The First 24 Hours

Your tattoo will be wrapped when you leave the studio. Leave the wrap on for the time advised — usually 2-4 hours for standard cling wrap, or up to 24 hours if you’ve been given a second-skin film. When you take it off, wash the tattoo gently with warm water and a mild fragrance-free soap. Pat dry with a clean paper towel — not a fabric towel, which can harbour bacteria and snag on fresh skin.

Don’t panic if it looks angry, raised, or weepy in the first few hours. That’s completely normal. A fresh tattoo is essentially a controlled skin wound and your body is already working to heal it.

Days 2–7 — The Critical Window

Wash the tattoo morning and evening with warm soapy water. This is non-negotiable — keeping it clean is the most important thing you can do. After washing, let it air dry for a few minutes, then apply a very thin layer of fragrance-free moisturiser. Cocoa butter works well, or any good natural moisturiser without additives or heavy fragrance.

Don’t over-moisturise. A thin layer is all you need — you’re not trying to suffocate the skin, just stop it drying out and cracking. Too much cream causes its own problems and can pull colour out of a healing tattoo.

The tattoo will start to peel around days 3-5. This is completely normal and looks worse than it is. Do not pick or scratch at it. Peeling skin takes colour with it if you pull it before it’s ready.

Weeks 2–4 — The Long Heal

The surface of your skin heals faster than the deeper layers underneath. Your tattoo might look fully healed on the outside after a couple of weeks but the skin is still settling beneath the surface. Keep moisturising lightly, keep it out of the sun, and be patient with it. Full healing typically takes 4-6 weeks depending on placement and your skin type.

Some placements — hands, feet, elbows, knees — heal slower and are more prone to fading or patchiness. If your tattoo is in one of these areas, Josh will let you know what to expect at your appointment.

What to Avoid

A few things that will damage a healing tattoo:

Sun exposure — keep it out of direct sunlight while healing. Once fully healed, use SPF 50 on any tattooed skin that gets regular sun exposure to keep the ink looking fresh long term.

Soaking — no swimming, baths, or hot tubs until fully healed. Showers are fine. Submerging a fresh tattoo in water softens the skin and pulls ink out.

Tight clothing — anything rubbing repeatedly over fresh work will irritate it and affect the heal. Wear loose clothing over new tattoos where possible.

Sweating heavily — if you train hard, try to keep fresh tattoos away from direct sweat contact and wash them as soon as you’re done.

Picking and scratching — it will itch. Don’t touch it. Pat gently if you need to do something with your hands.

When to Get in Touch

Signs of a normal healing tattoo: redness, swelling, and tenderness in the first 48 hours. Light peeling and itching through the first week. Slight dullness before the skin fully settles.

Signs worth getting in touch about: spreading redness beyond the tattoo after the first couple of days, unusual swelling, pus, or the area feeling hot to touch. Infections are uncommon with proper aftercare but worth taking seriously if something doesn’t look right.

Any doubts at all — email through and Josh will help you figure out what’s going on.