Aftercare
Your tattoo is finished at home: four weeks of simple care decide half the result. Here is the studio protocol, step by step.
The dressing
keep 2 to 4 hours · classic film, up to 3 days with second skinSophie applies the dressing that suits the piece and tells you how long to keep it on. Do not remove it before the stated time, even to show the piece: the photos can wait, the bacteria cannot.
Lukewarm water and neutral soap
2 times a day · clean hands · pat dryWash the piece by hand, never with a washcloth, using a mild pH-neutral, fragrance-free soap. Rinse, then pat it dry with a clean towel or paper: you do not rub a fresh wound.
The cream, in a thin layer
2 to 3 times a day · thin layer · the skin has to breatheA pea-sized amount of healing cream is enough. A thick layer smothers the skin and softens the scabs. Itchy? That is normal: tap gently, never scratch.
Let the skin finish
simple moisturising · watch without touchingThe scabs fall off on their own, the white flakes too. The piece may look dull: that is the new skin, still opaque. The ink comes back as it thins.
The sun is the enemy
SPF 50 on exposed pieces · no direct UV in the first yearWhat ages a tattoo is not time, it is the sun. An SPF 50 on the exposed piece keeps the blacks deep for decades.
Do
- Sleep on clean sheets for the first three nights.
- Wear loose clothing that does not rub the area.
- Wash your hands before every care step.
- Drink water, sleep: skin heals better when rested.
- Write to Sophie at the slightest doubt: often a photo is enough.
Avoid
- Pool, sauna, baths and the sea for 3 weeks: a shower is enough.
- Sun and UV beds on the piece while it heals.
- Scratching or picking the scabs, even ones that are “almost off”.
- Intense sport in the first 48 hours: friction and sweat.
- Scented creams, vinegar, forum remedies.
What is normal, when
Redness and tightness
The area is warm, tender, sometimes a little swollen. A clear fluid may bead up: that is lymph, not the ink leaving.
Thin scabs and itching
The piece hazes over, thin scabs form. The itching is the sign that it is working: tap gently, moisturise, wait.
Peeling
The skin peels like after sunburn. The colours look dull under the new, still-thick skin.
Piece settled
The surface is healed, the blacks regain their depth. The deep healing continues for a few weeks, with no special care.
Has the piece healed well?
A Google review helps the next person push open the studio door. Two sentences are enough, a photo of the healed piece even better.
Unsure during healing?
A photo and two lines are enough. Sophie answers every request personally within 3 working days.