Aftercare

A tattoo is an open wound while it heals, and how you look after it affects how it heals and how it looks for years. This is general guidance. If Paula gives you different instructions for your tattoo, follow hers.

Straight after

• Leave the wrap or film on for as long as Paula tells you.
• When you take it off, wash your hands first, then wash the tattoo gently (see below).
• Expect it to feel tender, look red and maybe weep a little clear fluid or ink for the first day or two.

Washing

• Wash with clean hands, lukewarm water and a mild, fragrance-free soap.
• Use your fingertips only. No flannels, sponges or scrubbing.
• Pat dry with a clean paper towel or let it air-dry. Don’t rub with a towel.
• Wash a couple of times a day for the first week or so, and whenever it gets dirty or sweaty.

Moisturising

• Once it is dry, apply a very thin layer of a fragrance-free ointment or moisturiser. It should look slightly shiny, not slick or smothered.
• Too much product stops the skin breathing and can slow healing.
• Keep going as it dries and gets tight, usually until it stops flaking.

For the first two weeks, avoid

• Soaking: baths, hot tubs, swimming pools, the sea, saunas. Showers are fine.
• Sun and sunbeds: keep it covered, and out of direct sunlight.
• Picking, scratching or peeling: it will itch. Tap or pat it instead.
• Tight or rough clothing rubbing on it.
• Heavy sweating and hard workouts in the first few days.
• Pets, dirt and unwashed hands touching it.

What healing looks like

• Days 1 to 3: tender, red, maybe a little swollen.
• Days 3 to 14: it dries, flakes and itches. Don’t pick.
• Weeks 2 to 4: it can look dull or cloudy while the top layer of skin settles.
• Up to 6 weeks: the skin underneath finishes healing and the tattoo settles to how it will look.

Healing varies from person to person and by body area. Coloured and red ink can look different during healing. That is normal.

When to get help

Contact a doctor or call NHS 111 (in the UK) if you notice any of these, and let Paula know too:

• Redness that spreads outwards, or red streaks leading away from the tattoo
• Heat, increasing swelling or increasing pain after the first few days
• Thick yellow or green discharge, or a bad smell
• A fever or feeling generally unwell

Once it has healed

• Moisturise now and then, and use sun cream (SPF 30 or higher) on the tattoo whenever it is in the sun. Sun is the biggest thing that fades tattoos.
• If anything needs touching up, get in touch.

Questions about your tattoo? Get in touch or email voiddd1669@gmail.com. More answers are on the FAQ.