Although getting a new tattoo is exciting and you want to show it off straight away, it is important for you to carefully look after your tattoo after it has been finished. After all, your tattoo is like a wound until it heals. Allowing your tattoo to heal properly prevents any complications such as infections or scarring. Here are our tips on how to look after your tattoo-
Follow Your Tattoo Artist’s Advice
Healing times differ depending on how well you heal and the size of your tattoo. It is essential for you to keep following the aftercare instructions for as long as your tattoo artist has told you to. They’re the experts so they know what is best to take good care of your tattoo.
Although unlikely, if you do experience any unusual swelling or reactions, contact your tattoo artist or doctor for advice.
Cover up your tattoo
Usually your tattoo artist will apply a thin layer or antibiotic ointment over your tattoo before covering it with a bandage or plastic wrap. This prevents bacteria from getting into your skin and your fresh ink rubbing against your clothes and getting irritated. Your tattoo artist should tell you how long you should cover your tattoo up for.
Wash your tattoo
You should always keep your tattoo dry for 48 hours. However after you have removed the wrap from your tattoo, you’ll want to wash your skin with antibacterial and fragrance free soap. When you do touch your tattoo, you should make sure your hands are clean. You’re allowing your tattoo to breathe following it being covered so you should avoid any cloth to clean your tattoo as it will exfoliate the skin. Simply rinse with warm/mild water and dry the area. You should not soak your tattoo in a bath for a week.
Following cleaning your tattoo, it is recommended that you use moisturiser to keep your skin protected and help it to heal. You should use an aftercare lotion or moisturiser 3 times a day, or whenever your skin feels dry, for about a week, depending on how quickly your skin goes back to normal. Just a thin layer will be effective. Our INKIN signature aftercare spray is ideal for this. It is the first fully natural contactless aftercare system in the world. It instantly dries on your skin and provides you with a layer of the healing spray, so you won’t need to worry about irritating your skin. Also, it is wise not to shave the few days following your appointment.
You should repeat the cleaning process until your tattoo is fully healed.
Avoid Direct Sunlight
If you do go out in the sun while your tattoo heals, choose loose fitting clothes that are sun-protective. While your broken skin is being repaired, you should avoid wearing suncream as the chemicals and minerals could irritate your skin. Even if your tattoo has healed, the ink in your tattoo, especially coloured ink, can fade in the sun. So if you’re going out and about it is essential for you to cover your tattoo in SPF beforehand.
Avoid Itching
We know how tempting it can be, but don’t itch your tattoo! It is normal for your skin to feel itchy, however, try and touch your tattoo as little as possible until it is completely healed. This means letting any scabs or flakey skin fall off naturally. It is important to note tattoos with colored ink take longer to heal than non-colored tattoos, especially if it’s large or on the inside of a joint.
Picking at your tattoo could remove the ink from the area and result in faded patches or the ink being removed altogether. Wearing loose clothing will help with this and avoid any healing problems.
Official TKTX tattoo Survival Kit
Official TKTX will take you through the entire tattoo process from start to finish and help your tattoo heal perfectly. We were able to create a solution for the numerous problems the tattoo community has faced with aftercare for years. In our tattoo survival kit, we use key vitamins which are essential to help quickly fix and rejuvenate skin cells. As well as oils which help protect and calm the skin.
Our tattoo survival kit includes 4x TKTX Numbing Creams, 1x INKIN Signature Contactless Spray-on Aftercare, 1x 14pck DEXTRO Glucose Energy + Vitamin Chewies, 1x HIGH 5 Caffeine Juice Gel Shot, 1x PVC sticker, 1x Cream Application Glove.