Congratulations on your new tattoo! Time to focus on aftercare.
The upcoming weeks after your tattoo session are very important for healing.
- Understanding the main point of covering and protecting the fresh tattoo right after the tattoo session:
The tattoo is basically an open wound, so keeping it covered and away from your hands or any contaminated surface prevents bacteria from getting into your skin.
plus keeping it covered will prevent your clothes from rubbing against it and causing discomfort and irritation.
- Following the tattoo session :
It’s normal for a fresh tattoo to leak a mix of fluids, blood, and ink, the quantity will vary depending on how big the tattooed area is and how much ink is packed in the skin.
If the tattoo artist has covered the tattoo with a normal “cling film”:
if the tattoo is small you can remove the foil within 2 hours after the session or if you had a big tattoo with lots of colors better to keep the film on until the next morning.
It will keep the skin pores clean while it’s closing and it will calm down the irritated skin.
The next day please follow this routine:
1. Wash your hands first with lukewarm water and soap
2. Remove the cling foil and gently wash your tattoo with antibacterial soap and water.
3. Dry your tattoo gently and pat dry it with a soft cloth.
4. Apply a thin layer of the aftercare cream and let the tattooed skin breathe.
If the tattoo artist covered your tattoo with “Polyurethane wrap”:
This special foil will stick on your tattoo and keep the skin clean and it can also breathe while the tattoo is healing, you can leave the wrap on your skin for up to five days, during that time the tattoo will heal by itself (self-healing). You can also take a shower with it as well.
- Third: after removing the foil
Please follow those steps daily
1. Wash your hands first with lukewarm water and soap.
2. Wash your tattoo with antibacterial soap water.
3. Dry your tattoo gently and pat dry it with a soft cloth.
4. Now you can apply a thin layer of the aftercare cream (advised by your tattoo artist) every day between 3 – 4 times.
Continue with this routine for about 2 weeks until the tattoo is fully healed.
*Important to know that in rare cases an “adhesive allergy” can happen from using the “Polyurethane wrap”,
In case you felt uncomfortable, extreme itchiness, burning sensation, or a red rash that occurred on and around the tattooed area while using the “Polyurethane wrap” remove it directly and wash your tattoo with antibacterial soap and continue the aftercare treatment normally,
Usually, after removing the foil the allergy must stop and the red rash might take a few weeks to heal.
Contact your doctor if the allergy didn’t stop after removing the foil (kept getting worse).
The main Do’s points are:
1. Do Wash your tattoo with clean hands several times a day gently with antibacterial/unscented soap and keep
your new tattoo clean and aired.
2. Do keep it moist and apply the aftercare cream regularly, and drink water to keep your skin hydrated.
3. Do Wear clean loose clothes over the tattoo.
4. Do protect it during sleep, before sleep: change the bed sheets regularly over the next few weeks of healing to
make sure no dirt gets on the sheets and infects your new tattoo.
The main Do NOT points are:
1. Don’t expose your new tattoo to direct sunlight until it fully heals, and when you go outside wear SPF cloth-
ing so the sun won’t fade your tattoo.
2. Don’t wear sunscreen until your tattoo is fully healed, because the chemicals or minerals could irritate your
broken skin
3. Don’t go to swimming pools/bubble baths/steam rooms/hot tubs or any kind of public water until the skin is fully
healed.
4. Don’t rub your skin dry – pat it gently to avoid irritation.
5. Don’t scratch the healing tattoo: as the skin heals you will feel that you need to scratch it, please fight the urge
to do so as this can cause scarring.
6. Don’t wear tight clothing over the tattoo.
7. Don’t cover the tattoo with a bandage.
8. Don’t sleep on your new tattoo because the skin needs to breathe during sleep.
9. Don’t sleep with your pets.
10. DO NOT go to Cryotherapy! This procedure freeze-burns the freshly tattooed skin with liquid nitrogen, which
can result in the removal of your tattoo and can cause skin tissue damage.
Keep in mind that your tattoo is an open wound and it needs approximately 2 weeks for the wound to close and the scaps to peel, and it takes a month or two for the tattoo to be fully healed and the colors to settle down, try to avoid the sun or sunbathing as much as possible, and if so please use sunscreen cream with a minimum of 30% SPF.
The better you take care of yourself the better your body will heal.
– Normal Healing signs:
- Discharge (of clear or pink liquid mixed with tattoo ink) is a normal phenomenon during the first few days. Excessive discharge will saturate the dressing and cause leakage. In this situation, it is recommended to change the dressing more often.
- Redness within the tattooed area.
- A slight swelling is normal for the first hours to days, but should decrease every day.
- Fever or chills may occur within the first 12 hours after tattooing; if it persists or becomes severe it should be seen as a sign of infection and medical attention is needed immediately.
– Abnormal Healing signs:
– Signs of infection
- increasing fluid secretion;
- discharge of yellowish or green sticky fluid;
- an unpleasant smell;
- increasing painful redness spreading around the tattooed area;
- increasing throbbing and burning in and around the tattooed spot;
- immobility or difficulty moving a limb, finger, toe, or another body part;
- red lines spreading over the skin; for example, red lines running from a recent tattoo on the wrist or hand and continuing down the forearm and up to the upper arm. This may be related to blood poisoning. If found, immediate medical attention should be sought;
- high fever or persistent fever and flu-like symptoms are signs of serious infection. If found, immediate medical attention should be sought.
How to act in case of an infection?
Consult your doctor or a local health professional. The tattoo artist should also be informed.
People in a high-risk category:
People with certain conditions (e.g. diabetes, immunosuppression, etc.) are at greater risk of wound infection. They should seek immediate medical attention if signs of infection appear.
– Signs of allergy
Clients, especially clients with a pre-existing contact allergy to certain substances (e.g. nickel, preservatives, antiseptics, and lanolin), may experience an allergic reaction to the tattooed area and its surroundings, sometimes spreading throughout the body. An allergic reaction can occur within hours, weeks, months, or years after tattooing and may present as a rash with redness and itching, sometimes blistering, and the exudate is clear.
What to do if an allergic reaction occurs in the first days after treatment?
In case of an allergic reaction in the first few days, the client must stop using all products and consult a doctor. An allergic reaction is difficult to treat and requires expert advice.
we wish you a great tattoo experience ❤️