Tattoo aftercare is important if you want your ink to last. A tattoo is an open wound, leaving it vulnerable to infection. As artists, we ensure our environment is hygienic and sterile, but once you leave the studio you need to follow the aftercare to reduce infection risk. Start the aftercare within 2 hours of leaving the studio. Do not rewrap your tattoo. Wash your hands before starting the aftercare. Wash the tattoo. The first wash is really important. Use your clean fingers to wash the tattoo in cool running water, as you need to get rid of any syrupy, stick layer until it’s gone. This layer is comprised of ink, blood, plasma, and lymph fluid. After this first wash, then all the others need to be done gently. Do not use soap, only gentle wash such as the ones recommended below to Dry the tattoo. Do not use a towel no matter how clean it is as it will have picked germs up, and could leave fibres inside your tattoo. Either let it air dry, or pat gently with a kitchen paper towel. Check the clean and dried tattoo. If a patch looks dry and scabby then you may need to increase the aftercare amount. We need to avoid scabbing. If a small part looks gooey, that could be a start of an infection. Please contact your artist for further instructions immediately. Apply the aftercare cream. With clean hands, apply a thin, transparent layer of aftercare cream. Your skin needs to breathe or your pores could become clogged up leading to spots. Skin with the applied cream should feel like a candle. It shouldn’t come off on your fingers, otherwise, it’s too thick. You need to do this 4 times a day, for 10 days until the skin is smooth and fully healed. As soon as you wake up. Afternoon lunchtime. Evening meal time. Just before bed. After this, it takes a month to fully heal. Taking care of your tattoo should last a lifetime. After the initial aftercare routine, please keep moisturising, exfoliating, and using suncream to keep the tattoo looking great. Other tips: Once you have the aftercare cream and take it with you everywhere. That way you won’t risk missing a wash. At nighttime, it’s best to lay on or wear something that’s cotton and clean against your tattoo. Don’t let pet hair come into contact whilst healing. Don’t itch, or rub. Only pat. You don’t want to introduce bacteria from under your nail directly into the tattoo or damage the tattoo. Stay hydrated. Try not to overdo it on the alcohol as you don’t want to bump it. Avoid tight clothing or anything else that will rub the tattoo. Avoid vigorous exercise. It slows the healing process down, and sweat can dry the tattoo out. Don’t soak in baths or go swimming. No saunas or steam rooms. If you do get a quick shower or bath, avoid soaking the tattoo, and then do an aftercare wash. Don’t expose your tattoo to the sun. It’s a wound with no natural protection from the sun which can cause damage. Don’t use sun cream until your tattoo is fully healed which takes a month. Do not use sunbeds or go sunbathing. Tattoos can swell up, have redness, and be sore for 24-48 hours. If this persists then contact your artist as they can give further advice. Products recommended Aftercare wash: - Tattoo Goo Aftercare Wash. - Sanex 0% body wash. - Child’s Farm wash - Any gentle none-fragranced wash Aftercare creams: - Hustle Butter. Organic and Vegan friendly. - Bepanthen. This is easily affordable and found in many shops. Please contact us with any questions. Steel City Style Aftercare