CARING FOR YOUR TATTOO

AFTERCARE INSTRUCTIONS
The Bandage:
A sterile piece of Plastic wrap is placed over your new tattoo. This is to help protect the wound from any dust or germs you might encounter throughout the rest of your day and also gives your pores a chance to close up a little.. When your arrive home remove the bandage. There is not really any specific time to leave it on anywhere from 1–24 hours is safe.

NEVER RE-WRAP YOUR TATTOO!

Once you have removed the plastic wrap, wash your tattoo with mild soap and warm water, use your finger tips to gently massage any excess Vaseline or ink off the skin.. There may also be some dry blood or water excretions, this is completely normal. Once you have rinsed off all the soap, pat your tattoo dry using a paper towel..Cloth towels can hold bacteria.

Apply Ointment: Now that your new tattoo is cleaned up and your pores are settling down, it is time to take care of your skin and help it heal as quickly as possible.

Apply a thin layer of tattoo ointment 3-4 times a day.. This is a personal preference and differs from person to person. You want to promote healing! Too much ointment will clog pores and could also collect bacteria, too little ointment and your skin will get very dry.

If your tattoo it itchy apply ointment. Do not scratch or pick at it as you could tear the new skin which is protecting your ink!


THE CONTAINER!!
Human Kanvas Aftercare has been strategically placed into a chap stick tube...

* This makes it easy to apply without the need to contaminate your tattoo with Dirty hands.

* It is small enough to fit in your pocket so that you can easily apply the ointment throughout the day!

There are many different products you can use to help your skin to heal. They range from high tech ointments to simple hand lotions.. It is all just personal preference. Just be sure that what ever you use that it DOES NOT Contain Antibiotics. These could fade the ink in your new tattoo..

Believe me, I KNOW that you are going to have friends tell you to use Neosporin, Polysporin or Bacitracin. Don't do it. They are antibiotics, and they have no healing value unless there is infection present. You will need them if you introduce dirt or germs into the tattoo, but for normal healing you want a moisturizer.

HUMAN KANVAS OINTMENT INGREDIENTS!
Vitamin A (Retinol) - Retinol is a derivative of vitamin A. Vitamin A has a molecular structure that’s tiny enough to get into the lower layers of skin, where it finds collagen and elastin. Retinol is proven to improve pigmentation, fine lines and wrinkles, skin texture, skin tone and color, and your skin’s hydration levels. Benefits include helping with acne, skin care, stretch marks, wound healing, resistance to infection and more.

Vitamin D (Ergocalciferol) - Vitamin D is an essential nutrient, it may help maintain a healthy immune system and help regulate cell growth and differentiation, the process that determines what a cell in to become. Vitamin D is also an anti-inflammatory.

Lanolin - Medical grade lanolin is used as a cream to soothe skin. It is pure, hypoallergenic and bacteriostatic. Lanolin can also be used to treat chapped lips, diaper rash, dry skin, itchy skin, rough feet, minor cuts, minor burns and skin abrasions. As an ointment basis, it readily absorbs through skin.

Tea Tree Oil - Tea tree oil in an essential oil obtained by steam distillation of the leaves of Melaleuca alternifolia, a plant native to Australia.

Tea tree has a long history of traditional use. Australian aboriginals used tea tree leaves for healing skin cuts, burns, and infections by crushing the leaves and applying them to the affected area. Tea tree oil contains constituents called terpenoids, which have been found to have antiseptic and antifungal activity. The compound terpinen-4-ol is the most abundant and is thought to be responsible for most of tea tree oil's antimicrobial activity.

RULES, RULES, RULES!
Remember to wash your hands before applying the lotion.

No direct sunlight for 2-3 weeks. This is absolutely vital with red ink, it can easily develop a photosensitivity and you DO NOT want to experience the intense itch of this reaction. But with every color of ink, even black, the sun is a major cause of new tattoos looking blurred.

No soaking in water, no swimming, hot tubs, or direct shower water beating on it for 2-3 weeks. Of course you can keep clean, we want you not to stink when you show off your new art, but if the healing bit soaks up water it will be like going swimming when you were a kid and had a scab. Remember how the waterlogged scab would float away.......there goes your new tattoo! Seriously! No surfing, dudes!

If it does get wet in the shower, gently pat it dry , don't rub at it with a towel. Then immediately after getting dried off re-moisturize it.

If you work out, or do contact sports, give it a bit of a break. Worry about getting contact abrasions that could knock off the healing skin, or in a gym worry about over-straining delicate perforated tissue and getting a stretch mark, or touching a piece of sweat-contaminated workout equipment with an open raw area..... wait a couple of weeks.

It is up to you to protect your investment. By giving your tattoo proper care while healing you insure that you will enjoy it for the rest of your life. It will age as gracefully as you do.