Aftercare

The aftercare of your new tattoo is VERY important so I've made a guide for you to follow below to ensure that your tattoo will heal perfectly!

Tattoo Pads

After our session I may apply a tattoo pad - these are designed to be highly absorbent whilst remaining sterile which is perfect to absorb excess fluids from your fresh tattoo.

Leave the pad on for 24 hours after your tattoo, then remove it in a warm shower. Wash your tattoo with antibacterial handsoap and clean hands then let it air dry. Do not cream it until you see that it is starting to dry out and form scabs, in the meantime keep in clean , let air get to it and keep it away from clothing/pets etc. Once its beginning to dry out please use small amounts of cocoa butter to moisturise it; if sore or not drying out you can also try a couple of applications of Savlon and contact me (See Healing with Cream section for further details).

Second Skin

The evening of your appointment:

You can expect to see some brown coloured fluid under the second skin - don't worry this is normal and is just a mix of blood, plasma and excess ink which your body secretes in order to start healing your tattoo and should slow down over the next 48 hours. Keep the second skin on that I applied during the appointment until the following morning, only remove if it is considerably leaking or if you have any redness. itching or irritation (please message me on Instagram or GetInk if this is the case and i will advise you further)

The morning after your appointment:

Your second skin will have collected plasma over night which means this is no longer sterile so you should change it as soon as possible. Take it off in the shower under warm, running water with clean hands. To do this slowly begin peeling a corner of the second skin and knead it away from your skin, (try not to take it all off in one go as it can effect the healing of your tattoo, particularly colour tattoos). Using warm water and soap will help the adhesive loosen away from your skin if it gets stuck whilst you're taking it off. Once it's been taken off, wash your tattoo with antibacterial handsoap and pat it dry with kitchen roll. (I will include product recommendations below)

Applying the second skin:

On the white side of your second skin sheet there will be a small tab, peel this off
Turn over the second skin and line up the blue line with the centre of your tattooed (ensure that there is extra space at the bottom of the sheet to help stop any leakages and also that the sheet is actually bigger than your tattoo as it sticks to the dry skin around it rather than the tattoo).
press down the tab to your skin once its aligned. Whilst holding your finger of the tab, flip the sheet over like a door and slowly peel away the white sheet whilst smoothing down the second skin with your tab holding hand.
smooth down any creases and firmly press it to your skin
you can now peel away the top layer from the blue line
Firmly press down the second skin and leave this on for 4 days, taking it off on the evening of the 4th day. For example, if you were tattooed on a Saturday, you will need to take your replacement second skin off on a Wednesday evening.

If your have any questions or issues please do not hesistate to contact me on Instagram or GetInk, I will get back to you ASAP!

Taking off Second Skin:

Once again remove the second skin under warm running water with cleaned hands. This time it will be a little tougher to take off and you will also find an imprint of your tattoo on the second skin - don't worry, this is just the scabs that have dried to it! Slowly knead it away from your skin and wash it thoroughly with antibacterial handsoap once the second skin has been taken off.

After you've taken off the second skin:

Your tattoo will be quite dry as it's now shedding a light layer of dead skin, this is totally normal but please do NOT pick at the skin just let it flake away naturally. Keep it moisturised using small amounts of cocoa butter 2-3 times per day. This stage can last a week or two so whilst this is happening ensure to keep it moisturised whilst your new tattoo is going through this process.

Healing with Cream

At the end of your appointment I will apply a small amount of cocoa butter and wrap your new tattoo in cling film to protect it during your journey home. Once home remove the cling film and wash your tattoo in warm water (in a shower if possible to make things easier for you) using antibacterial handsoap. Wash it until all of the blood and plasma is gone and your skin is no longer slimy. Once out of the shower you can then pat dry your tattoo using kitchen roll. For the first evening I recommend letting the air get to your tattoo without using any creams - keeping away any infectious risks such as pets, clothing, bedding etc. This will help your tattoo to dry out faster rather than adding 'wet on top of wet' whilst its still in the oozing stage. Before bed wash your tattoo again (with soap), dry it then use a fresh wrap of cling film to protect it whilst you sleep.

The morning after your appointment:

Your tattoo will have secreted plasma and excess ink overnight so hop back in the shower, remove the cling film and wash your tattoo with soap and clean hands. Pat it dry with kitchen roll and if possible keep your tattoo out so the air can get to it once again for the morning. Once your tattoo is starting to look a little more dry, wash and dry it again then go ahead and apply a thin layer of cocoa butter. If your tattoo is especially sore you can also use Savlon to help keep any bacteria away and help to dry the skin out further - only use this for 2 days max as it can dry this skin too much and effect the healing (please contact me if this is the case!).

For the following 10-14 days

Wash your tattoo using antibacterial handsoap & clean hands in a warm shower 1-2 times per day
Use thin layers of cocoa butter to help keep your tattoo moisturised but not too suffocated (tattoos need oxygen to heal too!)
keep your tattoo out so that the air can get to it when possible

Your tattoo will become quite scabby a few days after getting tattooed and goes through what I call "The Ugly Stage". In every tattoo there is usually one scab that is bigger and hangs around longer so it's important not to pick at them in order to avoid infections or ink drop out - even as tempting as it can be. It can also become itchy which can be soothed by using cocoa butter and even giving it a gentle tap.

DO NOT:

Pick or scratch at any scabs, let it flake naturally
Submerge your tattoo in water (no bathing, swimming, saunas, spas, showering is fine)
Try not to do strenuous activity (no hardcore gym workouts, your need to rest to heal)
Avoid wearing tight clothing/accessories that could cause any irritation or potential to scabs to come off early (that includes bras, watches and being extra careful putting on bags and jackets)
Avoid direct sunlight and putting spf on healing tattoos (although PLEASE wear factor 50 when it is healed, it helps your tattoo look fresher for longer!)
Keep any pets away from your fresh tattoo, fluffy ones especially as their fur carries bacteria
Avoid over creaming your tattoo as this can cause spot to appear within and around the tattoo due to your skin not being able to breathe enough

Product Recommendations

I do cover all of this verbally at the end of our session but this is here if you ever need a reminder. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have further questions! :)