For medical purposes, absorbent pads are commonly used for wound care, incontinence management, and as underpads for hospital beds. These pads come in various sizes, including larger ones for more extensive coverage. They’re designed to quickly absorb and lock in fluids to keep the skin dry and prevent irritation or infection.

Absorbent pads will be used for tattoos with big coverage of heavy black such as blackouts.

Such tattoos have special aftercare and special planning for the before and after.

I will send an email with all planning recommendations to each client beforehand.

Please, read carefully below to know how to use the pads properly:

     Day 1 – Leaving the studio:

You’ll leave the studio with a fresh wrap of absorbent pad.

As soon as you arrive in your home/accommodation, wash the tattoo. 

HOW TO WASH: 

Preferably, use gloves on the first 3 days.

• Wash with antibacterial hand soap. Double wash.
• Pat dry with good quality kitchen roll (such as Plenty Max).
  Don’t use bad quality ones as it will leave residues that will be a hard to clean.
• Let it air dry for a good few minutes before rewrapping it with absorbent pad given. 
  
  (Use micropore tape on the puppy pad to wrap it properly). 
  
• At night before bed, you have the option of sleeping with the absorbent pad on or using it under the tattoo to protect your bed sheets. It will be leaking a lot on the first 2 nights – blood ink and plasma will be very noticeable. Be careful with sleeping positions.

   

  Day 2 –  Next day after your session:

• Please keep cleaning it every 4-5 hours. Wash properly like advised. 

• On Day 2, if you are going to stay home, no need to rewrap it with absorbent pad.
  If you’ll be out, time your errands for a maximum of 4 hours out so you can guarantee your tattoo will be cleaned as recommended.

• Coming back home/accommodation, please wash it and leave it breathing
  (no wrapping). 

• At night, similar procedure for sleeping as Day 1: leave the absorbent pad underneath the tattoo area and be careful with sleeping positions.

  Day 3 – 72 hours post session:

• No more need to rewrap at all.
• Keep washing every 4 hours, dabbing it dry, letting it air dry.
  Always with clean hands!

  Day 3 at night or Day 4 in the morning: 
   

• If at Day 3 at night your skin is already very dry and tight with no evidence of moist spots or irritation, start using Cicaplast Baume B5 – La Roche Posay cream. It’s the only one I recommend.
  If it’s not dry enough, start moisturizing on Day 4.
  
• After 7 days you don’t need to wash it so often. But at least twice a day.If you sweat more from weather or working out, wash accordingly.
• PLEASE, keep the moisturizing duty until at least 1 full month.
  Blackouts are always going to look amazing with moisturizing, I recommend to do it indefinitely. But at least 1 month of doing it religiously. 

• Ideally the skin will flake with very thin scabs.
  It WILL be very itchy, but please don’t scratch!
  (Put a piece of clothing on top and give gentle taps, usually helps!)
  Moisturizing religiously helps with the itching a lot!
  
  Shiny skin will be noticeable for a long time.
  
  Heavy black tattoos or blackouts take around 6 months to settle and for the skin to feel normal again. It’s a long process that comes with the procedure of heavily saturated tattoos.
  
  Again, moisturize! It will be your best friend from now on.
  ONLY after 1 month (with good healing) you can use other lighter moisturizers other than Cicaplast Baume B5.

☞ Request for my heavy black/blackout clients:
Please send me an update on the first 2 weeks, every 4 days.
That way I can help with any issues right away! (Send pictures and videos via lizminelli.art@gmail.com).

Precautions for heavy black or blackout tattoos:

This is a very different aftercare compared to other tattoos.
Make sure you follow the plan we discussed at our initial consultation pre-appointment.

• Do not pick, scratch or even touch your new tattoo unless you’re cleaning it until it’s fully healed. If your skin itches, reapply the soothing balm – clean hands always!

• Do not use aftercare products that are not recommended by me.
  SPECIALLY butters or oils.

• Do not soak the tattoo in water (e.g swimming or baths) for at least 15 days.

• Do not workout or do any activity that you could sweat profusely for 2 weeks. 

• Do not use oils, cosmetics or sunblock on the tattoo area until it’s fully healed
  (1 month at least).

• Do not let the tattoo get dirty (including touching it with unwashed hands, sweaty clothes or pets).

• Wear loose clothing to allow the tattoo to breathe and avoid friction.

• Avoid at all costs eating greasy food (fried food) during the period of healing.
  Drink lots of water and don’t forget to follow all the steps.