In this section, you’ll find everything you need to care for your new tattoo.
Most of the tattoos I create are large, so your body has a lot of work to do while healing. Please give yourself time to rest and allow your body to recover.
Everyone’s skin heals differently, but over the years I have learnt how much careful aftercare can influence how a tattoo settles and ages. Following these instructions and giving the healing process your attention can make a real difference to the final result.
If you have any questions beyond what is covered here, please email me, I’ll be happy to help :)
Begin with the section that matches the dressing applied at the end of your appointment.
Gently pat the tattoo dry with clean kitchen roll. Once dry, cover it with fresh cling film and secure it with microporous tape.
Repeat the complete process approximately every six hours, four times a day, for two full days. Each time, remove the cling film, gently wash the tattoo, pat it dry with clean kitchen roll and cover it again with fresh cling film.
You can shower normally, but remove the cling film beforehand and replace it afterwards.
The following morning, remove it slowly in the shower under lukewarm running water. Gently wash and dry the tattoo, then follow the complete cling-film routine approximately every six hours, four times during that day.
If the seal breaks, water gets underneath it or it irritates your skin, remove it earlier using the same method. Begin the cling-film routine and continue until two full days have passed since your appointment.
Apply a small amount of Eucerin Aquaphor Soothing Skin Balm two or three times a day. Smooth it gently over the tattoo until absorbed. The amount may vary depending on your skin; it should feel lightly moisturised rather than coated.
Continue applying the balm consistently for at least one month and ideally for six weeks. During weeks five and six, you can reduce this to once a day or every other day as the skin settles.
The surface may appear healed within a few weeks, but the deeper layers of skin continue recovering for longer.
Avoid baths, swimming pools, the sea and saunas for at least four weeks.
Avoid exercise for at least five days. Depending on the tattoo’s placement, allow seven to ten days before returning to activities that create friction, stretching or heavy sweating.
Do not scratch, rub or pick the tattoo.
If you live with pets, wear clean, loose-fitting cotton clothing over the tattoo while you sleep during the first week to protect it from pet hair in your bedding.
As it heals, the skin may feel dry or itchy and begin to flake. Allow this to happen naturally without scratching or picking.
Because I combine different techniques, areas of the tattoo may heal at different rates. Dotwork, for example, may heal faster than larger, darker shaded areas, although everyone heals differently.
I also work with different shades of grey. As the tattoo settles, some areas will become much lighter and softer than others. This is intentional and forms part of the composition.
The tattoo’s settled appearance will become clearer over the following weeks.
If pain, warmth, redness or swelling increases rather than settles, if redness begins to spread, or if you notice unusual discharge, develop a high temperature or feel unwell, please contact a doctor or your local medical service.
A photograph can help me understand what you are seeing, but it cannot replace a medical assessment.
Black tattoos naturally soften over time. In my experience, they tend to age more evenly than colour tattoos. I work with strong contrast and areas of saturated black so that the composition remains clear as it settles and ages.
If you’re happy to, I may also photograph the healed tattoo during the check-up. If you’d like to have photographs taken, you’re welcome to bring an outfit you feel comfortable being photographed in.
If you think an area may need attention, please include clear photographs in your email so I can plan in advance. I am always happy to complete any touch-ups needed, free of charge within six months of your final appointment. What matters most to me is that your tattoo settles well and looks great once fully healed.