​

• leave the dressing on for a few hours after the tattoo (or overnight if the appointment finishes late)

• with clean hands, remove the dressing and dispose of it. Wash your tattoo with plain soap and water (avoid perfumed products as they will irritate the tattoo)

• when your skin feels clean (not slimy), pat the tattoo dry with a clean towel or paper towel. Allow to air dry

Small tattoos/ line work only​

• after washing, rewrap the tattoo with clingfilm and leave overnight

• repeat the above steps in the morning (your clingfilm will be full of plasma, blood and ink, so wash the tattoo really well)

• leave unwrapped and allow to dry

• wash tattoo twice a day and apply a very small amount of plain moisturiser (I recommend E45, cocoa butter or coconut oil) until healed

Larger tattoos /colour work​

• after washing, rewrap with clingfilm and leave overnight

• repeat the above steps in the morning (your clingfilm will be full of plasma, blood and ink so wash the tattoo really well)

• rewrap the tattoo with fresh clingfilm. Repeat the process: clean/rewrap twice a day for 3 days. The only time the tattoo should be uncovered is when you are washing it 

• DO NOT APPLY ANY CREAMS TO YOUR TATTOO DURING THESE 3 DAYS

• after the 3rd day, after washing, leave the tattoo uncovered and allow it to dry out

• keep the tattoo clean and apply a small amount of plain moisturiser as and when needed (I recommend E45, cocoa butter or coconut oil). The idea behind keeping the tattoo wrapped for those first 3 days of healing is to avoid the plasma hitting the air and scabbing over. You may still experience some scabbing, or more likely, flaky skin after these 3 days. This is normal

General rules​

• avoid soaking your new tattoo in a bath (showering is fine, just don't let the water beat down too hard on it for too long)

• do not go swimming until your tattoo is fully healed

• avoid heavy exercise that causes excessive sweating or puts pressure on the body part eg. weights

• do not pick any scabs. This will remove any ink. If it gets itchy, either wash it and apply moisturiser or give it a slap (yes really)