Aftercare Guide
So you’ve had your tattoo done but as Bryan Adams once said “We’re half way there !” Aftercare is an extremely important part of the tattoo process. Until healed, tattoos are open wounds. There may be redness, swelling, blood/plasma and in some cases bruising. Imagine the tattoo without the ink! It would be a pretty nasty looking graze.
Take extra care to keep it clean and contact us if you have any question.
The Cleaning Process
After 2 hours (no longer), remove the plastic wrap that was applied by your artist, roll it up and bin it. (be careful not to touch the bin)
Wash your hands !
Run a warm/ hot shower and rinse your new tattoo for 20 - 30 seconds. It will sting, but only momentarily. The first wash is very important ! Using either the tattoo wash purchased from the studio or a mild fragrance-free wash, use your fingertips to gently but firmly wash the whole of your tattoo. Never use a “bar” of soap to heal a tattoo.
It’s very important to properly wash off all the blood and plasma (the gooey stuff) that has naturally formed on your tattoo. If this doesn’t get removed it can lead to excessive scabbing or infection.
After washing the tattoo rinse it off with water.
***IMPORTANT *** Use clean kitchen roll to gently pat your tattoo dry. DO NOT use a towel while the tattoo is in the healing stage.
Even clean towels can harbour bacteria.
Once patted dry allow a good 20/30 mins to further air-dry your tattoo before putting on any clothing that may cover your tattoo.
Repeat the above process twice a day for the first week. Then you can reduce it to once per day.
Aftercare Creams & Balms
From experience, we believe tattoos need 2-3 days to dry out before you start using aftercare cream. If your tattoo is still weaping after you have washed, patted-dry and air-dried it, DO NOT apply any creams. Let it dry out further.
When you do start using aftercare cream, make sure to use the tiniest amount for the first 1-4 days. Too much cream can cause the tattoo to become gooey and infected.
Once the tattoo has scabbed over and new skin in formed underneath you can start to use a little more cream or moisturiser (Palmers Cocoa Butter is great)
Do ...
• Wash you hands before you touch or clean your new tattoo.
• Use clean kitchen roll to pat dry your new tattoo after cleaning.
• Let your tattoo “air dry” for 20-30 mins before putting clothes on top.
• Give your tattoo 2-3 days to “dry out” before using aftercare cream.
• When you begin to use Aftercare Cream, make sure to use only a tiny amount in the first few days.
• Clean you new tattoo twice a day for the first week.
• Contact us if you have any questions.
Don't ...
• Soak your new tattoo in the bath or a long shower.
• Use over-scented products to clean/heal your new tattoo.
• Pick any scabs that may form. Keep using small amounts of Aftercare cream, it will heal and eventually fall off.
• Scratch or pick the tattoo during the “ITCHY” stage. Slap it !
• Don’t go swimming (pool, lakes, rivers etc) for at least 2 weeks.
• Let animals or pets lick your new tattoo. They seem to love doing this ! Be especially cautious with tattoos on the ankle and lower leg.