Care
Step 1 – Foil
I use two types of films: the “normal” and the self-adhesive. You can change the first one after 4 hours, before that you should continue with step 3.
If you have the self-adhesive film, you can remove it after only 2-3 days. In this case, you do not have to worry about the care in the beginning. If it gets red around the foil or starts to itch, don’t worry! Just skip the waiting period and go directly to step 2.
If everything went well and the foil stayed on your skin for 2-3 days, you can continue with step 2.
Step 2 – Removal of the self-adhesive film
Depending on the placement, the film may come off the same day due to movement and friction. In this case, please follow step 3.
If the film does not come off even after 2-3 days or sticks to clothing/bedding while sleeping, you should try the following:
In both cases you can soak it with water. If it has stuck anywhere, gently remove clothing/bedding from your tattoo. Then you can carefully pull the sides of the foil – please do not tear it off!
If liquid has formed under the foil, please remove the foil carefully as described above and continue with step 3.
Step 3 – Tattoo cream
If you already have a tattoo cream, please check if it is not older than one year. If you don’t have one yet, you can buy it at the pharmacy or use Bepanthen (not Merfen or similar).
If your self-adhesive film came off on the first day or you want to change your “normal” film:
- First wash your hands and your fresh tattoo with clean water or PH neutral soap.
- Leave your tattoo in the fresh air for a few minutes. After that you can pat it dry with a clean, lint-free towel or kitchen towel – do not rub.
- Apply a light layer of your skin care cream, less is more.
- Keep your tattoo covered the first night. Use normal kitchen foil with the clean inside on the tattoo. Use adhesive tape to fix it.
If necessary, you can repeat this process until the healing process begins.
Step 4 – General care tips
If your tattoo itches or forms a crust, please do not scratch it! Parts of the fresh tattoo may come off – try to apply cold water to the area instead. To avoid friction, wear loose and lint-free clothing.
During the next 2-4 weeks: no direct sun, swimming/sauna or sports.
Moisturize your skin from now on and always use sunscreen in the summer.
Follow these instructions for the next 2-4 weeks to make sure your fresh tattoo heals well.
Please send me a photo of the healed tattoo in daylight after one month. If there are lines or shading missing that I could not see when tattooing because of the redness, we can make an appointment for a touch-up.
General note: Healed tattoos will not look exactly as they did when freshly inked. Once the redness is gone and the new skin has grown, your healed tattoo will look a little lighter, “duller” and over the years will not look as sharply stung as a fresh tattoo. Remember, your skin is a living organ.
Enjoy your new tattoo!