How to care for a new tattoo
A tattoo is an open wound with pigment in it. How you treat it in the first weeks affects how sharp the lines stay for the rest of its life. None of this is complicated, but it does have to be consistent.
The first 48 hours
Leave the covering on for as long as your artist tells you, which will depend on the wrap used. When it comes off, wash the area with clean hands and a fragrance-free soap, using lukewarm water. Pat it dry with a clean paper towel rather than a bath towel, which holds bacteria. Do not re-wrap it unless you were told to.
Weeks one to three
Wash twice a day and apply a thin layer of the ointment your artist recommended. Thin is the operative word: a thick layer traps moisture and stops the skin breathing, which slows healing and can pull ink out. The tattoo will flake and itch around day five to ten. This is normal. Do not pick it and do not scratch it. Pulling a scab early takes pigment with it, and that shows as a patchy line that needs correcting later.
What to avoid
No swimming pools, no sea, no bathtubs and no steam rooms until the skin has fully closed, usually two to three weeks. Showers are fine. Keep it out of direct sun while it heals, and once it has healed, sunscreen is the single most effective thing you can do to keep it looking sharp. Sun is what fades tattoos, more than time.
When to call us
Some redness and swelling in the first few days is expected. Spreading redness, heat, worsening pain after day three, or any discharge is not. Get in touch and we will look at it. Healing problems caught early are minor.