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ALEX CALDEIRA
How to take care of your tattoo
Thank you so much for trusting me and my work, hope you had a great experience! Here’s all the information that you need to know.
Thank you for coming by!
Here’s your aftercare guide
You’ll be wearing a breathable film barrier, this is a top quality tattoo product and you should wear anytime between 2h-72h (up to 3 days)..
The second skin is breathable, it has micro pores in it, that means this is the perfect commodity for you as it keeps dirt away of your new tattoo.
When you shower or if you sweat the plastic will become a bit wobbly because this soften the adhesive. You can stretch it over and wait for it to dry, you need to be more careful with the second skin on the first day.
The brand that I use at the moment is called Dermalize.
The second skin is breathable, it has micro pores in it, that means this is the perfect commodity for you as it keeps dirt away of your new tattoo.
When you shower or if you sweat the plastic will become a bit wobbly because this soften the adhesive. You can stretch it over and wait for it to dry, you need to be more careful with the second skin on the first day.
The brand that I use at the moment is called Dermalize.
Don’t panic, just try to use your clothes on top to keep the tattoo protected from dirt, when you get home if the plastic didn’t adhere back on, wash your hands and then wash the tattoo, pat it dry with a paper towel.
if your tattoo is small/line work: let it breathe, don’t cover with any other plastics, you can use your regular clothes on top, nothing too tight.
if your tattoo is big (more than 15cm) or a lot shaded: a bit of ooze will come out on the first day, you can wrap on a clean piece of cling film just to sleep, remove it first thing in the morning and let it dry completely.
if your tattoo is small/line work: let it breathe, don’t cover with any other plastics, you can use your regular clothes on top, nothing too tight.
if your tattoo is big (more than 15cm) or a lot shaded: a bit of ooze will come out on the first day, you can wrap on a clean piece of cling film just to sleep, remove it first thing in the morning and let it dry completely.
- You can shower normally wearing the plastic.
- You’ll notice some fluid coming from the tattoo, this should be contained by the plastic and your tattoo will look “muggy” under the plastic, this is just excess of ink and plasma.
- You might notice the region sensible, warm, red or raised, this is completely normal.
- If you notice the area AROUND the tattoo (on the plastic) red/rashed you probably have a skin reaction to the plastic, just follow the next step.
- You need to avoid pools, saunas, excessive exercise and direct sun.
- you can shower normally, just be more conscious about the plastic.
- Try to avoid foods that you’re not used to during the first week, drinking water and rest are always good for your body to recover.
- You need to avoid pools, saunas, excessive exercise and direct sun.
- Avoid soaking your new tattoo into water, you can shower normally
- Wash your hands and carefully remove the film peeling from the bottom being careful with the tattoo area.
- You can remove it during the shower under lukewarm water.
- After the plastic is completely removed wash your tattoo using neutral soap and circle movements. (vegan or unsented soap if you have sensitive skin).
- Pat dry your tattoo with paper towel.
- Here’s a video of how to do it: link
- The scab should be forming by now and you’ll fell the area tight and scabbing.
- You WILL see the black ink falling, this is the scab, it’s expected. The tattoo will settle to your second layer of skin, it’s normal to look uneven, dull or transparent during this time.
- Start moisturising with natural creams, I recommend: Cocoa Butter, Coconut Oil, Shea butter, Skin Salvation by Balmonds, Hustle Butter. Those are all vegan.
- You can moisturise as much as you like, but ALWAYS a thin layer of ointment as too much of a thick layer might clog your pores.
- When the scabs are thinner you can reduce the amount of moisturiser per day.
- Don’t use fragrances, scented creams, sunscreen, fake tanning on your tattoo during the first month
- You can exercise now
- Do not pick or scratch your tattoo during the healing process. Tattoos flake and peel like a sunburn, this is normal and you should let the skin flake naturally, applying more aftercare cream if necessary to sooth any itching.
- It’s probably your first experience with fine line tattoos, I make the application of my tattoos in three phases (soft line, details and a double check on lines and depth)
- Even I’m extremely careful with that, the healing doesn’t depend just on me and you, it also depends on how your skin will absorb the ink. When we’re dealing with an organic surface is normal to see differences on the lines.
- You WILL see the black ink fall, this is the scab, it’s expected. The tattoo will settle to your second layer of skin, it’s normal to look uneven, dull or transparent during this time.
- Your skin isn’t a sticker or a piece of paper, it’s a living organ, you need to understand that imperfections are normal, if something is bothering you, please send me clear pictures around a month after that you did your tattoo so I can see if a touch up is necessary.
- Smaller tattoos has a higher chance of looking uneven, it’s just because it’s a smaller area so anything is more visible
• Avoid direct sun on the tattooed area.
• Don’t use scented products on top of the tattoo.
• Keep moisturising.
• You'll lose up to 30% of the blackness after the healing and will notice that the tattoo looks different than the day you did, this is completely normal and expected.
• After the 3rd week you can use sunscreen, I recommend la Roche-Posay Anthelius due to it’s milk texture and the fact it’s no fragrance.
• Don’t use scented products on top of the tattoo.
• Keep moisturising.
• You'll lose up to 30% of the blackness after the healing and will notice that the tattoo looks different than the day you did, this is completely normal and expected.
• After the 3rd week you can use sunscreen, I recommend la Roche-Posay Anthelius due to it’s milk texture and the fact it’s no fragrance.
• Your tattoo will look different from the day that we did it. It won’t look crisp and black as the new one, the tattoo ink settles a layer down your skin, for that reason once it’s healed it looks slightly dull comparing to day one.
• The lines will eventually spread on your skin, best thing is to keep a healthy skin care to avoid this happens too fast. Be careful with sun exposure, always moisturise and use high factor sunscreen
• Some brands that I really like for aftercare are Stories and Ink, Balmonds, Hustle Butter, Cantu. They’re all vegan, cruelty free and linked here so you can search for more info. There are many other good ones, you can buy what you like more, I love to get some recommendations too if you want to share with me :)
• Easy to find at shop’s recommendation: combo Dove sensitive skin soap + Cantu balm, you can find these at any Boots, Sainsbury’s, Tesco’s, etc. I really like the Boots tea tree line too.
• The lines will eventually spread on your skin, best thing is to keep a healthy skin care to avoid this happens too fast. Be careful with sun exposure, always moisturise and use high factor sunscreen
• Some brands that I really like for aftercare are Stories and Ink, Balmonds, Hustle Butter, Cantu. They’re all vegan, cruelty free and linked here so you can search for more info. There are many other good ones, you can buy what you like more, I love to get some recommendations too if you want to share with me :)
• Easy to find at shop’s recommendation: combo Dove sensitive skin soap + Cantu balm, you can find these at any Boots, Sainsbury’s, Tesco’s, etc. I really like the Boots tea tree line too.
• Not all tattoos need a touch-up, please see my Healing page to know what to expect. I’ll need pictures to judge if a touch-up is necessary or not, I'm very honest with this and it's my best interest that you have a perfect work. Free touch ups still costs me to use the space, so please be considerate.
• Fine line tattoos heals lighter then bold ones, bare this in mind when asking your tattooed friend’s opinion, tattooed people are not tattoo artists. Always check and trust my opinion or other tattoo artists.
• Every time that we put the needle on the same spot we increase the deepness of the surface and this can cause the traces open more, so I don’t recommend more than one touch up.
• I’m always willing to do a complimentary touch up if something is bothering you, touch up is free, travel costs to the studio are your responsibility.
• I can only honour your free touch-up free if you followed my aftercare recommendations.
• If you fail to notify me that you are unable to make your touch up appointment within 48 hours or you’re later than half an hour, this will go down as a no-show and I will be charging you a fixed deposit of £100 to book in again. This is due to a large number of no-shows/late people.
• I cannot be held liable for infection of your tattoo if you fail to use recommended aftercare and keep your tattoo clean at all times while healing. My material is safely packed or disposable as hospital rubbish, I can guarantee a zero infection risk before you leave the studio, after that is your responsibility to keep your tattoo clean.
• If you have any questions please feel free to email or drop into the studio. It is important to me that you're are happy and I’d love to see healed work!
• Fine line tattoos heals lighter then bold ones, bare this in mind when asking your tattooed friend’s opinion, tattooed people are not tattoo artists. Always check and trust my opinion or other tattoo artists.
• Every time that we put the needle on the same spot we increase the deepness of the surface and this can cause the traces open more, so I don’t recommend more than one touch up.
• I’m always willing to do a complimentary touch up if something is bothering you, touch up is free, travel costs to the studio are your responsibility.
• I can only honour your free touch-up free if you followed my aftercare recommendations.
• If you fail to notify me that you are unable to make your touch up appointment within 48 hours or you’re later than half an hour, this will go down as a no-show and I will be charging you a fixed deposit of £100 to book in again. This is due to a large number of no-shows/late people.
• I cannot be held liable for infection of your tattoo if you fail to use recommended aftercare and keep your tattoo clean at all times while healing. My material is safely packed or disposable as hospital rubbish, I can guarantee a zero infection risk before you leave the studio, after that is your responsibility to keep your tattoo clean.
• If you have any questions please feel free to email or drop into the studio. It is important to me that you're are happy and I’d love to see healed work!
Important Reminder: Tattoos are a handmade process, and minor imperfections are normal. While Im always willing to provide a touch-up when necessary, it's important to understand that this doesn't mean the tattoo has "failed." Some healing issues may arise that are beyond the artist's control.
When touch up
here I have some examples of when I consider a touch up necessary or not.
