Aftercare

Before booking an appointment, you must read, understand, and agree to the booking terms and processes outlined across the ‘General Information’, ‘Appointment Information’, and ‘Aftercare’ pages.

By booking, you confirm your agreement to these terms. If anything is unclear, contact me via email before proceeding.

1. Wash your hands first. Then, clean the tattoo thoroughly with foam wash or liquid, unscented antibacterial soap and warm water, making sure all plasma and blood are removed. Rinse off all soap residue completely with cool water.
2. Pat the area dry with paper towel - don’t rub as it can cause irritation. Apply a very thin layer of aftercare balm or your regular moisturiser. Less is more - a slight sheen is enough; if you can see the product it’s probably too much and may inhibit the healing process.
3. Place a new Tattoo Armour sheet over the tattoo, making sure if covers the entire area with a bit of padding around the edges. You may cut the sheet once with clean, dry scissors - but don’t make a mosaic of tiny little pads or it may not work properly.
4. Tape the sheet in place with medical tape, making sure it has a comfortable tight fit. Go about your day (or night) as usual.
5. After 6-8 hours, remove the sheets and repeat steps 1-5. The sheet may look like it has a ‘print’ of the tattoo from the absorbed plasma - that’s normal. Note: you don’t need to wake up overnight to change it - you’re less active while you’re sleeping, so there’s less weeping.
6. Once the sheets come off clean, continue to repeat steps 1-2 at least morning and night for the following 10-21 days to prevent dryness and maintain your skins health.
1. As soon as you get home (or as soon as you can), wash your hands and then clean the tattoo thoroughly with foam wash or a liquid, unscented antibacterial soap and warm water. Make sure you remove all plasma and blood, then rinse off all soap residue completely with cool water.
2. Pat the area dry with paper towel - don’t rub as it can cause irritation.
3. Repeat steps 1-2 at least morning and night. In the first few days, you may need to clean it more often if the tattoo is weeping or if any of the weep/blood starts to dry on the surface. It’s crucial to clean that off before it dries to avoid excessive scabbing.
4. Once the tattoo has stopped weeping and starts to dry out, (usually day 3-4), you can begin to apply a very thin layer of aftercare balm or your regular moisturiser 1-2 times a day - or more often if it feels painfully tight or dry. Less is more - a slight sheen is fine; but if you can see the product you’ve probably used too much and it may inhibit the healing process.
5. Repeat steps 1-4 for the next 10-21 days, moisturising at least morning and night to prevent dryness and maintain your skins health.

General Do’s and Don’ts

✅ DO:

Only touch your tattoo with clean hands.
Wash your tattoo thoroughly at least twice a day (morning and night) using the foam wash or a liquid, unscented antibacterial soap. Make sure to remove all soap residue by rinsing with cool water. Pat dry with clean paper towel.
Apply a very thin layer of balm or your regular moisturiser - only when your chosen method calls for it (e.g. not in the first 3-4 days if following the uncovered method).
Let your tattoo breathe as much as possible (unless following the Tattoo Armour method).
Make sure all fabrics that touch your tattoo (e.g. clothing, sheets, towels) are clean.
Wear loose-fitting clothing to avoid friction and irritation.
Wait until your tattoo stops weeping (usually around day 3-4) before working out. When you do, wear loose-fitting clothing, shower immediately after, and make sure your tattoo doesn’t touch any equipment or other people.
Avoid sports (e.g. football, tennis, martial arts) until full healed.
Stay out of the sun during the healing process.
Once healed, use and reapply SPF 50+ daily to protect your tattoo from fading and sun damage (whenever you’re exposed to sunlight, not just at the beach).

❌ DO NOT:

Use soaps with exfoliants, fragrance, or other irritants.
Leave soap residue on the tattoo - it can cause irritation and inhibit the healing process.
Apply balm or moisturiser while it is still weeping (unless following the Tattoo Armour method).
Use thick or petroleum-based moisturisers (e.g. Bepanthen) - you’re much more likely to use too much, suffocate the skin, and inhibit the healing process. Using too much balm or moisturiser can do the same - if you can see it on your skin, it’s likely too much.
Pick, scratch, or peel any scabs or flakes - let them fall off on their own.
Let anyone else (or any animals) touch your healing tattoo - it’s not worth the risk of infection.
Let any item, fabric, or environment that may carry bacteria (e.g. bag straps, loofahs, dust, dirty water) to come into contact with your healing tattoo.
Go swimming or soak the tattoo (e.g. baths, pools, spas, creeks, oceans) until it’s fully healed.
Sunback, apply fake tan, or use sunscreen until the tattoo is fully healed.

Healing Stages

Days 1-4:

Redness, aching, swelling, and weeping (plasma) are normal.
You can take ibuprofen, elevate the area, and use ice packs (wrapped in clean paper towel) for short periods to reduce swelling.
Some areas and skin types are more prone to swelling (e.g. lower leg tattoos may cause swollen ankles or feet, especially with activity).
High-use and high-risk areas (e.g. fingers, hands, feet) and bends and creases (e.g. elbows, knees) may be harder to heal due to the nature of the skin and use of that area.

Days 5-14:

Your tattoo should be drying out, or may already be dry.
Flaking should begin, and some scabbing may occur.
Let it heal on its own - do not pick, peel, or scratch at any scabs, or you’ll damage the tattoo and prolong the healing process.

Days 14+:

Remaining scabs will fall off naturally.
Itching and tenderness may persist for a few more weeks - while the surface layer often looks healed by 2-4 weeks, the epidermis takes around 8-12 weeks to fully heal.
Once any scabbing is gone and the skin is back to normal, you can resume normal activities such as swimming and should start daily use of SPF50+ again.

Signs of Infection or Allergic Reaction

Watch for the following:

Rash or bumps in the tattooed area.
Pus or discoloured fluid (note: plasma, the clear liquid that weeps for the first few days, is normal and helps it heal).
Fever or chills.
Redness, warmth, pain, or swelling that worsens over time.

If you’re concerned at any point during the healing process, stop using balm or moisturiser and contact me immediately with clear photos.

Touch Ups

A complimentary touch up appointment is available between 1-6 months after each appointment. This ensures the tattoo is sufficiently healed and reduces the risk of significant sun damage. For multi-session pieces, the complimentary touch up may be done during your next appointment or in one final appointment after completion - this is at my discretion.

To assess whether a touch-up is needed, please send clear, high-quality photos (or email me to arrange an in-person assessment) within 4-6 weeks of your appointment. This allows me to book you in before the complimentary period expires.

What the Complimentary Touch-Up Covers:

Linework that hasn’t healed solid, or has gaps.
Solid areas of colour or shading that have healed patchy or dropped out.

When the Complimentary Touch-Up Is Forfeit:

Booked before 1 month or after 6 months.
If numbing agents were used.
If you request changes to the original design (e.g. new colours, additional elements).
If the tattoo is in a high-risk area (e.g. fingers, hands, feet, knees, elbows), unless part of a larger piece.

Not Sure If You Need One?

No stress - most people don’t. But if there’s something you’re unsure or unhappy about, send clear photos of both the whole tattoo and the specific area/s, or email me to arrange an in-person assessment. Even if it’s outside the complimentary terms, I’m happy to rework or touch up any of my work, and I’ll let you know if there’s a cost involved.

Aftercare

Jump to:

Tattoo Armour Method

Uncovered Method

General Do’s and Don’ts

Healing Stages

Signs of Infection or Allergic Reaction

Touch Ups