How to prepare for a tattoo appointment:
Below are some tips on how to ensure the best results for your tattoo, and aid a more relaxed appointment for yourself. It’s important to be fully informed about the preparation and aftercare necessary for tattoos to look their best.
- Make sure you are properly hydrated, and have eaten a proper meal prior to your appointment. This will help your skin to receive the ink, and stop any faintness/sickness during your appointment.
- Moisturise the area for a week before your tattoo, to allow the skin to be in the best condition possible for the tattoo.
- Dress appropriately for the area you’re having tattooed, for example, wearing shorts for a leg tattoo. If you’re unsure of what would be best to wear for your artist to access the area, message us to double check.
- Protect the area from cuts or sunburn before the appointment, as we cannot tattoo over broken skin.
- Bring any supplies to make yourself more comfortable during your appointment, such as: food, drink, earphones/ books for entertainment.
How to care for your tattoo after your appointment:
For the best possible results, you want to care for your tattoo as much as possible in the first 2-3 weeks of the healing process. This will help the ink to settle into the skin, and avoid any ink-loss.
- Once your tattoo has been completed, the area will be wrapped in clingfilm or covered with second-skin. Leave the cling film on for an hour and then wash the area with tattoo soap, once it has been removed, to clean off any excess ink or blood.
- Clean your tattoo twice a day for 2-3 weeks, with a tattoo soap, and pat it dry with a paper towel. Once dried, apply a thin layer of tattoo balm to moisturise the area.
- Avoid picking, itching and tight clothing on the tattooed area, as this will disrupt the ink, and can delay the healing process, along with potentially scarring the area.
- Avoid submerging your tattoo in water (such as baths, pools, oceans) for the entire healing process, as this will cause the ink to discolour. You will be able to shower as normal.
- Keep your tattoo out direct sun while healing.
- If you have been given second-skin instead of cling film, leave it on for 2-3 days and only begin the aftercare processes once it has been removed. While you won’t need to clean the area and apply balm if the second-skin is on, you still cannot submerge the area in water. If blood and ink begins to pool in the film before the 3 days is over, gently remove the second-skin, and continue with aftercare as usual. To remove the second skin, gently pull the film down from a bottom corner, to avoid harsh pulling on the fresh tattoo.
Tattoo aftercare soaps and balms are available to purchase at the studio, subject to availability. If you’d like any other brand recommendations, we’d also be happy to provide them.
Please note that even with sufficient aftercare, tattoos can need touch-ups, they are commonly done and sometimes can’t be avoided. This can be due to many factors such as: skin types, medical conditions, aftercare used, certain careers or hobbies which damage or irritate the skin.
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