Having a tattoo is about more than just choosing a design and finding an artist you admire – to make your ink look great and retain its colour for the long-term, you need to make sure your aftercare is spot-on too.
Any licensed and reputable tattoo artist will tell you exactly how you should look after a new tattoo on the day, but in case you were too nervous/excited/worried to pay full attention, we explain how to get the best from your new tattoo.
We speak with two tattoo artists – Josh McAllister of Horizon Tattoo Company and Chris Acaster of Studio 31 - plus Doctor Clare Morrison, GP & Medical Advisor at Medexpress, to make sure you have every element of your ink aftercare covered, and can get on with the most important part of getting a tattoo: showing it off with pride.
Tattoo Aftercare Rules For After Getting A Tattoo
While new tattoos (hopefully!) look great, because a needle is used to insert ink beneath your skin, having one done is technically also a medical procedure. Similar to an open wound, tattoos require careful aftercare to avoid scarring and infection, so always wash your hands before caring for your unhealed tattoo.
When you first leave the tattoo parlour, they will clean it and wrap it in clingfilm. Leave this on until you get home. 'Cling film should left on for 6-7 hours after the tattoo, ' explains McAllister, 'then the tattoo should be cleaned down with warm water immediately after unwrapping it, and then dried and re-wrapped for bed until the following morning.'
'Once the clingfilm is removed, wash with warm, fragrance-free soapy water, ' agrees Acaster.' Pat dry using kitchen roll or something that's not going to fall apart when wet and leave anything on the tattoo, and then apply a thin layer of Palmer's cocoa butter moisturising lotion.'
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When you first wash your new tattoo it will probably ooze colourful fluid. This is a mixture of blood, plasma and ink and is perfectly normal. Your skin will also be sore and might feel warm to the touch, similar to sunburn.
'We recommend the cream being reapplied little and often rather than bathing it in cream and leaving it for the day, ' advises Acaster. 'Every time you reapply the cream you should fully clean off the old cream before reapplying, then rinse and repeat until fully healed.'
While tattoo artists may offer slightly differing advice, using clingfilm for the first few days before it is fully healed will keep your new tattoo safe from infection - and it's also handy for preventing the excess ink from transferring onto your clothes and bedsheets.
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'For the first 2-3 days, keep the tattoo covered with clingfilm, ' advises Dr Morrison. 'This should be changed at least three time a day. Before re-applying, gently clean the tattoo with water.
Similar to caring for an open wound, it's important to maintain a high level of personal hygiene while your tattoo heals to prevent infection, so continue to wash your hands with warm soapy water before tending to your new tattoo.
Over the first week to 10 days you will probably notice some light scabbing. Resist the urge to pick them as this can cause scarring and colour gaps. 'Moisturiser can be used 4-5 times a day for 2-3 weeks to help the tattoo heal fully, ' advises McAllister.
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Once the scabs begin to flake off, resist the urge to scrub at them and let the skin flakes come off gently in the shower.
Around about this time you might start to itch like mad! It will take a lot of willpower to resist the urge to scratch, but it's important that you leave it alone. This is part of the healing process, so gently apply moisturiser and grit your teeth until the itching subsides.
⚠️ If your tattoo is still red, swollen or oozing liquid at this point, make an appointment with your GP as it may have become infected.
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Traditionally tattoo artists recommended Bepanthen, a type of barrier cream used for nappy rash, to care for your new tattoo but modern artists do not advise this.
'Bepanthen isn't recommended for tattoo care, as it can cause a marbled effect on the tattoo, ' says Dr Morrison. 'It can also block pores, and cause a reaction. It's best to use a product specially designed for tattoo aftercare. This will ideally be fragrance-free, protective, anti-itch, and help to maintain colour.'
Acaster agrees, explaining: 'I personally don't recommend Bepathen, but Palmer's Cocoa Butter or even Dream Cream from Lush I've used frequently and never had an issue with.'
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It goes without saying that long soaks in the bath and swimming are not recommended in the first few weeks after having a tattoo, but it is OK to shower as normal.
'Showers are fine, just avoid scrubbing the area or getting it covered in soapy water for too long, ' says McAllister – and Acaster agrees. 'It's completely fine, but I wouldn't advise anyone to completely submerge a new tattoo underwater, especially for long periods of time, as that does affect the healing – but running water over it will be okay.'
According to the experts, the colour vibrancy depends on your tattoo artist and the quality of ink used. Thankfully, there are steps you can take to keep your ink looking fresh.
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'Avoid direct sunlight when possible, and moisturise as much as possible to help colour tattoos age well and stay bright, ' says McAllister. 'This applies for years to come, not just during the healing process.'
Dr Morrison echoes these sentiments, encouraging people to avoid sunbathing wherever possible, while Acaster explains: 'Retaining the colour is more down to the artist. So, do your research and so long as their work is good and you look after it properly, your colour should be as good as the day it was put in for as long as possible.Getting a new tattoo is always exciting, from first one and on to the one hundredth. It never gets boring. And before getting a tattoo, for most people they will spend a great amount of time choosing a tattoo design, which may also involve a lot of input and direction from your tattoo artist.
But the work is not over. After leaving the tattoo shop, it's now time to get your fresh tattoo healed properly. And this is where I see many people ignore the fact that their bright new tattoo is an open wound. And if this wound is not treated properly, the fresh, bright looking new tattoo, will lose it's potential luster once it fully heals. This is speaking from first hand experience.
How To Care For A New Tattoo: First Day & Long Term Healing
1. Never re-wrap your Tattoo - If your tattoo artist covers your new tattoo with plastic cling film or a padded bandage, make sure to remove it after the first 2-3 hours, and do not apply it again. Re-wrapping your tattoo will cut off oxygen and suffocate your skin's ability to breathe, leading to poor quality healing and damaging your ink. Leaving your tattoo sealed without oxygen exposure can cause pus formation and infection, ultimately damaging your tattoo. Now if your tattoo artists uses self-adhesive tattoo films like Saniderm or Dermalize, make sure to follow their instructions from each company's website. These medical grade bandages are breathable and excellent for tattoo healing. They provide a protective waterproof barrier from germs, bacteria, dirt or sweat while allowing oxygen to pass through and heal your ink, while locking in your body's natural moisture. They also allow you to live without the risk of damaging your tattoo from rubbing your tattoo on clothing or other surfaces. No more waking up in the morning with your ink stuck to the bed sheets. We recommend using these types of films to protect your new tattoo during the first 7-10 days of healing. After then, start applying Inked Ritual Tattoo Care 3-4 times daily for the next couple of weeks, to finish the tattoos healing process.
2. Never touch your tattoo with dirty hands - Well this sounds obvious, but I’m sure many people seem to forget just how dirty their hands can be. Remember, your freshly tattooed skinis open wound that can be extremely at risk of infection for the first 7-10 days.
3. Never wash your tattoo with hot water - Your skin is very sensitive during healing, and running hot water over the newly inked skin, can cause irritation and your pores to open, potentially causing unsettled ink to leak out. When washing your tattoo, lightly rinse your tattoo with lukewarm water, and never soak it while in the shower.
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4. Never use fragrance or alcohol-based soaps - These products contain ingredients that can irritate your skin during the healing phase. Artificial fragrances cause rashes, irritation, and itching. Alcohol-based products are very irritating to open wounds and will dry out your tattoo, leaving it at risk to damage, improper healing and premature fading.
5. Never wash or scrub your tattoo with a cloth or towel - During the tattoo healing phase, only use clean hands to wash your tattoo. In a circular motion, gently and lightly rub the tattoo area with lukewarm water and antibacterial fragrance-free soap, then
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