Aftercare
Looking after it.
How your tattoo heals is half the job. Follow this and it will settle properly, hold its detail and still look right in ten years.
01
Take the wrap off
- Remove the film after one to three hours. No longer than three.
- Leaving it on traps moisture and bacteria against fresh skin.
02
The first wash
- Wash your hands first, every time, before touching the tattoo.
- Use a neutral antibacterial soap. Fragrance free, alcohol free, no colourants.
- Work the soap into a foam in your hands. Never put a bar straight on the skin.
- Wash gently to lift off the excess ink, blood and plasma. Rub a little for the first few days to get the sticky plasma off.
- Rinse with lukewarm or cold water, never hot.
- Pat dry with clean paper towel. Do not rub, and do not use a fabric towel.
03
The first two days
- Wash it three times a day: morning, afternoon and night.
- In the shower, wash everything else first and leave the tattoo until last.
- Do not soak it. Rinse just enough to get it clean.
04
From day three, moisturise
- Start using a tattoo balm. Bepanthen for Tattoos, Dr Pickles or anything similar.
- A very thin layer, three times a day. Just enough to make it shine, then wipe the excess off. A thick layer suffocates it.
- First two weeks: three times a day. Following two weeks: twice a day.
05
What healing looks like
Days 1 to 3. Light swelling and some plasma weeping. Normal.
Days 4 to 7. Light scabbing and itching. Do not scratch and do not pick.
Days 7 to 14. Peeling, like dry skin coming away.
Weeks 3 to 5. It looks shiny and slightly plastic at first, then settles.
06
Avoid
For at least two weeks, and especially the first three days.
- Drinking heavily
- Heavy sweating, gym, sauna
- Direct sunlight
- Beach and swimming pools
- Long soaks, baths, spas
- Tight clothing rubbing on it
- Scratching or picking scabs
A few extra things
- Use clean bed sheets for the first few days. Watch for pet hair and dust.
- If you work somewhere dirty, cover it with loose breathable clothing.
- After the first month, always use SPF 50+ on it in the sun. That is what keeps the colours and the linework sharp for years rather than months.
One favour
Once it is fully healed, around four to five weeks, send me a few photos of it. I would really appreciate it.