Now that you’ve gotten your new tattoo you need to know how to look after it properly.
Most of the time I will apply 'second skin' to your new tattoo before you leave however there are other ways to heal your new piece.
I recommend 2 different ways of aftercare healing being Wet Healing and Cream Healing.
WET HEALING: Second Skin
This is my favourite way to heal tattoos. It takes away any of the risks and fuss about keeping your tattoo clean and protected.
Second skin is a self-adhering dressing designed to provide a moist healing environment during the important initial stage of a tattoo wound.
Second skin provides the new tattoo with protection from friction, as well as providing a water resistant, anti-bacterial barrier that prevents pathogens and external contaminants from entering the wound.
The film is breathable enabling oxygen in and allowing excess moisture to be released from the wound.
It’s light to wear, flexible and stretches with your tattoo as swelling goes up and down.
- Leave the dressing on for up to 1 week and a minimum of 3-4 days. Only take it off if you developed a reaction to the dressing, (redness and tenderness around the outside if the dressing) and only replace it if you spring an extreme leak. To replace it, you can purchase a product called Opsite Flexifix from the chemist in a 1m by 10cm roll, better to get that than the strips, more bang for your buck!
- The dressing will fill up with a black liquid which consists of excess plasma and ink, this is normal and is what heals your tattoo. It will not stain your tattoo or affect any of the colours, you want it to stay in there! If you do that, this will cause an opening in the barrier allowing bacteria in which could cause an infection to fester under the dressing
- Only gently squeeze out the liquid if the dressing is leaking excessively.
- After a week is up, take the dressing off in the shower and wash thoroughly with hot soapy water. To take off the dressing pull slowly whilst cleaning, this will break down the glue.
- Pat dry with a clean towel and keep the tattoo hydrated with an everyday moisturiser or body oil. I highly recommend Palmers cocoa butter. You will have to do this for a few days
- Some people experience spots/pimples or sweat rashes shortly after removing the second skin, this is totally normal.
CREAM METHOD:
Recommened creams - Bepantham, Palmers Cocoa Butter
- Leave the cling wrap on for at least 2 hours and no longer than 6. Jump into the shower and give your new tattoo a thorough wash just using your hands with as hot as you can handle soap and water. Use a liquid, non scented antibacterial soap and wash off any of the cream and excess ink that would be on and surrounding your tattoo.
- Pat dry your tattoo with paper towel and allow to air dry for 2 hours.
- Wash and pat dry the tattoo with paper towel before going to bed. With clean hands, apply a small amount of cream on the tattoo and wrap in cling wrap over night (if you have pets that are big snugglers do this for the first 3 nights)
- Wash thoroughly and pat dry your tattoo once in the morning and once and apply a small amount of cream with clean hands a couple times a day or whenever needed, again don’t go crazy, you only need a lite sheen over the top of the tattoo. Continue doing this for 2 weeks or until the tattoo is no longer dry.
This can take from anywhere between 10 days - 3 weeks it all depends on the person and the placement.
DO NOT GO SWIMMING, TAKE A BATH, SUNBATHE OR FAKE TAN WITHIN 2 WEEKS OF GETTING YOUR TATTOO.
DO NOT PICK OR SCRATCH AT YOUR TATTOO AS THIS COULD CAUSE DROP OUTS.
AVOID GOING TO THE GYM WITHIN THE FIRST 5 DAYS IF OF GETTING YOUR TATTOO/AVOID WORKING OUT THAG AREA.
If you need any touch ups, they’re free! As long as you let me know within 3 months of getting the tattoo.
If you need to organise a touch up please contact me via email
[email protected]
If you have any questions regarding healing or anything else reguarding your tattoo, please feel free to message me with whatever may be on your mind
Please don't look anything up or google or ask your friends. They are never usually right