BEFORE YOUR PROCEDURE
Avoid blood thinners such as over the counter NSAIDS's, niacin, fish oils, smoking nicotine and alcohol 48 hour prior to your procedure. Blood thinners will cause excessive bleeding and affect the way your skin retains the pigment and heals.
Come hydrated with H20 to your appointment.
Avoid vitamin A, glycol acid, acne products, Retin-A anything that is a skin exfoliant around the area to be tattooed a week prior to your appointment.
Avoid sun exposure for two weeks before your procedure. As your skin exfoliates from a sunburn, it will take the tattoo pigment with it.
Brow waxing, tinting, any cosmetic procedures or fillers need to be performed 10 days prior to your cosmetic tattoo appointment.
*If you show up to your appointment with a fresh tan, sunburn, fillers within 10 days, chemical peel, laser treatment, skin re-surfacing treatment or the use of any blood thinners(48 hours) or exfoliants, you will be asked to reschedule and loose your deposit.
**If you have any of these conditions and are requesting a Lip Tint cosmetic tattoo, please discuss prior to your appointment.
Cold Sores
Herpes Simplex
Shingles
It is important that you get treated with your usual Rx three days prior to your procedure and then the three days following. Your physician can provide you with a prescription so that you can get pre and post treated.
All consent and release forms need to be competed and signed before your tattoo.
AFTER YOUR PROCEDURE AND HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR NEW TATTOO
The healing process is quite simple. As a standard, I recommend washing the tattooed area once a day with lukewarm water and a very mild cleanser. You will gently pat area dry with a paper towel, gauze or cotton. Apply a thin layer of the healing balm that has been provided, IF recommended. Keep your tattoo out of the sun throughout the entire healing process. Do not apply ANY cosmetics in this area and avoid excessive sweating for 10 days. Your main goal is to keep the area clean, out of the sun and letting it breathe. SIMPLE.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Immediately following your procedure, the tattooed area will appear to be darker and bolder in color and more sharply defined. This can last up to a week after the treatment while the initial healing process takes place. The treated area may feel a bit like sunburn afterwards but there should be minimal discomfort, if any.
During the initial healing period, at most, there can be very light flaking of the skin. Do not pick dry skin and allow to fall of on its own.
The skin around the tattoo area maybe red and/or lightly swollen for up to ten days.
The complete healing process takes about 4-6 weeks, at which time the true color of the tattoo is evident. During this process, your tattoo will soften and lighten. Be patient, even if you think too much color has been lost, as your skin is still regenerating and naturally exfoliating. Wait 4-6 weeks to see the true color, as it seems to take on new strength and the color with fluctuate during this time as the skin goes through its shedding cycles.. After the recommended time a touch-up/second session can be done.
Infection is extremely rare. Signs and symptoms of infection include, but not limited to, severe redness, swelling, tenderness at the procedure site, red streaks going from the procedure site to the heart, high fever, or severe drainage at the tattoo area. Seek medical help and contact S L Cosmetic Tattoo directly with any signs of infections
WHAT TO AVOID
You may shower per usual, but avoid getting any soaps, shampoos or other cleansers on the treated area for the first ten days as they can be detrimental to the bonding process and for the pigment to stabilize into the skin
DO NOT pick or scratch at the dry skin/flakiness; let the skin fall off naturally. Picking can cause scarring and premature loss of pigment. IMPORTANT: Once the flakes have fallen off, a shiny layer of healing skin will completely cover the hair strokes. It may appear as though the tattooed area has completely disappeared. Within 1-2 weeks, the hair strokes will slowly reappear at a lighter shade as your skin regenerates.
DO NOT apply make-up to the tattooed area for the first 10 days. Cosmetics of any kind may compromise the integrity of your tattoo, color and final results.
DO NOT use Vaseline, Neosporin or other petroleum based products while healing.
DO NOT apply any anti-acne products (e.g. Benzoyl Peroxide, Salicylic Acid, Proactiv, etc.)
No anti-aging or facial products containing Alpha Hydroxyls (AHAs), Retin-A, Lactic or Glycolic Acids
Do not wax or thread the treated area while healing.
NO excessive sweating or exercise for 10 days after procedure.
NO swimming pools, jacuzzis, hot tubs, steam rooms, large bodies of water including the ocean for 10 days after the procedure.
Do not submerge your face underwater in the bathtub or allow the shower to spray directly in your face for 10 days.
Limit close contact with animals and pets for 10 days.
ONCE YOUR TATTOO HAS HEALED
Exposure to the sun over time can cause fading and discoloration of the pigment. Once completely healed, you may apply sunscreen on the treated area.
Glycolic acid, microdermabrasion, micro-needling and chemical peels must be kept away from the tattooed area as continued use could lighten and fade the pigment.
If you are having laser resurfacing or laser hair removal after your tattoo has healed, please inform the laser technician. Continue at your own discretion. Laser procedures may darken, lighten, or discolor the tattooed area.
Once the treated area is completely healed, any changes or additions that need to be made can be done at your follow-up appointment 6-8 weeks later.
AS A PRECAUTION, COSMETIC TATTOO IS NOT RECOMMENDED IF
- Pregnant or breastfeeding
- Major heart problems
- Epilepsy
- Chemotherapy (consult doctor)
- Botox or fillers in the past two weeks - Accutane in the last year
- Sick (cold/flu)
- Viral infections
- Organ transplant
- Diabetic
- Skin condition near desired tattooed area (rashes, hives, psoriasis, acne)
- Excessively oily skin
*Each client will heal uniquely to their own and differently per each procedure.
This information acts as a guideline only and there are no guaranteed results if you do not take care of your cosmetic tattoo. SL Cosmetic Tattoo and Sarah Lemke are not to be held liable for healed results of tattoo or procedure preformed.