Tattoo aftercare

How to look after a fresh tattoo: the film stays on for four to five days, not a few hours. The full routine, before and after.

Before your session

Get enough sleep and arrive rested.
Eat well — do not come on an empty stomach.
Drink plenty of water and hydrate from the day before.
Avoid alcohol for at least 24 hours before your appointment.
Moisturise your skin regularly, ideally for several days beforehand.
Keep the area out of the sun and off the sunbed — irritated or burnt skin cannot be tattooed.
Do not shave the area yourself unless your artist tells you otherwise.
Wear comfortable clothes.
If you feel unwell or are ill, let us know in advance and we will arrange what next.

Aftercare

Keep the protective film on for no more than 4 to 5 days.
Remove the film under running lukewarm water, then wash the tattoo gently with unscented antibacterial soap, or with lukewarm water alone.
Pat it dry with a clean, dry towel and leave it for the rest of the day without any cream.
Apply a product made for fresh tattoos 2–3× a day for one month. We recommend shea butter or La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5.
For at least a week, limit physical activity that would make you sweat heavily.
For the following month, avoid saunas, hot tubs, pools, the sea, sunbeds and direct sun.

The film stays on for days, not hours

This is the most common misunderstanding and worth stating plainly: leave the protective film we give you on the skin for four to five days. Older routines talked about three or four hours and are still easy to find; they do not apply to the film we work with. Taking it off early exposes a fresh tattoo to needless risk.

What to use

After the film comes off, leave the tattoo without any cream for a whole day. Then apply two to three times a day for a month. We recommend shea butter or La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 — both unscented and non-irritating.

When to get in touch

If anything worries you, write. Even a month later. Better to ask and find it was nothing than to wait.