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Protect Your New Ink

Tattoo Aftercare

Here's how we heal a fresh tattoo today — plus the traditional method we still keep on file as a backup.

Sealed & Breathable
Shower-Safe
5–7 Day Wear

Every shop's healing recipe is a little different — this is ours, today. It works well for most of our clients, but skin doesn't all heal the same way, so pay attention to how yours is responding and adjust from there.

Aftercare has changed a lot in the last 5–8 years. More efficient, safer products have made their way over from the medical industry - chief among them, self-adhesive wound covers built to seal and protect a fresh wound while it heals.

At Killer Silver Tattoo, we mostly use Saniderm as our go-to. There are plenty of similar brands out there at a range of prices, but it's what we apply in-studio - and a self-adhesive wound cover in general is widely available if you ever need to grab a replacement yourself.

Our Method

Cover & Seal

What Is A Self-Adhesive Wound Cover?

It's a clear, medical-grade bandage that seals a fresh tattoo the same way it would seal a cut or a burn. It has three layers: a paper backing on the adhesive side that contacts your fresh tattoo, a thin middle layer that stays on your skin, and a top liner that gets peeled away once it's applied - its only job is making that thin middle layer easy to handle.

The cover has micropores, so it breathes even while it's fully sealed. That's also why you can't (and don't need to) apply any ointment or moisturizer underneath it.

The aftercare is… not to care.

Sealed means sealed - nothing gets in, nothing gets out.
1
Applied by your artist right after your session, over the freshly cleaned tattoo.
2
Once it's sealed, nothing can get in and nothing can get out - the smallest possible chance of complication, for as long as it stays on.
3
No washing routine, no ointment schedule to keep track of. The cover does the work while it's in place.
What To Expect

Healing Timeline

01
You Can Shower
Shower like normal with the cover on. Just don't soak it - no baths, no pools, no submerging it underwater.
02
Corners May Lift First
It usually starts peeling at the corners before anywhere else. A small strip of cloth tape over a lifting edge can help it stay put longer.
03
Leave It On - 5–7 Days Ideally
Try to keep it on as long as you can. This is the window your immune system uses to heal the wound from the bottom up - biologically, a tattoo is treated like a minor cut or a sunburn.
Right after the cover goes on, blood and ink have nowhere to go - the seal holds them against the non-tattooed skin around the edges. The tattoo will look blurry, smudgy, and a little scary underneath. That's completely normal. Don't be alarmed - your body reabsorbs that fluid over the next few days.
04
Removing It
Take it off under running water. Grab one corner and roll it away slowly. It'll still pull somewhat hard - that's normal. The skin directly over the tattoo has already closed, so the cover was never able to stick there to begin with. What's pulling is only the adhesive holding onto the healthy skin surrounding it.
05
After Removal
If the skin surface feels smooth once it's off, just treat it like any other part of your skin - regular oils or body lotion are fine from here.
No Matter Which Method

These Don't Change

Whether it's the cover or the traditional method below doing the healing, two rules hold for the whole process:

Don't soak the tattoo - no swimming, no bath tubs, no submerging it, regardless of what's covering it. Soaking can wash ink out.

Avoid getting sunburned - natural sun and tanning beds both count. It won't damage the tattoo's quality, but sunburned new skin is genuinely painful.

If It Comes Off Early

Two Ways Back

If your cover lifts ahead of schedule, what you do next depends on what you've got on hand.

Got a Replacement Cover?
  1. Wash the tattoo with antibacterial soap.
  2. Pat it fully dry.
  3. Apply nothing else - no ointment of any kind, since it'll stop the new cover from sticking.
  4. Apply the fresh sheet and pick up where you left off.
No Replacement Handy?

We Advise

  • Wash your hands with antibacterial soap (preferably Hibiclens) before touching the tattoo.
  • Wash your new tattoo with the same soap - this removes any clotted blood-and-ink mixture and gently moisturizes the area.
  • Rinse with lukewarm, room-temperature water.
  • Don't wash the tattoo more than 2–3 times a day - treat it as a regular personal hygiene step, not a scrub.
  • Pat the area dry and apply a very thin layer of Aquaphor Healing Ointment to reduce inflammation and irritation. Over-applying - especially outside the tattooed area - can clog hair follicles and cause pimples.
  • Don't apply ointment more than 3 times a day. Just enough to keep the healing skin soft, prevent infection, and stop it from drying out.
  • Once the peeling period is over, you can stop the ointment. If you still want to keep the area moisturized, switch to a natural lotion.

One More Thing

  • Fabric — like clothing rubbing against the area — can stick into the fresh scab, especially overnight. Pulling it off dry can reopen the wound or wash ink out, leaving a blank spot once healed. If cloth does stick, soak it thoroughly and let it soften before easing it away.

The no-soaking and no-sunburn rules above apply here too — see "No Matter Which Method" further up the page.

Still Healing?

Think You Need a Touch-Up?

Tattoos done within the last month qualify for a touch-up session — book one directly, no need to email first.

Not sure yet? Send a photo and we'll take a look, or call 646.300.9545.
Book Your Touch-Up Email Us Your Tattoo Photo