Tattoo Aftercare

Tattoo aftercare is esp important to prepare your tattoo for the best longevity and to minimise the risk of infection/adverse reactions. 

Always consider a fresh tattoo to be an open wound. Always treat it with care and consideration. This may mean altering your lifestyle for the first two weeks after your new ink.

(Aftercare instructions are provided in the studio, at the time of your appointment)

If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to me anytime.

• Fresh and raw - Just finished in the studio. The tattoo may be super sensitive to touch, red, swollen, and may even be bleeding/weeping.
• Sealed - The body has produced a natural seal over the wound to commence its internal healing process. Once sealed the tattoo shouldn’t feel raw to touch.
• Scab - The vast majority of tattoos get a scab of some type. This is a normal body process. Excessive scabbing or large scabs may indicate an issue. Moisturiser should be appropriately applied. 
• Flaking - When the scab is ready to go it will start flaking off like sunburn. The tattoo is not externally healed until all this flaking is gone. 
• Fully Healed - The internal healing process continues once the outer layer of skin has finished flaking. Depending on the piece, this internal healing stage may continue on for many more weeks. 

(Applicable for the first 2 weeks of post tattoo session)

Wash

The purpose of washing is to clean of any excess ink, plasma, blood or debris.

• After a couple of hours, post tattoo, you may remove any cling wrap/covering, and gentle wash your tattoo with warm soapy water. Use a flat palm to wash. Do not use anything abrasive. 
• You may use antibacterial soap, but otherwise avoid any exfoliants or anything that is overly fragranced. Stick with soaps you don’t react to.

Natural Sealing

The purpose of this stage is to allow the body to create its own natural seal

• After washing leave your tattoo until it is no longer ‘raw’ to touch. By ‘raw’ I mean it feels exceptionally touch sensitive - similar to a weeping wound. 
• When your tattoo no longer feels raw to touch, generally after 24-36hrs you may being moisturising.

Moisturising

The purpose of this stage is to allow the scab to move with you and provide additional nutrients and hydration to your healing wound. 

• Apply a thin layer of moisturiser morning and afternoon to your sealed tattoo. The aim is to not have it dry out fully and not have it continuously wet, but to move with you.
• Use a good moisturiser that is not heavily fragranced that your skin does not have any allergic reactions to as a fresh tattoo will make it more sensitive to such things.
• Avoid moisturisers with active ingredient. Often paw paw ointment can cause reactions for this reason.
• Avoid using Vaseline or petroleum based products as they can be smothering.
• Use Bepanthen sparingly, if you wish to use it.

• Do not pick, scratch, interfere with or remove the scab. This will pull out tattoo ink, even if it isn’t noticeable immediately.
• Unless dirt or debris has stuck to the tattoo, after the first day, your tattoo will not need to be specifically washed. Soapy water running over it in a shower will be adequate to keep it clean. Over washing your tattoo will dry it out and heavily impact your bodies ability to heal.
• Avoid any exfoliating, harsh, or abrasive chemicals, environments, or products, as these will also remove ink, interfere with your body’s ability to heal, and can also increase the risk of infection.
• Avoid submerging your tattoo in bodies of water for periods of time in water - swimming, spas, baths, sinks, etc. Bodies of water/liquids harbour bacteria which can increase your risk of infection. Additionally, soggy scabbing can breed bacteria and heavily impact your body’s ability to heal. (This is why it is important not to over moisturise).
• Avoid the beach. Between the sand, the salt, the sun, and all the cool bacteria cruising about, your new tattoo (and you) will not have a good time. 
• Do not smother your tattoo - whether that’s wearing tight clothing over it, slapping on shoes an socks over it, wearing gloves over it, putting a hat on it, lathering it in ointment, or wrapping it in gauze or some other covering, smothering a tattoo is an invitation for an infection, and if you don’t get an infection you will most definitely pull out ink. 

STAY HYDRATED!
I cannot stress enough the importance of drinking water and your tattoo healing process. Your skin is an organ. Your cells need water. Drink water, peeps.

• After a week, if your tattoo is still swollen and red, and is itchy and/or burning, it may be infected or you may be having an allergic reaction.
• After a few days if your tattoo is raised, bordered in red, weeping, expelling puss, and/or smells bad, it may be infected.
• Your tattoo feels tight but is not noticeably infected, you may need to moisturise it more.

• Once second skin has been applied you will be able to forgo the initial healing stages of your tattoo. 
• Certain second skin companies have specific durations for applications. I prefer Zoo Tattoo‘s second skin which can stay on for a maximum of 3-4 days.