3 Things NOT to do:

Do not get the tattooed area soggy or soaked
No swimming, no bubble baths, do not stand in the shower too long.
Do not sun tan or expose your tattoo to prolonged direct sunlight.

You want the tattoo to form a scab and allow it to form a new layer of skin over the tattoo, locking the pigments in.

Exercise and physical activity to avoid:

Don’t stretch the area. Avoid any activity that stretches the area. Examples: Yoga, kickboxing, any vigorous activity.

Think of it as a wound, from falling down and getting an abrasion. When you keep agitating broken skin by stretching or working it out, the wound is unable to scab evenly, thus delaying the healing process. You may also get an infection from not keeping it clean when you perspire excessively.

Your tattoo feels itchy and the scabs are flaking off:

Do not pick and scratch at the tattooed area

The tattooed area will form a scab and flake off like a severe sun burn. It WILL get itchy and it will be tempting to peel the scabs – refrain from doing so. The tattoo will look like it’s fading, but that is part of the healing process. Allow scabs to fall off by itself and be patient. It may look weird and seem like your tattoo is falling off, but this is entirely normal.

What to expect in the next 10-14 days:

Healing varies for every individual but an estimated timeframe for healing is around 10-14 days.

Leave tattoo alone for the first 3 days.
Do not apply any moisturiser on it as the tattoo may still weep, so it is normal for slight bleeding and plasma to ‘leak’ from the tattooed area.

On day number 3 post-tattoo, the area should feel slightly dry and tight. That is the indication to start applying moisturiser. Apply moisturiser to the area multiple times a day – whenever the tattoo feels dry, tight or itchy.

What is the appropriate type of moisturiser:

If you have not purchased moisturiser from us, do take note that a moisturising lotion should soothe your tattoo, and not make it feel more painful. If you apply a moisturiser that bites, burns, stings, or hurts the tattooed area. Clean off immediately and apply a neutral, unscented moisturiser.

Some moisturisers and lotions may contain alcohol content which may cause the individual to feel pain or a stinging sensation when applied. Alcohol also dries the skin out, and eventually the tattooed area. Thus leading to a delayed healing period.

How to apply moisturiser:

Clean the tattoo with a gentle soap and water. Pat down the area with a clean towel and leave to air dry for ten minutes.

Apply moisturiser sparingly making sure that the entire tattoo has a thin layer of moisturiser.

Pat down the tattoo with a clean paper towel gently.

The idea of applying moisturiser is to constantly keep the tattooed skin hydrated (but not soggy) to prevent cracking, so that the scabs may form to aid the healing process.

Healing duration may vary due to the area being tattooed.

As an example: a tattoo on the chest may heal quicker than a tattoo on the rib or waist area. Because body movements affect and delay the healing process, areas on the body that have less movement would naturally heal quicker.

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