Tattoo Aftercare

A large part of how a fresh tattoo will look after it heals is in your hands! Here are our suggested instructions on how to properly care for your new tattoo and some additional pointers to make sure you have a successful, easy, and comfortable healing period. Any questions please call us!

Aftercare for Second Skin/Tegaderm:

WHAT IS SECOND SKIN?

Second Skin (or Tegaderm) is a transparent, latex free and waterproof barrier originally designed for burn victims to allow their skin to heal. Now it is used in a lot of tattoo shops as they provide an excellent aftercare experience.

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

The first day you will notice some ink and plasma seeping out of the tattoo making quite the mess under the bandage, DON'T PANIC! If this pools up under the bandage you can poke a hole at the bottom and drain it out. This is totally normal and will settle in a few days. Leave the bandage on for the amount of time your artist suggested. For small line based tattoos 2 days is plenty. For larger tattoos especially tattoos with colour we recommend 5-7 days. Second skin can get wet to shower and wash yourself like normal, however we don't recommend submerging the tattoo in water for the first week.

REMOVING THE BANDAGE

We recommend removing the bandage in the shower with hot water running. It hurts to peel off so take it slow! Do not rip it off. Once the bandage is off just keep the tattoo clean and moisturised with lotion.

IRRITATION FROM SECOND SKIN

If you notice any redness or irritation around the edges of the bandage, take toff, as you may be having an allergic reaction to the adhesive. In this case you should follow the aftercare below for healing your tattoo without Second Skin. We would recommend taking some anti-histamines for the reaction and it should settle within a few days. 

Aftercare for normal healing without Second Skin:

CLEANING

Leave bandage on for a minimum of 3 hours. After removing the bandage, clean tattoo gently with unscented soap and warm water. Rinse well and pat dry with paper towel. Do not re-bandage.

MAINTENANCE

Apply a VERY THIN layer of Bepanthen or our aftercare ointment 2-3 times a day for 3 days. On the 4th day switch to a small amount of unscented hand lotion. Use daily until tattoo is healed. It will take 2-4 weeks until fully healed.

HEALING

During the healing process your tattoo will peel and flake, this is normal. It will also become very itchy. DO NOT scratch it! Allow it to flake off naturally.

WARNING!

NO sun, Swimming, SCRATCHING or SOAKING for at least 2 weeks. Always use sunblock on healed tattoos!

 

As always if you have any questions or concerns about how your tattoo is healing don't hesitate to get in touch and we can help!