Tattoo aftercare: the first 14 days, day by day
Second skin, washing, balm and the itchy week. Exactly what to do, and what never to do, while your new tattoo heals.
The two weeks after your session decide how your tattoo looks for the next twenty years. The good news: healing well is mostly about doing less.
Keep it clean, keep it thin
Wash gently with unscented soap and lukewarm water, pat dry and apply the thinnest possible layer of balm. Too much product suffocates the skin and can blur fine lines.
Hands off during the flaky week
Around day four your tattoo will flake and itch. Picking pulls ink out with the flakes. Tap it, moisturise it, ignore it.
- No soaking: baths, pools and the sea wait two weeks
- No direct sun until healed, then SPF 50 for life
- Loose clothing over fresh work