nikareally

I'm by no means an expert so don't take my opinion as gospel. I've always used tegaderm but never applied it straight after the tattoo, always around 4 hours after. I do think it doesn't sound like a good idea to drain the derm or poke holes in it. You're basically creating an area not closed off enough to keep bad stuff out and not open enough to let it breathe and get cleaned regularly. Imo either keep the derm closed and leave it for 3 days minimum or once the derm is compromised, remove it, wash tattoo gently with ph neutral soap, airdy and reaply new derm. Hope this was helpful, best of luck.

Thanks all! I ended up buying Tegaderm at Walgreens after this post. I took the Saniderm off in the shower and cleaned it and applied a fresh sheet of Tegaderm. For what it's worth, my tattoo looks and feels great! No redness or swelling, no warmth or smell. It's got a tight shiny look to it, and felt a little dry, so I'm hoping the Tegaderm will help trap some moisture in there. I'm thinking I'll leave the new sheet on for 2-3 days. Will update!