Tattoo Aftercare Guide | Tattoo Care Products & Care Tips – London

If I have tattooed you and suggested to heal your tattoo with the traditional method of cling film, please see below aftercare instructions.

Once you leave the tattoo studio, it is your responsibility to ensure that your new tattoo is cared for with the right tattoo care products . From this point on, although I am able to advise, it is not my responsibility for any infection or problems you may have with your tattoo, if you don't take proper care of your tattoo. 

It is very important that you follow these guidelines. 

A really beautiful tattoo can turn into a disaster if the proper aftercare is not taken.

Keep it covered

Your artist took the care to cover up your new tattoo for a very good reason - to keep airborne bacteria from invading your wound. Yes, as pretty as your new tattoo is, it is still a wound. Open flesh is a breeding ground for bacteria and infection. If I covered your tattoo with clingfilm, leave it on until you get home. Excitement of having a new tattoo will make you want to remove the clingfilm so you can show your friends, but your friends will just have to wait until later.

If you work in an environment that is dirty or dusty, its best to keep your new tattoo covered with long sleeves until it has completely healed.

Wash and Treat

After you remove the clingfilm, you will want to wash your tattoo. Use lukewarm water and non-perfumed body wash to gently wash away any ointment, blood and/or plasma and to completely clean the area. Do not use a washcloth or anything abrasive. Your hand is your best tool in this case. Your tattoo may feel slimy and slippery and may even have black strings, don't panic, this is completely normal. This is your body creating its own natural plaster, which is called plasma. Try to gently remove as much of this as possible. Then let it air dry for an hour. Do not dry it with a towel even if it is clean. It is incredibly important your tattoo is fully dry before putting your tattoo cream on. Putting cream on a wet tattoo will trap the moisture and will encourage infection.

Follow with a very light application of aftercare cream. My recommended aftercare cream is Underdog Tattoo Balm, which I sell at the studio for £5. Never, ever use Vaseline, Savion or any other type of cosmetic cream - these can damage your new tattoo.

I would recommend moisturising your tattoo with Underdog Balm 1-2 times a day. Your tattoo needs dry moments as well as moisturised moments. It is important to only apply a thin layer of balm. Placing too much on the tattoo will suffocate your tattoo and attract dust, leading to infection.

Once the cling film is off, you should not cover your tattoo again. Covering up your tattoo again with clingfilm can lead to an infection. Your skin needs to breathe, not to be suffocated and trapped in warmth by plastic.

Bathing, Showering, Hot Tubs, and swimming

Yes, you can (and should!) shower with a new tattoo. It's OK to get your tattoo wet - just don't soak it. Submerging your tattoo in a bath or hot tub can cause serious damage. Swimming - whether it be a pool, fresh water or salt water - should be avoided for 2 weeks. Showering is perfectly fine as long as you don't saturate your tattoo. If you get soap or shampoo on your tattoo, just remove it with water. 

Scabbing and Peeling 

After a few days, you may notice some peeling and possibly a little scabbing. You will also start to itch, just like sunburn when it begins to heal. The advice here is, don't pick, and don't scratch! 

If it is peeling, put your aftercare cream on it, if it's scabbing, leave it alone and dry heal.

Your tattoo is almost healed and now is not the time to ruin it! 

After your tattoo is healed (2-4weeks), from now on, you will always want to protect it from the sun's ultraviolet rays. These can fade, damage and age a tattoo very fast. Before spending a lot of time in excessive heat, protect your tattoo with a minimum 30SPF suncream. This will keep your tattoo vibrant for many years, and it will continue to be a source of great pride.

If I have tattooed you and suggested to heal your tattoo with second skin, please see below aftercare instructions.

After tattooing you I will have placed the second skin on your tattoo and depending on what I have advised, you will need to keep that on for 24-48 hours. If you find that the corners start to roll, get some nail scissors and just gives those edges a snip. Don't leave them to roll as eventually it'll expose your tattoo.

What you may find is that the ink and plasma from your tattoo will start to pool under the second skin. There is no need to panic, this is completely normal and your body will absorb this back up. DO NOT pierce a hole to release the liquid, this opens you up to infection.

If at any point your second skin comes off or starts to peel so far it exposes your tattoo, remove your second skin using the washing instructions below.

WARNING: If you find the edges of your skin round the bandage go red, get incredibly sore, or even blister, this may mean that you are allergic to the adhesive in the second-skin and you must remove it immediately. This only relates to the edges of the second skin. Any redness round your tattoo is just red because you've just had a tattoo!

Wash and Treat

You can shower just like normal with second-skin. The great thing about this technique is that it literally acts as second skin, so this layer will protect your tattoo from everything.

After 24-48 hours you will want to get in the shower with lukewarm water and slowly peel your second-skin off. Do not peel it off quickly as this will result in damaging your tattoo. Peeling the second skin off may be uncomfortable but this is normal.

Use lukewarm water and non-perfumed body wash to gently wash away any adhesive, blood and/or plasma and to completely clean the area. Do not use a washcloth or anything abrasive. Your hand is your best tool in this case. Your tattoo may feel slimy and slippery and may even have black strings, don't panic, this is completely normal. This is your body creating its own natural plaster, which is called plasma. Try to gently remove as much of this as possible. Then let it air dry for an hour. Do not dry it with a towel even if it is clean. It is incredibly important your tattoo is fully dry before putting tattoo cream on. Putting cream on a wet tattoo will trap the moisture and will encourage infection.

Follow with a very light application of cocoa butter. My recommended aftercare cream is Underdog Tattoo Balm, which I sell at the studio for £5. Never, ever use Vaseline, Savlon or any other type of cosmetic cream - these can damage your new tattoo.

I would recommend moisturising your tattoo with Underdog Balm 1-2 times a day after taking off your bandage. Your tattoo needs dry moments as well as moisturised moments. It is important to only apply a thin layer of balm. placing too much on the tattoo will suffocate your tattoo and attract dust, leading to infection.

Bathing, Showering, Hot Tubs, and swimming

Yes, you can (and should!) shower with a new tattoo. It's OK to get your tattoo wet - just don't soak it. Submerging your tattoo in a bath or hot tub can cause serious damage. Swimming - whether it be a pool, fresh water or salt water - should be avoided for 2 weeks. Showering is perfectly fine as long as you don't saturate your tattoo. If you get soap or shampoo on your tattoo, just remove it with water. 

Scabbing and Peeling 

After a few days, you may notice some peeling and possibly a little scabbing. You will also start to itch, just like sunburn when it begins to heal. The advice here is, don't pick, and don't scratch! 

If it is peeling, but ointment on it, if it's scabbing, leave it along and dry heal.

Your tattoo is almost healed and now is not the time to ruin it! 

After your tattoo is healed (2-4 weeks), from now on, you will always want to protect it from the sun's ultraviolet rays. These can fade and damage and age a tattoo very fast. Before spending a lot of time in excessive heat, protect your tattoo with a minimum 30SPF suncream. This will keep your tattoo vibrant for many years, and it will continue to be a source of great pride.