Aftercare Advice
Some straightforward advice - but some tattoos may require a slightly different heal, in which case please listen to your artists advice at time of appointment.
'Oldschool' cream and air
Your new tattoo would have been wrapped with some cling film to let you leave the studio and keep your new tattoo clean and safe. Keep this on for 1-2 hours, and then once home, wash your hands before unwrapping. Wash in lukewarm water gently with a gentle, non-perfumed soap and pat dry using kitchen roll. Ensure you wash your hands each time before you touch your new tattoo - keep in mind its just in essence a pretty wound, and you want to look after it carefully. Once dried, apply some cream (bepanthen, butterluxe, etc - check with your artist if you have a different one you want to use) sparingly and gently to the surface of your tattoo - it shouldn't be left with a white film, it should be clear once on - if not, you've applied too much. A handy hint is to add a small amount to your tattoo and let it warm on your skin before rubbing in, as it will spread much easier this way. Ensure you wash your hands and then you wash the tattoo before each application. Do this 3-4 times a day (more if the area seems dry) for the first two weeks and then you can move on to a good intense moisturiser - we recommend cocoa butter, aveeno or E45.
Second Skin
Leave the current bandage on for 24 hours (or as close to as possible) that your artist applied at the end of your appointment.
The next day, wash your hands before peeling off the existing bandage in a downward motion (no pulling out the way to reduce trauma to skin)
Wash with warm, unscented soapy water, pat dry with kitchen roll. If you have time, let it air dry for 30-60 min.
Pat dry again to remove any excess plasma before applying fresh second skin (Dermalize) also, please note this should go on dry skin, don't apply any creams first.
Make sure you're putting it on with an overlap around the outer edge of the tattoo at a minimum of 2cm all round (more is fine, its just to help catch any fluid that still comes out). Peel back the checkered side as you would a plaster, and apply. No stretching! Make sure each piece overlaps by at least 1cm with the other pieces to make sure fluid doesn't sneak up between sheets. (again, more overlap is fine).
Peel off green arrows once each piece is on before applying the next.
Leave on 7 days before removing. It'll feel a bit itchy toward the end of this time, it's just the healing process/hair regrowth. It should never feel burny or excessively sore (other than regular tattoo pain) so if it feels wrong, just remove and heal the tattoo 'oldschool' with advised creams (bepanthen, e45, Palmers cocoa butter or any cream bought in the studio). If there is still fluid underneath the second skin 24 hours after you've replaced the layer I put on in the studio, repeat the above process. You don't want to be keeping it wet, it should dry and feel like it's hugging your skin. Once the Dermalize is removed, you're free to move onto a good moisturiser (we personally prefer Palmers cocoa butter for its intensity) Any questions, please contact your artist directly in the first instance.