AFTERCARE

Tattoo aftercare varies depending on your skin type and the style of tattoo you’re having.

My style consists of saturated blacks, plenty of contrast and high detail, so cleanliness and finding the perfect amount of moisture during your heal will help you to get great healed results. Based on years of communication and feedback from my clients, here is what I’ve found works best.

Tattooing is a team effort between artist and client. During your appointment I’ll be doing all I can to make sure your tattoo is going smoothly into the skin, as efficiently as possible to minimise damage - this helps us get the best head start on a great heal. I’ll make sure you leave happy, clean and wrapped, then it’s in your hands!

ROUTINE

On the day of your tattoo you will leave the studio clean and wrapped in clingfilm. This stays on for an hour or two and then your aftercare routine starts:

TO CLEAN YOUR NEW TATTOO:

  • With clean hands and warm water, lather on a gentle, non-scented, non-alcohol soap such as a Dove bar or Sanex.

  • Wash the area thoroughly but gently and rinse with warm water.

  • Leave to air dry for 10 minutes. You can pat dry with a clean piece of kitchen roll to speed up the process before air drying, but avoid towels, other cloths or toilet paper as these leave bacteria and fibre residue on your freshly cleaned tattoo.

  • Once fully dry, apply a very thin layer of tattoo specific aftercare balm. I personally recommend Tattoo Goo or HustleButter. This should be just enough to create a shine on the tattoo, you should not be able to see a layer sitting on the skin.

This should be done 2-3 times a day, with the morning and evening washes being the most important.

On the first night, the tattoo should be re-wrapped in clingfilm before going to sleep, remove this first thing in the morning. You will notice excess ink and plasma have left the skin overnight, this is normal - clean your tattoo and then continue with the routine.

You’ll need to continue this for around 2 weeks and if all has gone well so far, then you’re safe to reduce to once a day until fully healed.

WHAT TO AVOID

  • Harsh soaps containing alcohol or perfumes

  • Avoid sunlight and tanning beds for at least the first 3 weeks, until you’re safely able to apply SPF protection on the skin. Please keep in mind that even after healing, sunlight and tanning beds will still fade a healed tattoo.

  • No submerging the fresh tattoo in water for 3 weeks. This means baths, swimming pools, jacuzzis, oceans, and similar. Showers are absolutely fine.

  • Non-tattoo specific creams and balms such as bepanthen, sudocrem, savlon, vaseline, coconut oil, cocoa butter and generic moisturisers to name a few

  • Pet hair / dander

  • Dirty, dusty or sandy environments

  • Do not pick at, scratch or peel your new tattoo

TOUCHUP POLICY

I care about how your tattoo heals and it’s my goal to give you lasting quality.

Sometimes, even if we’ve both done a perfect job with our tattooing / aftercare teamwork, a little ink fallout can happen.

During your appointment, I’ll be keeping a careful watch for any areas that have potential for this and will advise ahead of time, so you’ll leave the studio informed, prepared and knowing what to expect for your healing process.

For most placements, and as long as proper aftercare is followed, I offer a free touch-up within the first 3 months of healing, to replace any small areas that may not have gone as smoothly as we wanted.

I’m proud to say that my work rarely needs this touch-up, but I am committed to making sure my work looks great out in the wild and am pleased to offer it where necessary.