Tattoo Aftercare UK tattoo and piercing aftercare products and advice

We at tattoozoo.co.uk believe that aftercare is one of the most important factors in ensuring your whole tattoo experience is trouble free and produces a final result that your really happy with.

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Caring for your Skin
With special thanks to Shirley Jaffrey © The Hemp Company Ltd

Tattoo Aftercare

Once your tattoo is complete the care of your tattooed skin becomes and is your responsibility. The quality of your finished tattoo will be greatly affected by the aftercare routine and aftercare products you use.

The skin following a tattoo has in effect been damaged leaving you with an abrasion. On the skin the bacteria staphylococci live quite harmlessly and are a normal part of life. However once the skin is broken there is the potential for the skin to be susceptible to these bacteria.

It's normal for your skin to to heal without any problems if you follow some basic aftercare principles.

Wash your hands with a simple, unperformed, anti-bacterial wash prior to touching or washing your tattooed skin, and before
applying any aftercare products.

Choose a good quality aftercare product that does not contain petroleum as this reduces an effective healing process.

Never share your aftercare products with anyone and only be responsible for your own hygiene.

Your artist will have given you aftercare instructions on how to wash and care for your skin after your tattoo. This advice can vary from place to place. Artists will generally have trialed many methods of aftercare over the years and will tell their customers the methods that work well for them. As the end user of this advice you have to decide on how to follow and interpret this information.

The position of the tattoo on your body and the experience of the Tattoo Artist will also affect the healing process.

Choosing An Aftercare Product

There are a variety of products available and recommended on the market. Some are specifically designed for the skin following tattooing and other products are used by artists in the absence of suitable products.

A good aftercare product should lightly coat the skin and contain ingredients that aid the skin healing process. Products that contain petroleum should be avoided as this ingredient prevents the skin from breathing thereby slowing down the healing process.

A light film coating of a good aftercare product should cover the tattooed skin and be absorbed slowly. This will help prevent scabbing.

Don't be tempted to over apply your aftercare product as this can cause problems by making the skin soggy and preventing it from breathing thus reducing the skins natural healing ability.

Your aftercare product should hold information on the ingredients it contains. It is required by law to use the INCA (The international system for identifying ingredients in cosmetics) name of an ingredient which is in Latin.

Do not accept or purchase a product that has not been labelled correctly. These products will have been taken from their primary container and could be contaminated during transfer. You have the right to use a product that has been filled and packaged correctly.

Caring For Your Skin

After the tattoo your artist may have applied a first application of an aftercare product (This will optimise the healing process). You will also have a dressing on with some artists using cling film for this purpose.

Artists using cling film will give you instructions when this should be changed or removed and how long this should stay on for.

Other artists use Melolin (shiny side down); others use gauze and some paper toweling. These dressings are usually removed after between 2-6 hours; your artist will advise.

After the initial dressing is removed wash the tattooed area with a light & simple, non-perfumed soap and luke warm water. Gently pat the skin dry (DO NOT RUB THE TATTOOED AREA), and allow the area to rest for 5-10 minutes until fully air dry.

Apply a small amount, a film, of your aftercare product over the tattooed area and very gently massage in. Follow the product instructions for application. Generally this will be an application of 2-4 times a day. Do not recover the skin unless specifically instructed to do so by your artist.

Depending on the product you have chosen, your own general health, the size and position of your tattoo your skin can heal between 3-7 days.

There should be minimal scabbing, if any, and the product should not draw out the ink. If you do experience scabbing don't pick at them as this can draw ink out and cause gaps in your finished tattoo. Picking at any scabbing that may occur will re-open the skin and increase the risk of infection. Remember bugs live on your skin.

Your skin may start to lightly peel but don't pick this off, it will come away itself within a few days.

Avoid sun beds, sun bathing and swimming for at least 3 weeks.

Once the skin has healed you can continue to use some aftercare products as a moisturiser to keep your skin looking and feeling fresh.

Use a high sun factor cream when going out into direct sunlight as tattoos don't generally like UV light which can fade colours.

Reaction To Aftercare Products

If you have had a reaction to your aftercare product - don't panic!

Everyone is different and it may be that you are sensitive to one of the ingredients.

Although not a major problem it can happen with reactions appearing in a number of ways from a redness of the skin or irritable itching to white pimple like spots.

These irritations will be localised to the applied area. If this does occur stop using the product and follow your washing routine to clean away any remaining product. Your skin may now be further irritated and needs an opportunity to recover so it would be best not to apply any further products. This irritation should settle down within 24 - 72 hours.

Having a reaction can be upsetting for some people and you may feel that your tattoo will be ruined. This is generally not the case. The skin will heal similar to that of skin that has not used any aftercare product. For a person in good health this would happen usually in 10-14 days. The skin will be more liable to scabbing and itching during this time. A very light application of olive oil can help minimise these symptoms.

If you still experience problems after a few days it would be doubtful that the aftercare product would be responsible. Contact your artist for initial advice and if your symptoms persistent visit your local GP.

Infections

Although not common, if your skin does become infected through picking a scab or for no apparent reason you may need to visit your GP.

Follow your washing routine and recover with a sterile dressing to absorb any excess fluid. If the area starts to settle down within 24 hours you bodies own defense mechanism may be dealing with the infection. If there is no sign of improvement a visit to your local GP would be advisable.

On a Lighter Note

The majority of people whether it is their first tattoo or one of many, experience no problems during the healing process and using a good quality aftercare product find that their skin heals easily with very little or no symptoms of discomfort.

The cells of your skin were damaged during the tattooing process and the recovery of these cells will be aided by your choice of aftercare product.

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www.tattoozoo.co.uk recommend THC Tattoo Aftercare

This is a 100% natural ointment specially formulated to deal with the
skins changing requirements during the healing process.

It eases the itch and soothes the skin with colours remaining vibrant.

THC is suitable for long term care after the healing is complete as it
naturally nourishes the skin. It can be used on some older inkwork
to replenish and vitalise the skin.

The product comes in a range of handy sized pots too, so you
can take it with you wherever you go.

Each pot is security sealed for total piece of mind.

This product is approved by the Humane Cosmetics Standard

If you have any questions or would like further advice please click here.