The first few hours
You leave with the tattoo covered. Keep the covering on for as long as we tell you on the day — that depends on which dressing we used, so follow what we said in the studio over anything written here.
Some clear or slightly coloured fluid under the film is normal. It is plasma and ink, not a problem.
Washing
Once the covering is off, wash the tattoo. This is the single most important thing you will do all week.
- Wash your hands first, properly.
- Use lukewarm water and a plain, unscented soap.
- Clean with your fingertips only. No cloth, no sponge, no scrubbing.
- Rinse until nothing feels slippery.
- Pat dry with a clean paper towel. Do not rub, and do not use the bath towel.
- Let it air for ten to fifteen minutes before anything touches it.
Repeat two or three times a day for the first week, and always after you sweat.
Moisturising
A thin layer of unscented aftercare cream or ointment, two or three times a day, once the tattoo is clean and dry. Thin enough that the skin looks matte, not shiny.
Too much cream is the most common mistake we see. A suffocated tattoo scabs badly, and a bad scab takes ink with it when it comes off.
The first week
Wear loose clothing over the area. Change your bedding before the first night and sleep so you are not lying on it if you can manage that.
Showers are fine from the first wash. Keep them short and keep the water off the tattoo directly — hot water full-force on a fresh tattoo hurts and softens the healing skin.
Peeling and itching
Around day three to five the tattoo starts to flake, like light sunburn. Coloured flakes come off. It looks alarming and it is completely normal.
Do not pick, scratch or peel anything. If it itches, tap it with a clean palm or add a very thin layer of cream. Skin that comes off early takes ink with it, and that is what leaves a patchy tattoo.
Around week two the tattoo may look dull or slightly cloudy under a layer of new skin. That clears on its own.
How long it takes
Healing speed varies with placement, size and how you look after it. Hands, feet and elbows take longer than an arm.
What to avoid, and for how long
After it is healed, sunscreen is the one thing that keeps a tattoo looking like it did on day one. Sun is what fades line work, not time.
When to contact us
Some redness and warmth in the first days is normal. Message us, or see a doctor, if you get any of the following:
If a small patch heals light or drops out, that happens sometimes and it is fixable. Send us a photo once it is fully healed and we will sort it.