skin can only take so much ink in one pass, so even with a perfect heal there may be a need to apply more ink in some areas. After the tattoo is fully healed come see me and I will determine if your tattoo could use a follow-up session to ensure that it remains world-class quality for life.

Contact us if you have any questions and remember the basics: KEEP IT CLEAN AND PREVENT IT FROM DRYING OUT. 🙏🙂

Before your tattoo you can prepare your skin and your body to ensure the best experience and results. One week prior to your tattoo, it is helpful to do some gentle exfoliation using a sugar scrub or similar product on the area that will be tattooed to remove some of the dry skin. Lotion the area every day one week prior to the tattoo appointment (but not the day of). Do not shave unless you are positive you can do so without creating razor burn. I recommend to eat a large meal before you come get tattooed and bring some small snacks for long sessions. Depending on the area you are getting tattooed, you may need to purchase special clothing so I can access that part of your body easily. Wear clothing to the appointment that you don’t mind getting Ink on.