I thought I would write down what I have been suggesting as aftercare over the last few years. Tattoos by their nature are unique to the person, and the way the body react to them is somewhat variable.
This here is an attempt at giving away general guidelines
At the end of the day you know your body better. Treat it with care.
After getting tattooed, you will want to rest and be kind to yourself.
The physical impact of skin marking is what we mostly discuss here, but do not ignore the psychological aspect of a powerful transformation that you chose for yourself.
So here is how to deal with the body post skin ritual:
Always make sure you have washed your hands before caring for your tattoo while it is healing
In general, avoid sun bathing, swimming, sauna, baths for the next two weeks or so
Do shower
Do not pick up scabs, or scratch your tattoo. If itchy , gently tap its with clean hand only
Keep away from pets, or anyone that would want to scratch or lick your healing tattoo
And most importantly take care of your body. Eat healthy, stay hydrated, avoid abusing your body while it is recovering from getting tattooed, so all resources can focus on healing the skin that got etched.
When your tattoo is done, it will be covered with either cling film or second skin. In both cases you want to keep the tattoo wrapped up for at least 24 hours
Cling film :
Keep the tattoo covered for at least 3 hours, at the latest before going to sleep
After that, you are advised to take off the cling film, shower and rinse well the tattoo to get rid of the excess plasma and ink mix that will have naturally built up
This should be done with warm water and clean hands.
If using some soap, use only unscented gentle soap, and avoid putting g it directly onto the tattoo when possible
Make sure to rinse well
Once done , dry the tattoo by patting it gently with a clean cotton towel or paper towel
You can then rewrap your tattoo with some fresh cling film, without putting any ointment yet
The morning after, when getting up, repeat the operation, taking off the cling film, washing, drying and rewrapping for the day
The evening after getting tattooed, you can take off the cling film completely, wash it , dry it and this time, no need to rewrap it
You can then start to put ointment on the tattoo
I will have discussed in person what specific cream is good
You can keep moisturising once to three times a day, depending on your skin and how the tattoo feels
You don’t want it to dry out completely but don’t want it to be overly moist either
Do this for the next few weeks
Second skin:
I recommend to keep the second skin on for at least 24 hours, no more than 3 days after getting tattooed
During that time, it is important to monitor it, and make sure that no leakage happen
Second skin is meant to be waterproof, meaning you can get on with your life, shower, move around but we all have different skins, and it can stick more or less well deepening on the person
If the tattoo is exposed or you notice any fluid coming out, then you want to rewrap it
To take off the second skin, you want to do this under a warm shower, with clean hands, gently but firmly pulling onto the wrapping
Rinse well the excess of plasma and ink with water only (if using some soap, only use unscented gentle one)
After washing, dry well by patting with a clean cotton towel or paper towel
If this is before 24 hours after getting tattooed, rewrap the tattoo with either a fresh bit of second skin or with cling film, without using any ointment
If this is after 24 hours, you can keep the tattoo unwrapped and start moisturising your tattoo
I should have discussed with you what ointment to use
Keep moisturising one to three times a day, depending on how dry your tattoo gets for the next few weeks.
