Heal it right.
A tattoo is an open wound for the first days. Treat it like one and it heals clean and stays sharp. Here is the short, honest version.
- 01
First hours
Unwrap and wash
Leave the wrap on for as long as your artist told you: usually a few hours, longer if we used a second-skin film. Take it off with clean hands, wash the tattoo gently with lukewarm water and fragrance-free soap, pat it dry with a paper towel, and let it breathe before anything else.
- 02
Days 1 to 3
Clean and moisturise
Wash it twice a day and pat dry. Apply a thin layer of a fragrance-free healing balm or lotion, no more. A little redness and some clear or plasma weeping is normal. Do not soak it and do not let clothing stick to it.
- 03
Days 4 to 14
Let it peel
It will flake and itch like a healing sunburn. This is normal. Keep moisturising thinly and do NOT scratch or pick the flakes, that is how colour comes out and scars go in. No pools, sea, sauna, baths or heavy sweat until it is closed.
- 04
Weeks 2 to 4
Settle and protect
The surface looks healed but the deeper layers are still settling. Keep it out of direct sun. Once it is fully healed, sunscreen is the single best thing you can do to keep the lines and black sharp for years.
Do
- Wash your hands before you touch it
- Lukewarm water and fragrance-free soap
- A thin layer of moisturiser, twice a day
- Loose, clean clothing over the area
- Sleep on clean sheets
Don't
- Pick, scratch or peel the flakes
- Soak it: pool, sea, sauna, long baths
- Direct sun or a tanning bed
- Thick cream that suffocates the skin
- Re-wrap it unless we told you to
When to see a doctor
Some redness, warmth and swelling in the first days is normal. But spreading redness, growing heat, swelling that gets worse after day three, pus, or a fever are signs of infection, and that is not ours to treat. See a doctor. It is rare, but do not wait it out.
This is general aftercare, not medical advice. Always follow what your artist told you for your specific piece.
Message us on Instagram any time during healing. A quick photo and a question beat guessing.