Aftercare Guide
First two to three days: Dry Healing
Morning and evening (until all pads provided are used)
- Remove the pad that is on the tattoo carefully
- WASH in the shower with your hand (no loofas) and an antibacterial soap (Sanex 0%, Dove, and Simple are good brands with soaps that contain NO fragrances or additives) – REPEAT wash
- Make sure to clean off areas of shiny plasma (your body will be pushing out excess ink and plasma which will then be grayish in colour, this is normal, your tattoo is not falling out)
- Once clean, PAT DRY the tattoo with kitchen roll or let air dry, do NOT use a towel, toilet roll or anything abrasive as you can damage your skin
After all the pads are used: Moisturise
For an additional week you will need to clean and moisturise your tattoo every 3 – 4 hours, making sure you don’t wear tight clothes or let any animals near your uncovered tattoo. Clean clothing and bedding is essential as your tattoo will no longer be covered. Repeat the cleaning and drying process above, however now we can begin moisturising the tattoo.
- Once pat dried, apply a THIN layer of moisturiser (Bepanthen, Butterluxe tattoo cream, or Palmer’s Cocoa Butter is best)
- Always use clean hands when applying moisturiser
- Always clean off old creams before applying new, as dust/irritants may have settled on the cream over the day
Running water and soap is always best. ‘Water Wipes’ may be used if clean water is inaccessible but the tattoo should always be recleaned at the earliest opportunity as residue is left behind without clean running water.
After a week of recommended moisturiser you may return to your normal body moisturiser, keeping your skin hydrated helps keep tattoos looking fresher for years to come.
Too much moisturiser initially may block pores and cause your skin to develop sweat spots- essentially blocking your skin from breathing as they are clogged with cream and natural oils, this is rare but if you do find you’re developing heat rash looking spots this is most likely caused by a combination of overheating and over moisturizing.
Four Stages of Healing
1. Pushing out plasma and excess ink
2. Flaking skin (similar to a sunburn peeling) DO NOT pick at your skin, let the flakes come off naturally during the cleaning process, this can be an itchy period of time, DO NOT scratch the tattoo, pat it and re-clean the tattoo if necessary
3. Shiny skin (this is the new layer of skin developing over your tattoo, this skin is still delicate so be careful not to scratch or damage it at this stage)
4. The tattoo will become matt in tone and no longer shiny, this is when your tattoo is healed/nearly healed
The timeline for healing varies for everyone but by dry healing and keeping it covered for the first 2 or 3 days, we are speeding up the process to the flaking stage and deterring any bacteria you may come into contact with by keeping it dry and covered
If you have any questions or worries, do let me know using one of the methods below!