My Tattoo Is Weeping Fluid Out Of The Bandage. What Should I Do?

Certain tattoos weep more or less, depending on a lot of different factors. Your body excreting plasma and “weeping” is a completely normal beginning to the tattoo healing process. However, excessive weeping may negatively affect the adhesion of the bandage. If you are experiencing excessive weeping, you will simply need to clean the tattooed area more often than normal.

Tips for cleaning and reapplication of Saniderm

1. Do not use a washcloth, loofah, or sponge to clean your tattoo. These can be painful to clean a new tattoo with, and may harbor bacteria.
2. Do not hold your tattoo directly under the water. Wash it indirectly by splashing the water over the tattoo with your hands. The stream of water from the faucet may be too harsh on your new tattoo. If your new tattoo is covering a large area of skin, it may be easiest to wash the tattoo in the shower. If your tattoo weeped a lot and the lymph fluid is sticky, gently wash the fluid off with your hands.
3. Once you have thoroughly washed the tattoo, gently pat it dry with a little paper towel. Do not rub the tattoo, as this may cause irritation. Leave the tattoo uncovered for 15-20 minutes before reapplying another Saniderm tattoo bandage. This will allow any excess moisture in the tattoo to evaporate.
4. The best way to remove Saniderm is to find an edge of the bandage, and then to pull it back over itself in the direction of hair growth. Pulling upward on the Saniderm can be painful, so we don’t recommend it. In some rare cases, certain people will “stick” to the Saniderm bandage more than others, which can make it more difficult than normal to remove. In cases like this, try removing the Saniderm in a warm shower. The warmth will loosen the adhesive, and make it easier to remove.
5. OPTIONAL STEP: Apply an extremely thin layer of an aftercare ointment or lotion (our favorite is Sanibalm) to the tattooed area before reapplying your Saniderm. If your tattoo is still weeping lymph fluid, this step is not needed as the area is already being moisturized.
6. Make sure that you properly apply the Saniderm bandage and leave at least 1 inch of buffer area around the tattoo. Doing this will play a large role in preventing fluids from building up too much and spilling out.

Have additional questions about Saniderm? Read more about tattoo aftercare in Saniderm’s tattoo knowledge base!