Second Skin Method

Second Skin dressings are flexible adhesive patches that speed up the healing process by lessening the likelihood of large/thick scabs forming on your new tattoo. They stay in place for up to 5 days.

1. For two weeks please avoid prolonged sun exposure, and submerging your fresh tattoo in baths or other bodies of water. Showering is totally fine.

2. During this time plasma will collect beneath the dressing, which usually looks like black or dark brown liquid due to some excess ink mixing with it. This is completely normal.

3. Sometimes so much plasma can pool under the dressing that it pops and the liquid leaks out. If this happens, there’s no need to worry, but please remove your Second Skin as soon as possible and allow it to heal openly.

4. It’s easiest to remove the dressing in the shower so that any plasma can run down the drain.

5. To remove the Second Skin, flick up a piece at the corner or edge and gently stretch it parallel to your skin, rather than pulling directly away from it (similar to the way that you remove a 3M adhesive hook from a wall). The dressing will let go of your skin as you stretch it, so just repeat this motion in small sections until the entire dressing has been removed.

6. Lather up the area with some gentle soap (no beads or exfoliators please), rinse the area, pat it dry and allow the tattoo to air dry for 15-30min before applying a thin layer of aftercare balm. Repeat this step twice a day for up to two weeks, depending on the size and location of your tattoo.

7. Too much aftercare balm, or applying balm to wet skin, can cause an infection. Less is more when it comes to tattoo creams.

8. Your tattoo will probably get itchy while it is healing. Avoid the temptation to scratch or pick at the area, as this can cause scarring and ink loss.

9. Once the first layer of scabbing has flaked off, your tattoo is well on its way to healing. The skin will look shiny and fresh, similar to how your skin looks after a bad sunburn has peeled. During this stage you can continue looking after it by applying a thin layer of balm once a day, until the skin looks fairly normal again. This is generally somewhere between 2 to 4 weeks.

IMPORTANT: if the edges of the Second Skin become red, itchy or irritated, you may be allergic to the adhesive. Please remove the dressing as soon as possible following the above instructions.

Cling Wrap Method

Covering fresh tattoos in cling wrap is the older method of healing fresh tattoos. We generally use this method on large scale pieces, awkward areas that Second Skin won’t stick to very well, and whenever clients are allergic to (or just don’t like) Second Skin dressings.

1. When you leave the studio, your fresh tattoo will be loosely covered in cling wrap with a layer of organic shea butter smeared underneath. Keep this in place overnight if you are able to, but at the very least until the end of the day. If you remove the wrapping before bed, you will need to cover it again before you go to sleep as per the below instructions, to keep it protected overnight.

2. Unfortunately plasma and excess ink will leak out the sides of the cling wrap, so it’s best to wear an old dark-coloured tee shirt that you don’t mind getting dirty. Depending on the size and location of your tattoo, you may want to sleep on a towel as well to avoid staining your bed sheets.

3. Remove the cling wrap in the shower. Lather up the area with a gentle soap, and allow the plasma and shea butter to rinse away under the warm water. Depending on the size of the tattoo, you may need to soap and rinse a few times to get it clean. Briefly turning the water to cold at the end of the shower can help to close the pores and lessen how much your tattoo weeps.

4. Gently pat the area dry with some clean paper towel and allow it to air dry for 15-30min before applying a thin layer of aftercare balm.

5. Cover the area with fresh cling wrap, and leave it in place until the end of the day. Remember to wear dark clothes which cover the tattoo as it will leak throughout the day again.

6. Before bed, repeat steps 3 to 5 (showering/cleaning with soap/air drying/fresh cling wrap) for your 2nd night of sleep.

7. In the morning, hop back in the shower to repeat steps 3 and 4. Your tattoo is now open to the elements so please remember to keep it covered with loose clothing.

8. Avoid direct prolonged sun exposure, and submerging the area in baths or other bodies of water for at least two weeks. Showering is always fine.

9. Continue keeping it clean in the shower, allowing it to air dry, and applying a thin layer of aftercare balm to the area once or twice a day. Always make sure your hands are clean before touching your tattoo.

10. Too much aftercare balm, or applying balm to wet skin, can cause an infection. Less is more when it comes to tattoo creams.

11. Your tattoo will probably get itchy while it is healing. Avoid the temptation to scratch or pick at the area, as this can cause scarring and ink loss.

12. Once the first layer of scabbing has flaked off, your tattoo is well on its way to healing. The skin will look shiny and fresh, similar to how your skin looks after a bad sunburn has peeled. During this stage you can continue looking after it by applying a thin layer of balm once a day, until the skin looks fairly normal again. This is generally somewhere between 2 to 4 weeks.

13. Everyone is slightly different and different areas of the body heal at different rates. If you are every unsure of what is happening with your tattoo, please reach out to your artist.
    

Dry Healing Method

Dry healing is basically allowing your tattoo to heal with minimal interference. This method is what Jurrah will advise you to do, specifically because she handpokes rather than using a tattoo machine. Nikita is unlikely to advise you to use this method.

1. When you leave the studio, your tattoo will either be covered with Second Skin dressing or a piece of cling wrap. Leave this in place overnight for bigger tattoos. Smaller tattoos can be uncovered in a few hours. Remove the covering from your tattoo as per the relevant method above.

2. Hop in the shower, lather up the area with a gentle soap and rinse it clean. Pat it dry with clean paper towel and allow it to air dry. Do this each time you have a shower. Please do not apply aftercare balm for a week.

3. Showering is always fine, but please do not submerge the fresh tattoo in baths or other bodies of water for a week. Avoid direct prolonged sun exposure for two weeks.

4. One week after the tattoo was applied, you can start using aftercare balm. A thin layer once a day for two weeks is plenty. Please always make sure your tattoo is dry and your hands are clean before applying any balm.

5. Your tattoo will probably get itchy during this process but avoid the temptation to scratch or pick at it, as you could cause scarring or ink loss.

Remember!

Different healing methods suit different people and different tattoos for different reasons! If you have been tattooed many times before then you likely already know what works best for you. If you’re unsure, you are always welcome and encouraged to reach out to us for advice… There’s no such thing as a silly question 😊

Our favourite types of aftercare are organic shea butter (which we use to tattoo you at our studio), good quality pure unscented Vitamin E cream, or anything from Inky Tattoo Salve.