Aftercare

Tattooing breaks the skin and creates a wound. With good care, it takes about 6 weeks for that wound to heal.

If your tattoo is covered with cling film, you can remove it after 3 to 5 hours. Then wash it gently with lukewarm water and pat dry with kitchen paper.

Wound spray should stay on until it wears off by itself. Second skin or transparent wound film can stay on for 4 to 7 days. Once the tattoo is uncovered, do not put a new film on it and carry on with the daily care.

Treat an uncovered tattoo every day as follows:

• Wash the tattoo 2 to 3 times a day with a mild, unscented soap and lukewarm water.
• Pat it dry after washing with a clean towel or kitchen paper. Do not rub!
• Apply a thin layer of ointment such as Bepanthen (tattoo), Bepanthol, Homeoplasmine or Cicalfate, just enough to keep the area supple.
• Do not let the tattoo dry out. On average, applying ointment 4 to 6 times a day is enough.

Care for your tattoo for at least 14 days. Can you no longer feel the lines after 14 to 20 days? Then you can stop or cut down on the ointment.

Leave the tattoo uncovered as much as possible. If that is not possible:

• Change the cling film every 4 hours. You may sleep with film on the first night.
• Wash gently with lukewarm water each time you change it.
• Carefully pat away plasma and traces of blood.

While your tattoo is healing, make sure you:

• touch it as little as possible, and always wash your hands before caring for it
• do not scratch or pick at it
• do not rub it
• do not cover it with fabric bandages or tight or dirty clothing
• do not cover it with plasters or bandages
• avoid (bubble) baths, swimming pools, saunas and steam rooms
• keep it away from sunlight, sunbeds, pets and other animals, and dusty places
• keep it away from alcohol, peroxide (hydrogen peroxide) and Betadine

Healing takes at least two to six weeks, so count on a full month.

A tattoo is a wound and can bleed for the first 24 to 48 hours. Swelling, a warm feeling, redness and some fluid are all part of the healing process.

If the symptoms get worse after 24 hours, or suddenly appear after 48 hours, contact your GP. Think of extreme redness, swelling, bleeding, wound fluid, discolouration or (chronic) pain.

Not sure? Get in touch.*

*Contact me or your GP, and leave grandma's home remedies out of it...

• Wear loose clothing.
• Leave your tattoo uncovered as much as possible.
• After a few days the tattoo will itch. That is normal. Try not to scratch!
• Your tattoo may peel, no stress! It will not disappear. Let the flakes come off by themselves.
• The first 14 days are crucial!