Aftercare
The most important, yet most overlooked aspect of tattooing.
A good aftercare routine can make the difference between an exceptional, robust tattoo that stands the test of time, and one that is average, bland and faded.
We’ll walk you through what to expect and the steps we recommend to make your tattoo shine for years and years.
An antibacterial, fragrance free soap like Simple or Carex
A roll of kitchen towels
An oil based balm, such as cocoa butter or coconut oil
What you’ll need
Get home
Day 1
Get home, put your feet up and have a relaxing evening. Tattooing can take it out of you, so be sure to take it easy.
Take the dressing off after 2-4 hours, wash it with warm, soapy water and pat dry it with kitchen towel. If you’re going out immediately after your tattoo, do this process when you get back.
Before bed, apply a light layer of your balm of choice to the area.
Washing Routine
Day 2
From here onwards, wash your tattoo twice a day with antibacterial soap and pat dry with kitchen towel. You may find excess ink and plasma on your towel.
Apply tattoo balm over the entire area as and when it’s feeling dry. The trick is little and often, you do not want to smother the tattoo as it will remain too moist.
Scabbing
Day 5
By the 5th day, the redness and swelling should fade and you’ll notice your tattoo starting to scab. Depending on the style of tattoo, this may happen earlier or may not even fully scab.
Do not pick or scratch your tattoo. Consider your tattoo as an injury. Picking scabs lead to scarring and excess ink dropping out. We know it may be tempting, but refrain!
If your tattoo is itching, apply slightly more balm. If this fails, try a cold compress.
Final stages
Day 14-21
Your tattoo has flaked, peeled and the final result is here!
Heavier areas may still appear slightly shiny or take a bit longer to settle in, but this generally is how your tattoo should look for years to come!
Now that your tattoo is done, are you hungry for more?
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Shower - Absolutely! Try to make it brief, but your daily shower can double up as a washing session!
Bath - yes, so long as you keep the tattoo out of the water. Do not submerge a healing tattoo as it will draw out the ink and make the scab soggy and prone to falling off.
Sea/pool - nope, not until you’ve healed fully! The sea and public swimming baths are home to nasty bacteria. So unless you wan’t to risk infection and a faded tattoo, I’d stick to the shallow end.
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Generally yes, you can go to the gym. Be aware not to move the tattoo in such a way that it splits the scab open. Our advice is always train another area of the body until you’re fully healed. If you have a bicep tattoo, you may want to do leg day.
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Try not to worry too much. The person who is most equipped to advise you is the person that did the tattoo. In the very rare case of infection, your artist will recommend consulting a doctor for antibiotics.