Tattoo Aftercare

So you have your new tattoo and you’re super exited to see it heal up and show it off. What do you do next? Most tattoo artists will give you similar advice and most advice is good. Bare in mind that every body has different skin types and what works for some may not be perfect for others. The number one thing to do though is KEEP IT CLEAN. This is by far the best way to make sure that your fresh broken skin is kept away from infection and bacteria. Here at hidden city we will try and keep you in the shop after your tattoo session has finished just for a little while to ensure any bleeding has stopped. We will then either apply a loose dressing to stop clothing rubbing the tattoo and to stop any dirt landing on it whilst it’s still fresh or you may choose to use a ‘second skin’ dressing which we have on hand. This is a breathable, waterproof dressing that is applied over the tattoo and this completely covers your new tattoo to keep out all nasties and dirt. Ask your artist about using this product as there are different types of dressings that require different applications. 

If we have just applied a loose dressing, keep this on for about an hour then when you take it off give your tattoo a nice soapy wash (we recommend QV Wash or a ‘no soap soap’) then rinse with fresh water, pat the area dry and leave the area uncovered to dry out as much as possible for the first 24 hours. Try to wear loose clothing or wear clothes that don’t touch or rub the new tattoo. 

After 24 hours you can then apply a very thin film of tattoo aftercare product. Here at  Hidden City we stock “Dr Pickles aftercare balm”. We believe it’s one of the best products on the market and it’s vegan. Apply twice a day or if your tattoo is feeling very dry then reapply for about 2 weeks or until the tattoo is completely healed.

You can wash your new tattoo in the shower no problem at all.

If at any stage your tattoo feels very hot or starts to weep puss and is red around the edges, give us a call, send us a picture and we can identify if you have picked up a little infection. 

Whilst this is not common, it is not rare to get a little infection, especially if your tattoo is low to the ground like an ankle tattoo. When your tattoo is low to the ground, bare in mind that you are constantly kicking up little dust clouds and that dirt will settle on your fresh tattoo which can lead to a little infection. I actually got a bit of infection in a fresh tattoo a couple of months ago because it didn’t stop raining for about a month and my propensity for puddle jumping with the kids got me a little hot and weepy down at the bottom of my beautiful new tattoo. As I knew what to expect I went straight to the nearest doctor and got a course of antibiotics. This cleared it up all good after a few days.