Disclaimer: ALWAYS listen to the advice of your tattooist, first and foremost. If you’re not sure about anything ASK, they’re here to help and advise you about any questions, worries and fears you might have. 
I look after my tattoos on how tattooists have recommended I look after them.

Hey guys!
Thanks for coming back to me! ❤

I’ve been getting tattooed since I was nineteen and I’ve changed my aftercare process so many times as I have gotten older and as products have changed. 

I have recently had my knee tattooed and the inside of my leg, so thought it would be pretty cool to let you guys know my aftercare routine as it’s recently changed again with my last few tattoos – and you all know I get myself tattooed on at least once a month, I know right?

I travel for an hour and a half by public transport to get my tattoos and I’ll always grab a bit of lunch after because, honestly, getting tattoos makes me feel a little bit shitty afterwards. 

My tattooist will wrap my new tattoo and I will leave it on for about four or five hours (as long as I can stand to, really), then once I’m ready to take the wrap off, I will carefully remove it and crank the shower on, I turn the temperature DOWN as the last thing I want is to scald it or make it more sore. The water is still warm/hot, so it’s still gonna get a good clean. 
I use antibacterial soap (which you can get from Superdrug) on my bare hands and very gently clean all the excess crappy off in small circular motions. You’ll see it come off. I rewash it to make sure the entire area is entirely clean and I’ve gotten all the gross stuff off. Then I’ll VERY GENTLY with a clean towel, pat dry the tattoo and make sure it’s completely dry. Obviously, you don’t wanna be rubbing it dry because you don’t wanna aggravate it or upset the wound. 

I’ll leave it for about 10 minutes to air and make sure it’s fully dry before I put balm on. The balm I am using at the moment is from LUSH, it is called Dream Cream and, as much as I dislike LUSH and their over enthusiastic approach to hard selling, this stuff is amazing. Fristly, make sure you get the self preserving one, as there’s two. It’s about £15 for the large tub and I’ve had 3 different tattoos and a bout of Irish skin sunburn and I’ve barely scratched the surface! 

The Ingredients contain: Oat Milk, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Rose Water, Rose Absolute, Chamomile Blue Oil, Tea Tree Oil and Lavender Oil; because there’s a few oils in there, I find my skin doesn’t absorb it like moisturiser does so it will form a protective barrier as well as moisturising it. As I said just, I also use Dream Cream on damaged or sunburned skin and it’s a god send, tell your friends. 
I’ll apply a thinish layer to start with, then take a nap. But once I’ve woken up, I’ll reapply a bit more and then leave it to work it’s magic. 

I’m not the kind of person to redress a tattoo, I have never been told to by any tattooist I have been to, and on a personal level it really annoys me to have the dressing on. But I know people who do redress theirs so it’s all good. 
My thing with tattoos is that I like to keep it clean and moisturised and (if it’s on my legs) wear a pair of shorts for the first few days where I can, and cover it in the sun. 

Whilst it’s healing, you’ll notice it will go flaky and start to kind of peel, this is meant to happen, it’s the “scabbing” coming off – DO NOT pick at it, let it fall of naturally, and keep moisturising it but you will get little flakes of tattoo scab in it. Also, you’ll find it gets itchy as it heals but for the love of all that is good don’t scratch it, pat it gently; sometimes, I’ll rub it gently over my sleeve or trouser leg or whatever

Post healing, in the summer, I will always use SPF50 on my skin, it doesn’t matter how old my tattoos are, I protect my skin if it’s not gonna be covered! 

There are tattoo balms you can get from tattooists and I’ve tried a couple but I wasn’t a massive fan as they I felt like I was paying such a large amount of money for a small tub of cream and one I used dried to my skin and clothing and it was so sore and painful to rip (almost) my teeshirt off the fresh tattoo, but again, I know people who swear by it. 

Tattoo aftercare is down to recommendation from your tattooist first and foremost, but you’ll also find what’s good and what works for you. Do your research, and spend a little bit more money on a decent tattooist and just look after them because no one likes to spend their money only to get a gammy tattoo at the end of it. 

I hope this has been an insight to how I look after my tattoos!