Aftercare
The age-old techniques in aftercare vary widely from studio to studio. Here are our suggestions for how we feel it is best to care for your tattoo. The advice is the culmination of over 20 combined years of experience, so we feel is in your bet interests to follow. Day 1 -3 Your Tattoo is fresh and still effectively an open wound. This is the time where you need to be super strict with your care. Your new tattoo is effectively an open wound, so should be treated as such. An injury, when treated in hospital, would involve regular cleaning and changing of dressing, so we advise similar care for you tattoo.
Your artist will clean and wrap your tattoo immediately after your session, this is what we suggest you do afterwards.
When you get home after the tattoo, remove the wrapping and wash your tattoo in the hottest water you can handle. Scrub the tattoo as best you can apply a small amount of sensitive moisturiser (we recommend cocoa butter) then re-wrap the tattoo. (Please buy and use a new tube or tub of moisturiser for hygiene purposes).
Before bed, wash again and re-wrap with cling film. (this will protect your tattoo and your bed sheets, as tattoos tend to weep blood and ink).
Unwrap and clean your tattoo regularly using sensitive baby wipes or water wipes. (You can wash at a sink with soap and water but we find baby wipes easiest) then apply a small amount of moisturiser and re-wrap. Do this for the first 3 days to protect the tattoo at it's most vulnerable.
Days 4-10
Your Tattoo should be on it's way to healing by now and, at this point, may have formed some light to heavy scabbing. We recommend the following:
You can begin to unwrap the tattoo at this point. We recommend that if you are in a position that you have to wear any clothing that would rub against the tattoo you keep it wrapped. Friction from clothing can cause irritation and extra soreness in a tattoo. If your job requires heavy clothing or is dirty, try to protect it as you would an injury... wrap to prevent irritation and potential exposure to dirt. You MUST keep your tattoo clean.
Continue to clean regularly and apply small amounts of moisturiser.
DO NOT pick any flaking or scabbing. Picking scabs will remove colour and leave obvious scarring, potentially ruining your tattoo. Te scars are obvious, so trust us... we'll know you've picked it... be waaaarned. :)
Please be careful not to soak your tattoo in water. Shower and bath as normal, but try to not allow your tattoo to soak in the water. This risk softening the scabbing (if there is scabbing) risking scabs falling off and taking colour with them.
IMPORTANT
If at any point you have an issue or are uncertain with the healing of your tattoo, contact us on our FB or contact page and we'll get back to you with any further necessary advice. That's basically it, folks. It's all common sense, just treat your tattoo as if it were an injury... keep it clean, protected and safe.
