Aftercare

AFTERCARE ADVICE

Please leave the dressing we applied after your tattoo until you have a shower. We have cleaned and sterilised the area repeatedly during the process and again after the tattoo has been completed, and the dressing will prevent any dirt or germs entering the tattoo site.
The moment you unwrap your tattoo it is open to all outside contaminants so please be very careful when removing the dressing.
You may shower to clean the tattoo on the evening of your appointment, please leave it at least 3 hours before removing the dressing.
CLEAN your tattoo as soon as you unwrap it, do not leave it covered in plasma and excess ink.
DO NOT soak it in a bath.
(If a lot of fluid forms under the dressing or it is a very hot day and you are sweaty, it is better to clean it sooner rather than later.)

Clean your tattoo with unperfumed soap and just your hand, make sure you get rid of the layer of gunk (plasma and excess ink) that has formed on the top. It will sting but it is really important to remove it all or it will cause a heavy scab.
When the tattoo is clean you may pat it dry with kitchen roll (not a towel or anything that will leave bits of tissue stuck to it). OR allow to air dry with no clothing over it for 10 minutes. Do not allow it to come into contact with animals, pet hair, clothing or furniture that could transfer germs onto the site.
Once the area is dry, re apply fresh cling film to keep the tattoo clean, wrap it firmly but not so tight that it cannot breathe. You do not need to put any cream on the tattoo whilst it is wrapped, doing both could cause the tattoo not to be able to breathe and lead to
REPEAT this process two times a day for 48 hours (2 days).
ON THE MORNING OF DAY THREE YOU NEED TO CLEAN THE TATTOO AGAIN BUT DO NOT NEED TO REAPPLY CLING FILM.

After you clean your tattoo on day 3 the fluids being released should have stopped and you can dry the tattoo and simply apply a barrier cream.
We highly recommend the aftercare products which can be purchased in the studio.
We also recommend NIVEA and BEPANTHOL, available to buy at any pharmacy.
You should continue to clean the tattoo twice a day and apply cream once it has dried after each clean. If it is dry or itchy apply a thin layer of cream up to 4 times a day in total with clean hands.
You do also need to wear loose fitting clothing over your tattoo for two weeks or until it is healed. This means no tights or leggings, bras that rub on the area, heavy work boots or wellies that may rub and cause irritation etc.

When you leave the shop your tattoo is cleaned, sterile and has not been exposed to any kind of bacteria or dirt, this means anything you do to the tattoo after you leave is your responsibility. Infections caused by poor aftercare or badly healed tattoos are not our responsibility and we cannot offer touch up’s for free in this circumstance. SO PLEASE LOOK AFTER YOUR NEW TATTOO!!!
You must not swim or expose your tattoo to sunlight until it is fully healed.
We recommend factor 50+ on healed tattoos as sun exposure can break down the pigment of tattoos and fade them significantly.
We do not recommend any other type of aftercare, we cannot guarantee good healing if you do not follow our advice.
DO NOT allow your animals to come into direct contact with a fresh tattoo. Animal hair and dander carries a huge amount of bacteria.