Aftercare (Second Skin)

After Your Appointment

Leave the applied second skin on overnight or for 24 hours.

Larger Pieces & Heavy Blackwork

For larger pieces and heavy blackwork, remove the first covering after this time period. To do this safely, submerge the tattooed area in warm water in the shower. You should never soak your fresh tattoo in bath water for the first week. The warm water will loosen the adhesive and make it much easier to remove. If you are having issues removing it after this step, try adding some fragrance-free shower gel into the gaps of the dressing to help the adhesive detach even more. Do not pull second skin off dry or with force! It can compromise the healing of your tattoo dramatically.

Clean the tattoo with a gentle, fragrance-free soap (Sanex, Cetaphil, Dove, Aveeno are great examples). Do not keep the uncovered tattoo submerged in water for a long period of time during this step.

After you get out of the shower, pat with a clean towel or clean kitchen roll and let your skin air for 5 minutes. Then proceed to apply a pea-sized amount (slightly more for anything above palm-sized) of cocoa butter or coconut oil (both highly recommended). If you have had tattoos before and have experience with tattoo-specific creams, those are also okay.

Apply the fresh second skin piece (if you have one) after 5 minutes of applying your aftercare to the skin. Cut to size (I also recommend rounding the edges so it stays on longer), peel the square backing (there is a tab to help you) and apply directly to your skin like a sticker. Then peel from the green arrows outwards on the surface of the dressing. Try to make sure there are no bubbles around the tattoo. You can then leave this on for 3-4 days. You will be able to shower and do your everyday routine providing you keep the tattoo out of the direct water flow of the shower.

After 3-4 days, you may remove the dressing in the same way explained above. Your tattoo will now be in the next stage of healing and will have a shiny appearance. Moisturise 2-3 times a day with the recommended aftercare. If the tattoo is on or near a joint, it will be much easier to feel when you need a top-up of product as you will feel your skin pull or tighten in the area.

Smaller Pieces

For smaller pieces, you can leave the second skin on for 5 days and apply the same removal and aftercare steps as above.

What to Expect

For both sizes, there will potentially be plasma, blood and ink leaking out of your tattoo. This is perfectly normal and is just something that happens as your body starts to heal the wound. It happens a lot more with heavy blackwork so this is something to keep in mind during your healing journey.

If you experience a red rash around the dressing, you could potentially be allergic to the adhesive in second skin. If this is the case, remove it immediately and keep it covered and moisturised with the recommended aftercare. Change the cling film 2 times a day for the first 2-3 days. This is also something you should follow if your dressing falls off in the first few days. After this you can follow the same moisturising care post second skin.

First Week - What to Avoid

  • No baths, no swimming (both in the sea and pool)
  • Avoid having your tattoo exposed to direct sun (especially if you are going abroad)
  • Limited to no gym, especially in the first 3 days
  • No picking scabs
  • If your tattoo is on your lower leg or foot, avoid boots, knee-highs and wellingtons. Always wear a protective layer between your footwear like socks or tights

Touch-ups

Because of the nature of blackwork being traumatic to the skin, especially in dense covered areas, there may be some fallout. Tattoos sometimes don't heal perfectly, that is no one's fault and there are so many contributing factors such as sensitive or thin skin, your body rejecting the ink in certain places, sickness, or just being tattooed for long periods of time and so on. If this is the case, I offer a free first touch-up for all my clients.

Aftercare (Cling Film)

After Your Appointment

Leave the applied cling film on overnight or until you get home. After this period of time has passed, remove the cling film and get in the shower. Clean the tattoo with a gentle, fragrance-free soap (Sanex, Cetaphil, Dove, Aveeno are great examples). Do not keep the uncovered tattoo submerged in water for a long period of time during this step.

After you get out of the shower, pat with a clean towel or kitchen roll and let your skin air dry. Then proceed to apply a pea-sized amount (slightly more for anything above palm-sized) of cocoa butter or coconut oil (both highly recommended). If you have had tattoos before and have experience with tattoo-specific creams, those are also okay.

First 2-3 Days

Apply fresh cling film to the area and repeat 2-3 times a day for the first 2-3 days. It is important to shower at least once a day. For the other redressings throughout the day, remove the cling film and clean with warm water and disposable kitchen roll and then re-wrap with recommended aftercare and cling film. Do not over-moisturise your new tattoo.

After Cling Film

After the recommended days, you may remove the cling film. Your tattoo will now be in the next stage of healing and will have a shiny appearance. Moisturise intuitively with the recommended aftercare. If the tattoo is on or near a joint, it will be much easier to feel when you need a top-up of product as you will feel your skin pull or tighten in the area.

What to Expect

There will potentially be plasma, blood and ink leaking out of your tattoo. This is perfectly normal and is just something that happens as your body starts to heal the wound. It happens a lot more with heavy blackwork so this is something to keep in mind during your healing journey.

First Week - What to Avoid

  • No baths, no swimming (both in the sea and pool)
  • Avoid having your tattoo exposed to direct sun (especially if you are going abroad)
  • Limited to no gym, especially in the first 3 days
  • No picking scabs
  • If your tattoo is on your lower leg or foot, avoid boots, knee-highs and wellingtons. Always wear a protective layer between your footwear like socks or tights

Touch-ups

Because of the nature of blackwork being traumatic to the skin, especially in dense covered areas, there may be some fallout. Tattoos sometimes don't heal perfectly, that is no one's fault and there are so many contributing factors such as sensitive or thin skin, your body rejecting the ink in certain places, sickness, or just being tattooed for long periods of time and so on. If this is the case, I offer a free first touch-up for all my clients.

Questions or Concerns

Any issues with the tattoo or questions, please always contact me first before you get a second opinion. The quickest way to get a response from me is by:

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