+ THINGS TO REMEMBER.

• Under NO circumstances should you let any pets lick or come into contact with your new tattoo. This may cause complications in healing or even infection. Be aware when sitting on furniture that pets have been on as well. Your furniture is a great place for pets to sit and clean themselves leaving dirt, fur and all sorts of potential nasties behind no matter how clean they are.

• Your healing tattoo should never stay submerged in water. Avoid any swimming activity. It is also best to avoid the gym, steam rooms and saunas as well. Limit yourself to only short showers until the tattoo has finished peeling. This helps to avoid your tattoo becoming waterlogged.

• It is also important that a fresh tattoo be protected from the sun and dirty environments (if you work in a dirty job I highly recommend the second skin healing method) as it is an open wound. All normal activities involving water or sun exposure can usually be resumed after 10-14 days.

The way you look after your tattoo will greatly determine the way your tattoo will look once it has completely healed. Remember that this artwork is on you for the rest of your life, so protect your investment!

+ HEALING YOUR TATTOO.

As soon as you get home while the tattoo is still covered, place an ice pack wrapped in a tea towel (a bag of frozen peas is great) on it for 10-15 minutes to help reduce the swelling. Don't panic if you can't do this, it just helps with the swelling.

• If you were sent home in just cling film, remove the covering after 1 to 2 hours. Do not remove the wrap until you can properly clean the tattoo with warm water (just warm water, no soap or bodywash). See CLEANING YOUR TATTOO and USING THE TATTOO BUTTER for further instructions on looking after your exposed tattoo.

• If you were sent home in second skin see HEALING YOUR TATTOO WITH SECOND SKIN for further instructions.

+ CLEANING YOUR TATTOO.

• Wash your hands with soap and hot water(never touch your tattoo before washing your hands to limit introducing dirt or bacteria that may cause infection) and avoid touching any surfaces before touching your tattoo where possible.
• Rinse your tattoo well with warm water.

• While the tattoo is damp, use your fingers (do not use abrasive cleaning products like loofahs, flannels or exfoliants) and gently clean your tattoo wiping off as much of the slimy coating that may have formed.

• Rinse. You can do all the above in a nice hot shower. This will help with the swelling and take some of the sting out of it. It will sting like hell fire but trust me it does actually help.

• Pat dry with a clean, fresh paper towel (do not scrub, wipe or rub). Towels may leave fluff and fibres behind that can trap dirt and bacteria so are best avoided for this purpose.
• Leave to air dry for 10-15 minutes. Putting the tattoo butter on while the tattoo is still damp can trap moisture in the tattoo and make it go gooey and gross. This can lead to complications so best to avoid this. Clean or shower your tattoo morning and night for the first day or two. You may still need to clean or blot your tattoo during the day as the traumatized skin will still be losing a small amount of fluid (be mindful that this weepage may stain sheets or clothes as it is usually a mix of plasma and excess ink).

+ USING THE TATTOO BUTTER.

• If you were sent home with just cling film covering your tattoo, do not use the tattoo butter for the first 24 hours. Your tattoo will still be weeping and already has enough moisture to protect it. Waiting 24 hours also makes it far less likely that bacteria will get rubbed into the open wound and cause any infection.

• If you were sent home in second skin follow the instructons below after the second skin removal.

For best results use the tattoo butter 3-4 times a day following this routine.

• Wash your tattoo using the CLEANING YOUR TATTOO instructions.
• After air-drying, wash your hands with soap and water again, rinse and then pat dry with a paper towel (this avoids introducing fluff from towels into the tattoo butter and your tattoo).
• Using your clean fingertips (never use the tattoo butter without first washing and drying your hands) gather a small amount of the tattoo butter.
• Massage into the skin to keep the tattoo slightly moist (hehehe) but not smothered. Use just enough to make the tattoo slightly shiny. This shine wears off quickly as the butter is absorbed.
• Now you are good to go!

The tattoo butter is designed to be as non-greasy and non-sticky as possible which to some people may feel "kinda almost dry but not". This is by design. This is to avoid suffocating your tattoo while minimising sticking to clothes, fluff, dirt etc. Please do not over apply the tattoo butter.

Using too much tattoo butter and putting it on too often will cause breakouts around the tattoo by clogging your pores and can lead to complications.

When the peeling begins, the tattooed skin will flake like sunburn. At all costs avoid scratching or picking at the cracked and flaking skin. Let it fall off by itself. Use the tattoo butter until the skin returns to its normal texture. You can continue to use the Tattoo Butter as a moisturiser if you wish.

+ HEALING YOUR TATTOO WITH SECOND SKIN.

Second skin is an awesome way to heal your tattoo without having to worry about it. By using this you are able to go to the gym (light work outs only as sweat can be trapped under the second skin and repeated stretching of the second skin may cause irritation), shower and be around pets without having to do anything for the tattoo. Second skin is a wet heal and sometimes it will look gross, gooey and like a blister. This is perfectly normal. However, if you find a large excess of fluid does build up, you can take the following steps.

• Message me with some photos to help determine the best course of action and I will help you best handle your situation

It is important that you leave the skin on for at least 5-7 days in total (aim for 7) unless you have a reaction or any discomfort. There is a very rare chance that you may have a reaction using the second skin due to it being an adhesive based product (like a band aid). This is normally a reaction to the adhesive from the second skin, not the second skin or the tattoo itself. If a reaction occurs, it is often accompanied with red spots, blisters or pimples surrounding the area of the second skin. If it is itchy, sore or red, take it off straight away using the TAKING THE SECOND SKIN OFF instructions below and consult the USING THE TATTOO BUTTER instructions above for instructions on further care.

If the second skin is removed early (and/or your tattoo has not completely healed when it is removed) I recommend using the Tattoo Butter until healing is completed.

+ TAKING THE SECOND SKIN OFF.

• Have a shower with hot water (this helps to soften and loosen the adhesive).

• Lift a corner and pull the second skin downward along the skin. Make sure you do this away from your face (I should have explained this as I was putting the secong skin on. If not or this doesn't make sense feel free to message me). Do not rip it upwards/outwards or fast like a band aid. This will not only hurt like crazy but there is a high chance you could damage your tattoo resulting in ink drop out and needing a touch-up.

• Wash your newly exposed tattoo with warm water and once out of the shower pat dry with a clean paper towel. Do not use a regular towel as this can be abrasive and can introduce fluff into any areas that may not be completey healed.

• Check out your tattoo (I bet you almost forgot what it looked like without the gooey stuff) and see if there are any areas that arent fully healed.
• Follow the USING THE TATTOO BUTTER instructions until your skin returns to normal. Just to reiterate, the area where the tattoo is under the second skin will most likely look like a gross gooey mess and not what you would expect to be normal at all, but it is. All that mess is excess ink, blood and plasma. I have found that second skin has led to some of the best healing results with a very low touch-up rate.

+ TROUBLESHOOTING.

• BUBBLY SURFACE.
  If bubbles form on the surface of the fresh tattoo. Stop applying creams or ointments, let it dry and peel on its own. This bubbling is caused by moisture getting trapped in your tattoo, usually from too much tattoo cream or putting tattoo creams on when the tattoo is still wet. This can lead to severe scabbing and ink fall-out.

• SCABS.
  If scabs develop they can remove the colour beneath them if they are prematurely removed. It is important that they're allowed to dry out completely and also not get waterlogged at any time (avoid soaking and excessive washing). They will eventually fall off on their own and the tattoo should be fine if no deep cracks have formed.

• REDNESS.
  For the first few days there will be redness around the area of your tattoo due to the tattoo procedure. Tis is your body reacting to heal the area. It should settle down. Be aware that clothing rubbing on the tattoo will cause it to look red and inflamed. This is not a sign of infection, it is just angry at being rubbed so it is best to wear loose, clean clothing where possible. If you are concerned about how red your tattoo is, feel free to message me with some photos (good lighting is a must) and I will help put your mind at ease. Or, if need be, give you a course of action to follow.

+ TOUCH UP POLICY.

I want your tattoo to look its absolute best. So, I hope, do you. As such I provide touch-ups with a small fee of $20 provided you have healed the tattoo as per the instructions. If you haven't looked after your tattoo properly then you will be charged a normal tattoo price.