Tattoo Aftercare | Cheshire Tattoo
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Tattoo Aftercare

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CONVENTIONAL:

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1. Clean 3x a day with warm soapy water (NON-fragranced soap is best) removing all previous moisturiser and plasma your skin may have pushed out (DO NOT WORRY, your tattoo is not coming out it is the pigment from your first layer of skin which is NOT where the permanent tattoo sits)

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2. Pat dry with kitchen roll (Not a towel as they are never as clean as we think)

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3. With clean hands, apply a thin layer of moisturiser (Vaseline, InkJam or Bepanthen) until shiny, excessive moisturiser may clog your pores causing pimple like bumps and sometimes redness (if this occurs, try using less)

 • After a week you may return to a normal moisturiser, but avoid it at first as it may react differently to your new broken skin.

 

4. Once moisturised, cover your tattoo with cling-film to stop clothes from rubbing your new tattoo.

• After 1 week you may stop wrapping your tattoo in cling-film as the healing process has begun however you should still clean and moisturise it regularly as skin can take up to 6 months to fully regenerate.

 

• Avoid exercising the area to avoid sweating, if unavoidable, make sure to thoroughly clean the tattoo after

• Showers are fine, but baths and swimming should be avoided as prolonged water exposure leads to more dryness, and swimming baths are never clean and contain chemicals.

• If your tattoo is itching, this means you need to clean it more regularly and thoroughly as you are likely leaving old cream on the skin or it is coming into contact with an irritant (e.g. clothes, animals or dirt)

• Your tattoo may peel like sunburn this is NORMAL, continue moisturising. If not moisturised this may cause scabs which may crack and cause the loss of pigment.

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LARGE TATTOOS:

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• Large tattoos will take longer to heal, pushing out more plasma over a few days so don’t be surprised if your tattoo seems ‘gunky’ the first few cleans.

• The first couple of cleanings may be quite tender, this is expected for large-scale pieces.

• Light shading may appear more red than elsewhere on your tattoo, this is simply the same redness that is under you whole tattoo but more visible under lighter shading, this will disappear throughout the healing.

 

SMALL TATTOOS:

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• Your artist may or may not wrap a small tattoo for placement and mobility reasons.

• Line-work or with minimal shading may heal within 2 weeks, during this time it is important to keep them as moisturised as possible.

• Thin lines are quicker to dry-out, and harder to see the dryness. If the new layer of skin over the tattoo is stretched too much the new layer of skin may ‘crack’ leading to gaps (think of a cracked scab having to constantly re-heal)

• Some areas are more prone to dryness due to clothing rubbing e.g. ankles, these are especially important to keep moisturised and covered between washes to avoid the clothes rubbing any moisturiser off drying out the tattoo.

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SECOND SKIN APPLICATION:

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If your artist has used and advised second skin as your aftercare, the process is far simpler! This bandage is breathable waterproof and stretchy!

• Keep the piece applied by your artist on for 24 hours (remove sooner if plasma is leaking from the edges)

• After 24 hours remove the bandage under running, pulling the edges away from the tattoo as opposed to across it.

• Using clean hands wash the tattoo thoroughly with warm soapy water removing any plasma pushed out so the tattoo is not shiny. (Plamsas' healing properties are only good for 24 hours)

•Either air-dry or pat it dry with paper towels.

• With dry skin, apply the second piece of second skin given to you by your artist. (Application of second skin: Remove the backing paper, place over entirety of tattoo ensuring good margins of unbroken skin for the bandage to stick to, avoiding air bubbles as best as possible, once applied peel off top plastic covering from the indicated seams)

• Keep this second bandage on for 3-5 days,  the edges may begin to peel during this time, as long as no water or contaminants can get to your tattoo this is okay, if the seal around the tattoo becomes broken, remove the second piece and continue cleaning using the instructions above.

• After 5 days with the second bandage you can remove it using the same method as the first, and your tattoo should be majoritively healed thanks to your bodys' natural healing ability having been undisturbed, continue to clean and moisturise your new tattoo for up to a week or whenever it seems dry. 

The speed of recovery will be far greater using this method and we try to use it as much as possible with larger or harder to reach placements of tattoos.

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Scalp Micropigmentation aftercare

AFTERCARE FOLLOWING YOUR SMP TREATMENT – WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

You will want to take extra care during treatments and not just after your final treatment.  All of the treatment area needs to be kept clean and getting the scalp wet should be avoided. This means that to ensure lasting results, for at least a month after your last SMP treatment you should not use facilities such as saunas, tanning beds, chlorinated pools or steam rooms. Also, if you’re a blood donor, it is advisable to refrain from donating blood for at least a year after your final SMP treatment.

Below is an outline of what to expect from an aftercare routine and it’s a guideline. Always ask your scalp micropigmentation technician for full information regarding aftercare.

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AFTERCARE UP TO DAY 5

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Over these first days, make sure you take on plenty of water and fluids. You can dab a damp cloth over the scalp area to keep it clean but not under any circumstances should you make the scalp wet; there is a big difference between damp and wet. In bed you can cover the scalp with a hat or something loose that’s dry and comfortable to wear on the head. So the key things to remember are: avoid touching the scalp with your hands where possible, don’t have any showers yet, and don’t shave the scalp at all during these first 5 days.

Aftercare Checklist for the first days following treatment. Avoid these:

  • Do not shave the scalp at all for the first 10 days at least.

  • Sun damage and sun exposure: long periods in the sun can lead to the pigmentation in the scalp fading. Take extra care and cover up the scalp completely for these first days.

  • Touching the scalp with any part of the hands may cause infection so try your best not to do this. If it is absolutely necessary, make sure your hands are washed to minimise any risk of bacteria.

  • AHA’s (for example glycolic acid) fade pigment, so during recovery and after recovery AHA’s should always be avoided.

  • As mentioned previously, during these first days you should avoid the use of tanning beds, saunas and steam rooms, chlorine and swimming.

  • No intense exercise which will make you perspire a lot. Sweating a lot can affect the way the skin on the scalp heals.

  • Don’t shampoo, wash or scrub the scalp. Agitating or scrubbing the scalp may break the skin and the open wounds on the scalp that are trying to heal will remain open. All wounds on the body need to close, they need to heal, so treat your scalp with care. There are chemicals in shampoo so avoid those. It might be tempting to pick or rub or scratch at your scalp, but do be mindful that if you remove any skin with your fingers you may be removing the pigment as well. Everything needs to settle and to heal. The desire to wash your scalp may be strong, but be strong, don’t.

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AFTERCARE DAY 6 TO DAY 10

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So after 5 days of following aftercare advice you will be on your way to healing well and the healing must continue. From day 5 to day 10 you should refrain from doing:

  • You can wash your head with cold water but do so gently and with care. A mild soap can be used (ideally with natural ingredients that won’t agitate or inflame the skin). Be careful not to remove any scabs, the little scabs will fall of in their own time.

  • Clean your hands and use moisturiser as much as three times a day. Skin can become dry so use a natural moisturiser which doesn’t contain perfume.

  • It is important still, not to scratch the scalp. Small scabs will form where each pigment has been applied and it is essential not to pick at those.

  • You should refrain from shampooing still. The skin needs to heal and any agitation will slow down the healing process.

  • Avoid putting anything containing chemicals on to the scalp.

  • No heavy sweating continues on from the first 5 days but you can do some light exercise if you really want to. If you can refrain from exercise completely for these days, you won’t have to worry about sweating excessively.

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AFTERCARE DAY 30

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  • You can swim, and you can visit saunas and tanning booths.

  • Use 30 to 50 SPF sunscreen on he scalp.

  • Use moisturiser on the scalp daily.

  • Take measures to avoid head shine.

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