Tattoo Aftercare
How to take care of your new tattoo while it heals.
KEEP IT COVERED - PLASTIC WRAP / SECOND SKIN
Your tattoo is kept covered to avoid airborne bacteria entering your body. Your tattoo artist will do this in one of two ways, either with traditional plastic wrap like cling film, or with medical-grade waterproof bandaging like Dermalize or Saniderm.
Plastic Wrap
Remove the plastic wrap no sooner than three hours after being applied. Wash with lukewarm water to gently remove any ointment, blood and/or plasma. Do not use any soap until the following day and when doing so, ensure it is unscented. Do not use a washcloth or anything abrasive. Gently pat dry the area with a clean towel or a paper towel. Follow with your choice of aftercare moisturiser - we recommend Palmer’s Cocoa Butter or Aquaphor - and remember less is more. Avoid using Vaseline, Savlon or Bepanthen as some of their chemical additives can damage your tattoo during the healing process.
Second Skin
Keep the first applied bandage on for anywhere between 3 - 24 hours, depending on the build up of blood and/or plasma underneath. Remove the second skin in the shower as water will assist with loosening the adhesive and relaxing the skin. Dry removal will cause added trauma to the skin. Gently pat dry the area with a clean towel or a paper towel. Follow with your choice of aftercare moisturiser - we recommend Palmer’s Cocoa Butter or Aquaphor - and remember less is more. Avoid using Vaseline, Savlon or Bepanthen as some of their chemical additives can damage your tattoo during the healing process.
If using a second bandage, ensure the area is clean and dry before reapplication. Keep this second bandage on for 3 - 6 days. If the skin appears irritated, there is fluid build up or the bandage is peeling off, remove the bandage entirely. Do not reapply any more bandages when the scabbing phase of the healing process has begun.
CARING FOR YOUR NEW TATTOO
Once the plastic wrap or second skin has been removed, continue to care for your tattoo by gently washing with unscented antibacterial soap and pat dry with a clean towel or paper towel. Apply your choice of aftercare moisturiser twice a day for two weeks, or until the tattoo is no longer dry or scabbing.
You can and should shower with a new tattoo and it’s ok to get your tattoo wet, just don’t soak it. Submerging your tattoo in a bath, hot tub, swimming pool or the ocean should be avoided until the tattoo is healed as this will cause damage during the healing process.
We recommend avoiding any physical exercise that causes excess sweating as this will cause bacteria to enter the healing tattoo and will increase the chance of infection.
During the healing process, ensure your tattoo isn’t exposed to direct sunlight or sunbeds. Even when healed you will always want to protect it from ultraviolet rays. These can damage and fade a tattoo quickly. We recommend a minimum of 30 spf sunblock at all times.
Disclaimer - an infected tattoo can be serious and should always be handled by a doctor. They will prescribe antibiotics or an antibiotic cream along with the correct advice to cure an infection at home.