Artifex

Tuesday—Saturday, 12pm—6pm

chip@artifextattoo.com

607-798-0264

Chip guarantees all of his work, with the exception of the hands and feet. Only about 20-25% of
people maintain ink in those spots. Tattoos on the inside of the lips or on the tongue are also not
guaranteed. The high amount of acidity in the mouth is not good for proper healing of the tattoo.
He will not tattoo the bottoms of the feet or palms of the hands. The ink will not last and is
therefore a waste of time. This guarantee is void if you do not follow the suggested aftercare and
damage your tattoo.

If you have any questions about your tattoo or how it's healing, don't hesitate to call, email, or
stop in. No matter how silly you think the question is, it's better to make sure. We are always here
to help. Remember to ignore any advice from friends, family, co-workers, drunks, or anyone else
who thinks they can tell you how to take care of your tattoo. What they tell you may end up
damaging your tattoo. Just follow the simple aftercare instructions provided here and you
shouldn't have a problem.

How You Should Not Care for Your New Tattoo

If you are leaving with a bandage, you only need to keep it on for 1-2 hours. After that, do not
bandage it again. Instead, wash your tattoo with an antibacterial soap that is perfume and dye-
free.

Do not use plastic wrap (Saran Wrap) to cover your tattoo. It prevents oxygen from getting to it
which will delay healing and can cause bacteria to propagate.

Do not use Neosporin, Bacitracin, Triple Antibiotic Ointment, A&D, Vaseline, Preparation H, Bag
Balm, or Olive Oil. Most of these products have a petroleum base. The petroleum base prevents
oxygen from reaching your tattoo. It is too thick to be absorbed by your skin. This means you will
have a sticky tattoo that can easily attract dirt and breed bacteria. They can also cause your tattoo
to ooze excessively, taking some color along with it.
Do not submerge your tattoo in water for 7-10 days. That means no pools, hot tubs or baths.
Showers are fine. Wash your tattoo last in the shower to make sure you remove any leftover
shampoo or conditioner from it. Use your hand to wash the tattoo, as loofahs and washcloths may
remove a scab prematurely or cause irritation.

Do not expose your tattoo to the sun or tanning booths for 3 weeks. It causes damage to your skin
and will fade your tattoo. When your tattoo is healed, use a minimum SPF 45 sunblock. Make sure
the sunblock protects against UVA and UVB rays. You can also apply it to just the tattooed area to
help prevent fading while tanning. Colors will not be as bright on darker skin tones or tanned skin.

If you find you have scabs in some spots, do not pick your scabs. Allow the scabbing to run its
course. If you notice some redness around the scab, don't worry. Sometimes scabs can pull the
surrounding skin tighter, which causes the redness you're experiencing.

How You Should Care for Your New Tattoo

Your skin may ooze lymph. Lymph is a yellowish/clear substance that appears on the surface of the
tattoo. Sometimes it can run and take some residual ink with it. This is normal so...

Be careful when removing clothing. The lymph can dry and cause the tattooed area to stick to your
clothing.

Wet the area over the clothing with a washcloth or hop in the shower with it on, you will be able
to remove it without pulling off any scabs, so...

...wear loose clothes for the first few nights to help prevent this.

After a few days, you can start to use a mild, perfume free skin lotion. You can use the lotion as
needed until the tattoo is done peeling and is no longer shiny. Some mild skin lotions you can use
are St Ives, Collagen, Elastin, Jergens Shea Butter, Vaseline Intensive Care, St. Ives Intensive
Healing, Curel Ultra Healing, Gold Bond Ultimate, Jergens Ultra Healing, Moisturel, and Lubriderm.
Wash your tattoo 2 to 3 times a day with the previously mentioned antibacterial soap.

Oh, and a few more things...

Bruising can happen around the tattoo. Usually it happens on the underside of the arms, the chest,
and around the thighs. This is normal and will eventually fade away.

Peeling occurs with most tattoos, and kind of looks like a sunburn peel. You might have flakes of
color in the peeling skin, but there is no need to worry. This is normal.

In most cases, a milky coating will appear over your tattoo after several days. It is new skin growth
and it usually lasts as little as three days and as long as a week.

And remember, antibiotic ointment can not prevent infection, it can only treat an existing one
(which you'll never have from an Artifex tattoo, because you read this whole thing, right?).

Book an Appointment

(607) 798-0264

chip@artifextattoo.com

Artifex Tattoo

2539 Vestal Parkway East

Vestal, NY 13850

How to take care of your tattoo

BEFORE CARE

Tattoo Clean FieldHere are some things to do before you come in for your tattoo:

Keep your consumption of alcohol the night before to a minimum and get a good, full night's
sleep. Stop drinking coffee/caffeine six hours before your session--because it is a stimulant and
can make you bleed more-- this also includes energy drinks. Make sure you have eaten something
substantial one to two hours ahead. Drink water and feel free to bring some snacks with you if you
know that you're going to have a long session. You may also bring your own pillow, blanket and
iPod to keep you comfortable. Sometimes it's nice to have a friend with you; my shop is pretty
small, so please bring only one person with you.

Do NOT exercise beforehand the day you get your tattoo, or even the day before, if your workout
is a strenuous one. Plan on not exercising after you get your tat for the rest of that day/evening;
you need all of your endorphin reserves to receive a tattoo and will probably be pretty tapped out
after receiving it. (You may go workout/ride your bike/play basketball, etc. the next day but be
careful not to get dirt or sweat in your new tattoo.)

Wear loose and comfortable clothing to your sessions because we may have to move it around to
reach the area where you want to be tattooed. If you're female and you have very difficult, painful
periods, don't schedule a session for the first day of your period-- a week afterwards is usually
better. Your endorphin and hormone levels will be more even then and the tattooing process will
not be as painful.

If you have or are coming down with or are just getting over a cold or flu, PLEASE reschedule--
never come in when you are sick or injured! Your immune system is already fighting to get rid of
your illness or heal your injury and you may not have enough endorphins to get through your
tattooing session. Also, the other people who might be in the shop don't want to be exposed to
whatever it is that you have if you're sick.

Please be ON TIME for your appointments. If you're late, it may affect the other appointments I
have scheduled after yours. My hours are by appointment, so I come into the shop for you. If you
can't make it to your appointment, please call me at 503 807-7863 and let me know ASAP. When
you cancel at the last minute, not only is it irresponsible, inconsiderate and wastes my time, but it
also means that I can't get another client in to take your appointment, which affects my other
clients, as well. If you make an appointment and then don't even show up, not only is it super
rude, but then I wonder where you are and what happened to you.

Please give me at least 24 HOURS NOTICE if you have to cancel your appointment!

AFTER CARE

Tattoo StationDo these things after you receive your tattoo:

After you're done with your session, please just take it easy-- go have some food, drink some
liquids and relax. Do nothing strenuous for the rest of the day/evening, to help your body
replenish itself. Don't work out or get your brand new tattoo sweaty or dirty.

Keep your bandage on for at least 3 hours. After that, take it off; you won't need to put another
bandage on your new tat. Wash your hands and wash your tattoo thoroughly with warm water
and mild soap-- something without perfumes or dyes. Liquid soap is best; bar soaps tend to sit in
sinks collecting germs. Dr. Bronner's unscented liquid soap is good. If you can't find that, Dial's
Antibacterial liquid soap is OK.

Towel your tattoo dry, then apply a very thin layer of A & D ointment to your new tattoo. Do this
process of washing and then applying ointment at least twice a day. If your skin is dry, you can do
this more often. Continue this process for 4-7 days, depending on how fast you heal. For those of
you who are allergic to or don't want to use petroleum products, you can use calendula, coconut
or olive oil for your healing, but be aware that you'll have to use more of it and apply more often,
than if you were using ointment.

After about 4-7 days, apply unscented, non-perfumed skin lotion as needed. I recommend Curel or
Cetaphil-- a lotion without too much alcohol is best, because alcohol will dry the skin out too fast.
You want to keep your new tattoo clean, moist and protected. If you have to use perfumes or
body sprays, don't put them on your new tattoo-- wait for two months before you use them on
your new tat.
Always make sure your hands are clean before touching your new tattoo. Don't let anyone else
touch it unless their hands are clean, ESPECIALLY children or pets. Your tattoo may itch and peel; if
this happens, take some ointment/oil and rub it in with the flat of your fingers. Never scratch or
pick at your tattoo.

Do not soak your new tattoo (in lakes, oceans, hot tubs, pools, bath-- NO CHLORINE) for 3 weeks.
Showers are fine.

Keep your tattoo out of direct sunlight and the tanning booth for 1 month. Direct sunlight and
tanning will fade any tattoo over time, so use sunscreen on your healed tattoo every time you're in
the sun or keep your tattoo covered.

If your tattoo somehow gets infected, you can use a tiny bit of Neosporin on it to remove
infection. But I do not recommend it for general healing, as it is for wounds, not abrasions like
tattoos and may cause you to scar.

Remember, your tattoo has been applied for you in a clean and professional manner. But for it to
heal down correctly and look good, proper aftercare is crucial.

Site by John Elwood

607-821-1282

johnelwood.net

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How to Properly Care For New Tattoos

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Whether you’re planning on getting a tattoo or have just bitten the bullet and had a wonderful
piece of art inked on your body, you’re going to want to take good care of it.

Although you may not think about it this way, a tattoo is a wound, so for the first few weeks you
should treat it as such. Learn more on how to treat your tattoo and helpful hints for proper
healing.

How to treat:

Carefully remove plastic wrap or thin gauze after a few hours, if the artist has placed it over the
tattoo. It’s essential that your tattoo breathes to speed up the healing process.

Gently clean the area with a mild unscented soap and warm water.

Don’t use a sponge or cloth that could be abrasive and rub against the tattoo, clean hands are
best for this task.
 You want to remove any blood or plasma (the substance that makes the tattoo appear slightly
slimy) as this can lead to excess scabbing of the tattoo, according to about.com.

Dry the area carefully, once the tattoo area is clean. The best way to do this is to use a kitchen
towel and gently pat the tattoo.

Let it air dry for a few minutes.

Applying CUROXEN to a Tattoo. After the tattoo is dry, you can apply a first-aid ointment like
CUROXEN to keep the area germ-free, reduce inflammation and help the area heal quicker. Apply
CUROXEN to your tattoo a few times each day until any scabs have healed. This will help provide
vital moisture without over-saturating the tattoo.

CUROXEN is a viable antimicrobial treatment for tattoo care because, unlike petroleum-based
antimicrobials, it features a highly antimicrobial mode of action that is based entirely on one safe,
organic active ingredient — olive oil. Olive oil is well established as a skin care benefit. By
oxygenating olive oil, CUROXEN delivers a completely all-natural tattoo care solution that contains
nothing that could cause adverse side effects such as antibiotic resistance, skin irritation, and
other harmful allergic reactions.

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Helpful hints:

· Avoid using antibiotic ointments like Neosporin, as they are highly allergenic and can cause a
rash. Not only will a rash cause unnecessary pain, it will prolong healing time and could also
permanently damage the look of your new body art.

· Avoid having the tattoo in water for prolonged periods of time. After each shower you will need
to dry the tattoo carefully and re-apply a healing ointment like CUROXEN.
· You will also want to avoid lotions containing alcohol, aloe vera or cortisone as these can cause
excess stinging, according to wikiHow.

· Products containing petroleum-based ingredients are not suitable for the aftercare of tattoos,
because they will not allow the skin to breathe adequately and could hinder the healing process.
They also tend to be thick and more difficult to spread over the skin, so you could pull on the
tattoo and cause bleeding. They can also leech color from your new tattoo.

· Take care when choosing clothes over the next few weeks as well, opt for light fabrics and
loose-fitting clothing that won’t stick to the tattoo.

· A small amount of scabbing is normal. Resist the urge to scratch or pick at the scab because you
may infect the tattoo and damage the artwork.

· Drink plenty of water in the days following as hydrated skin will heal quicker.

· Expect the healing process to take anywhere between two and four weeks. If you spot any sign
of infection—weeping or yellow-colored pus—contact your doctor.

· Once your tattoo has healed completely, you should look after it as well as you do the rest of
your skin. Apply high-factor sunscreen if the tattoo is visible to deter fading and moisturize the
area daily.

Additional Reading: https://tattoosuite.com/tattoo-aftercare/

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All rights reserved. All of the trademarks above are the properties of their respective owners as
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