Aftercare

CLINGFILM:

Your tattoo will be wrapped up after we are finished. 

• You can leave this on for around 2 hours (can be longer if travelling, but try not to leave it too long)
• Once you remove it It’ll be a bit gunky and gross by this point. Follow the below washing instructions.
• At the appointment I will advise whether to cream your tattoo later the same day or wait til the next morning.

SECOND SKIN:

• The second skin can be left on for 2-3 days, as long as the tattoo stays sealed. If it starts to lift to the point the tattoo is exposed, remove the second skin. 
• When it comes time to remove the second skin, it’s easier to do so in the shower or with running water.
• When it comes time to remove the second skin, its easier to do so in the shower or with running water.
• When removing, take corner and pull away from the tattoo and stretch it so it lifts gently off the tattoo.

All the below info applies to cling film and second skin users:

 Once the covering has been removed, give the tattoo a wash gently with your clean hand and some warm water and a non-perfumed soap (I recommend Sanex 0%). Avoid all bar soaps as these are more likely to have bacteria on them.

-Let it air dry or pat it dry with kitchen roll (towels tend to harbour bacteria and can leave fibres behind)

-Creams I recommend using are either Aquaphor, Cetaphil or Cocoa Butter.

-I would recommend creaming around twice a day after washing the tattoo, just enough to spread over the area, not enough that you can see the white of the cream.

-Do not apply ice to your tattoo at any time. You could be holding bacteria on to the open wound.

-Do not submerge the tattoo in water (bathes, swimming pools, jacuzzi) for atleast two weeks after the tattoo. 

-Showers are fine, just wash gently with your hand and pat dry.

-Avoid heavy exercise for at least 3 days after the tattoo. I can give more specific advice on this at the session.

-The top layer of the tattoo is going to flake off or scab up no matter how much you’re creaming it. You just need to let it go through the process.

-You will not need to re-wrap your tattoo at any point.

-Don’t pick any of the scabs/flakes off. This can pull a bit of ink out.

It may be itchy around this time, don’t scratch it. Putting a bit of cream in can help soothe it 

-Once all the flakes/scabs have gone it still maybe be slightly raised or more sensitive and probably still a bit drier than the rest of your skin. 

-At this point you can have bathes and treat it as your skin as you normally would, continue to apply cream around once a day.

-Keep the new tattoo out of direct sun, sun cream can only be applied once healed.

-The tattoo will still be settling into the skin for a few months, but the top layer should be healed within two weeks.

ONGOING CARE ☀️

To keep your tattoo looking as crisp as possible long term, taking care in the sun is essential.

The sun works in the same manner laser removal does (in a less concentrated way). More sun= faster breakdown of pigment, fading and spreading.

UV rays, specifically UVA reach and damage that same deep layer of skin where the tattoo pigment sits

White ink can be particularly affected by the sun, it’s important to be diligent if you have large areas of white in your tattoo.

Regularly wearing suncream when outside keeps your tattoo crisp and skin healthy. 

You’ll want to keep your new tattoo out of the sun and covered for at least 2 weeks, or longer if you’re still tender, scabby or flaky. Then you can start applying suncream, at least Spf 30.

Drop me an email if you have any questions