HOW DO I HEAL MY TATTOO?
Your fresh tattoo is an open wound, very much like a brush burn. Your goals while healing are to keep your tattoo clean and facilitate the best healing conditions possible. You’ll need to wash your tattoo frequently (3-4 times daily) for the first few days using a gentle soap and hot running water. Each time you wash, you’ll want to use your hand to lather the tattoo well and wash all of the dried or slimy fluids off the surface of your skin. If this fluid (and eventually crust) is allowed to build up it WILL DEFINITELY result in a scab, so wash well each time. After a few days, your skin will stop pushing fluid. When you notice this, you can relax your washing regimen. You’ll also want an ointment or lotion. Keeping your tattoo moisturized is important, but overuse of your topical treatment can result in bad healing. Your skin needs fresh air to heal so only use a thin layer of ointment and only when you’re feeling dry and tight. Tattoos can heal as quickly as 5 days or sometimes take longer than two weeks.

WHAT DO I DO IF MY TATTOO SCABS?
If you notice a scab starting to form on your new tattoo, the best practice is to keep up with regular care as mentioned above to avoid further scabbing in other areas. Use care when washing scabbed skin; do not attempt to rub off scabbed or flaky bits even under running water. Additionally, be careful not to let your topical aftercare product build up in the texture of the scab… keep it minimal. Do not pick your scab… obviously. Treat it with care and when it falls off you should have little or no damage to the tattoo underneath.

WHAT PRODUCTS DO YOU RECOMMEND FOR HEALING?
My healing products of choice all come from Vitalitree. They have a variety of foaming soaps and tattoo healing salves that have all been terrific in my experience. Otherwise, any unscented antibacterial hand soap or soap bar will do. Dial products are great. Avoid soaps with perfumes or flowery/fruity scents as they can irritate open skin. Aquaphor is a great alternative to tattoo-specific salves and creams and can be found at most pharmacies with the lotion. Unscented lotions are safe to use after your tattoo has stopped pushing fluid.

HOW DO I KNOW IF I’M USING TOO MUCH TOPICAL?
Overuse of ointment is the number one mistake made during the healing process and is especially possible when healing tattoos with heavy ink saturation. That means large areas of solid color or black with fewer areas of empty skin or softly applied tattooing. If there is too much topical applied, you’ll notice that when your skin pushes fluid it won’t be a clear-ish, thin liquid. Instead, you’ll see more of a gel consistency that will be the color of the ink. If this goes on for days, your skin can actually fail to repair and result in some rough healing. If you notice this happening, wash your tattoo immediately and leave it dry for the rest of the day.

SHOULD I WRAP MY TATTOO?
No. Wrapping a fresh tattoo with plastic wrap can create a breeding ground for bacteria that may be trapped against your skin. Products like Saniderm or Tegaderm are the exception to this rule, as they are sterile and hospital-quality products designed for the healing of minor abrasions. I will sometimes apply this kind of bandage if one is available.

WHAT IS THE SANIDERM/TEGADERM PROCEDURE?
If I’ve applied an occlusive bandage, the best case scenario is that it remains sealed over your tattoo for 4-6 days before removal. Here’s what you need to know:

• Occlusive bandages are waterproof. That means that if the bandage is applied flawlessly it can withstand daily showers. Use care when washing to not do damage to the bandage or snag/lift the edges. Despite their resistance to water, it is still not recommended that you swim or otherwise submerge your new tattoo for prolonged periods.

• Some buildup of fluid is normal. In fact, it’s likely your tattoo will appear gooey and distorted under the bandage or that the blood and ink will cloud the tattoo completely or pool at the lowest spot in the bandage. Do not be alarmed by any of this. Excessive buildup that warrants a bandage change would be blister-like pockets holding very thin fluid that’s moving around under the bandage or that’s coming close to the edge of the bandage.

• If the seal over the tattoo is accidently broken, remove the bandage completely and wash your tattoo immediately according to the instructions above. You’ll know the seal is broken if any fluid has escaped the bandage. If there’s a way for fluid to escape, then there is a way for bacteria to get in and that’s trouble.

• You may even want to replace or just remove the bandage in anticipation of a breach in the seal, before it happens. If there is excessive buildup or it looks like the fluid could breach the edge of your bandage soon, then you’ll want to remove the bandage in the shower and wash it immediately. If the original bandage is removed before the 4th day, a new bandage can be applied. If it’s removed on the 4th day or later (or you just decide you don’t like the bandage), finish healing the tattoo according to the normal instructions above.

• If your bandage has made it to the 6th day, congrats! It’s time to remove the bandage in the shower and wash thoroughly. Your tattoo should be 90% healed or better. Apply some lotion.

• WARNING: On occasion, clients have had minor allergic reactions to the adhesive used in these bandages. Since the adhesive doesn’t stick to the weeping tattooed skin, it’s unlikely that your tattoo will be damaged even if you do have a minor reaction. On the few occasions that I’ve witnessed a reaction, it’s always presented itself as red, itchy skin underneath the bandage but outside the tattoo. Clients reported that the itching intensified over a few days, but stopped shortly after the bandage was removed and the area was thoroughly washed. If you experience this kind of reaction, remove the bandage immediately and wash the area thoroughly. If you experience hives, numbness, excessive swelling, or concerning discoloration outside the edges of the tattoo, especially in the area surrounding the bandage or long after the bandage has been removed, call your doctor.

WILL YOU RECREATE THIS TATTOO I FOUND?
My goal is never to duplicate a tattoo or design that you found on the internet. When a client shows me a reference, it’s so I can understand what they like or have in mind. My final design will always be something original and feature the content and elements of your references that you like.

WHAT KIND OF WORK CAN I EXPECT FROM YOU?
Most of what I do - and what I like to do most - is classic tattoo content in a darker, neo-traditional style. Skulls, lady heads, snakes, wolves, tigers and flowers, to name a few fun subjects. Expect dynamic, clean linework and a substantial amount of black shading. Saturated color and plenty of skin-breaks. I’m also pretty happy with my black-and-grey realism and blackwork in general. For references, see my Instagram page @SplitDoesWork.

WHAT IF I WANT SOMETHING IN A DIFFERENT STYLE?
Custom works outside of my preferred style are billed $200/hr. This includes work in black and grey realism/portraits, American traditional, illustrative tattoos, or stippling of any kind. On occasion, I’ll decline a request for a piece/style that is outside my taste.

WHEN WILL I SEE MY DESIGN?
It’s not uncommon for clients to first see their final design on the day of their tattoo. When it comes to larger custom pieces, I do my best to have at least one notes session with my clients via email while the design is in progress.

WHAT IF I DON’T LIKE THE DESIGN?
I’m typically willing to make small changes on the day of the appointment, but to redesign the entire tattoo will usually take too long to keep the appointment and the tattoo would likely need to be rescheduled. A re-booking fee may apply. To avoid this kind of thing, I like for clients to get familiar with my portfolio a little and understand the vibe of the work that I typically do. I also make sure to discuss the design in detail before I get into drawing so my client and I are on the same page.