Tattoo Aftercare

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Bringing home a new tattoo is an exciting thing! You’ve sat through some discomfort and as a reward you have a lovely new piece of skin art to adorn your body. Now it’s down to you to take care of it. 

Your new tattoo will be wrapped in a dressing to protect it during the first couple of hours whilst it’s fresh and vulnerable. Leave on this dressing for two to six hours. Then wash your hands, remove the dressing and discard it respectfully. Your tattoo will look gooey and grubby. This is normal - you will have leaked a limited amount of plasma, blood and residual ink from the surface. This is your body beginning the healing process.

Run some warm water and with a gentle soap wash the tattoo clean. Use a clean towel or better still some kitchen towel to gently pat the tattoo dry. Next allow it to air dry for ten minutes or so, until completely dried.

At this point apply a paper thin layer of healing cream to the area. Never use a large amount of cream, it will clog up the skin, not allowing it to breathe. Use the old adage ‘less is more” and your skin will be in better shape. There are dedicated tattoo healing creams available in most high street stores as well as skin healing moisturisers too.

Repeat this wash and cream process two to three times daily. You will take 5 to 15 days to heal, occasionally longer depending upon coverage, skin type, metabolism, skin age etc.

During healing do not pick or scratch the new tattoo. This could pull away any minor scabbing which may form (tattooing is a controlled graze) and leave holes in your colour. 

Remember, aftercare is your responsibility, though what ever tattoo shops tell you, you can always count on us here in Warnham to give you the best advice we can.