Your tattoo was wrapped for the trip home—not for the whole healing process.

Leave the plastic wrap on for the amount of time I gave you at your appointment. Once you take it off, don’t put it back on. Your tattoo is ready to move into regular healing.

Once the wrap comes off

Gently wash your tattoo using clean hands, lukewarm water, and a mild soap your skin already tolerates.

You don’t need antibacterial soap, and you don’t need to scrub it.

Rinse it well and pat it dry with a clean paper towel. Give it a little time to completely air dry before applying anything to it.

Keep it light.

Once your tattoo is dry, apply a very small amount of unscented lotion, tattoo balm, or cocoa butter.

The goal is comfortable skin—not a coating sitting on top of it.

If it looks shiny or greasy, you’ve probably used too much.

Continue gently washing your tattoo while it heals and moisturize when the skin feels dry or tight.

Then a little handwritten/tape callout:

Clean. Dry. Lightly moisturized. That’s really it.