• Remove any dressing approximately 1-2 hours after getting tattooed and wash gently in warm water with a gentle soap if you want (ideally one you have used before and you know does not cause your skin any irritation). 
  • Pat dry with a clean disposable towel or allow to air dry.
  • Approximately 24/48hrs after being tattooed begin with the aftercare (I will advise better at the appointment to suit each individual). 
  • Ensure your hands are thoroughly clean and dry. I recommend using a clean “instrument” or a disposable tool (such as a wooden depressor) to take out some aftercare each time so no bacteria gets into the remainder aftercare. Use just enough to cover the tattoo so there is a very thin layer. Please not smother the tattoo in aftercare as your skin still needs to breathe. 24/48 hours after being tattooed if your skin feels a little tender or sore this is ok. 
  • Use the aftercare cream 2-3 times a day until the tattoo is fully healed. In some cases this could be as long as two weeks or sometimes as little as a few days. It is fully healed once all the healed scabs have come away and your skin feels “normal” again. 
  • Please DO NOT use Bepanthen cream on your tattoo as it can drastically impair the detail and in some cases can cause a burning sensation and a rash – use ONLY recommended tattoo aftercare products.
  • Do not pick at your healing tattoo and do not allow anyone else to touch it (including pets) – it is an open wound! If they do – wash it! 
  • Do not re-cover (unless I have advised you otherwise).
  • Do not allow it to soak in water (I.e. baths, swimming, hot tubs etc) or to completely dry out (unless I have advised otherwise). 
  • Always try to reapply aftercare after washing and drying otherwise it could get too dry. Please avoid applying too much aftercare- 2-3 times a day is plenty! 
  • Avoid the direct sun whilst it is healing (including sun-beds). Avoid using any other lotions or potions on the tattoo until you are sure it is fully healed – perfumes and deodorants included.
  • Avoid exercise whilst your tattoo is healing – please give your healing or fresh tattoo the best start. Sweat and/or too much movement will affect the healing ink and skin and can potentially cause irreversible damage. It’s only for a couple of weeks! You can still be active but light duties only! 
  • Protect your tattoo forever! Always use a good high factor sun screen for longevity. UV light is one of the worst things to age/breakdown tattoos- especially with lots of detail. Only use sun screen on fully healed tattoos. 
  • It is perfectly ok to keep using aftercare once your tattoo has healed if you want to, it certainly won’t cause any harm, but it is not “necessary”. Once a tattoo is freshly healed (I.e. once all scabs have come away) you can go back to using all skin care products etc as before as it has now healed.

If you have ANY concerns during the healing process please do not hesitate to contact me!

IF you are concerned about anything to do with your tattoo or healing (if you suspect something might be wrong) please contact me immediately, only wash in plain water (if possible cooled boiled water) and stop using any aftercare. I will reply to you ASAP and advise further. 

Touch Ups

Sometimes touch ups on tattoos are required. These are much smaller appointments that are to just tidy up any little bits that maybe didn’t heal well etc. It’s a perfectly normal part of the tattoo process, although not always required. After a touch up appointment I would recommend sticking with the same aftercare advice.

If you suspect your tattoo might need a touch up it is best to wait about 4-6 weeks after your initial appointment. As long as aftercare has been followed correctly there is no charge for a touch up appointment. Touch up appointments are valid at no charge up to 6/8 months after the initial appointment. 

You can contact me using the same contact form (you only need fill out relevant areas) and I’ll send you a link to book an appointment at a convenient date and time. If you aren’t sure if the tattoo needs a touch up or not I’m always happy to check it once it’s healed, again complete the touch up form and I can arrange a small appointment to check over the healed tattoo. 

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