Aftercare
After care will play a big role in the long term outcome of your tattoo.
simple steps you take in the first few days and weeks can significantly impact how your tattoo will heal and look overall. Follow the advice given to you by your tattoo artist to optimise the outcome and always reach out if you have any questions.
The First Day
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Keep the area clean of debris.
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If your tattoo gets contaminated then use fresh, clean water that has been boiled (cooled down) to gently clear the area with a cotton ball. If you need to use soap use a low irritant product like baby soap and be gentle.
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apply your preferred ointment to the area regularly throughout the day to keep the wound/tattoo soft and supple, avoiding a firm scab.
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you may shower today, do not directly agitate/wash the wound/tattoo in the shower with soap as this may irritate the fresh wound and/or pluck pigment from the site.
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Healing Process
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total wound/tattoo healing is a process that will take at least a month - more as we get older.
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the first few days is when your tattoo is at its greatest risk of infection - so it is important you keep it clean!
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for the first week it is important that you avoid swimming, sweating and any activities that might interrupt the healing process or contaminate the wound - like tanning products or perfumed creams, saunas etc.
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after the first week - physiologically you can return to pre tattoo activities. Though still avoid applying anything except your aftercare ointment to area. Most wounds take at least 2 weeks to 'turn over'. after this time you can then go back to using most products like normal.
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healing is still going on in the background though. epidermal turn over takes at least 30 days (add an extra day for every year after 30). This means the pigment its self wont be settled and healed untill at least then. At this time you will know if you need a touch up - reach out to Aymie if you do.
Special Attention
When a tattoo is created, the machine’s needles puncture the skin thousands of times per minute, delivering droplets of ink deep into the dermis. This controlled injury triggers the body’s inflammatory response, drawing macrophages—immune cells that rush in to engulf the ink particles. But because the pigment is too large to be broken down, the macrophages become permanently lodged in the dermis with the ink trapped inside them. Even as these cells die over time, new macrophages capture the released pigment, creating a continuous cycle that keeps the tattoo visible for years.
The skin itself is made up of three main layers: the epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous tissue. Since tattoo ink sits in the dermis, the outer epidermal layer must heal and shed any leftover pigment, which is why a healed tattoo looks softer and more settled than a fresh one.
Over time, factors like UV exposure, natural cellular turnover, and environmental stressors can gradually break down pigment particles, contributing to tattoo fading. For this reason, SPF (sunscreen) will help maintain your tattoo over time by reducing some of that pigment break down.