Dry healing

1. Take the cling film off after about 4 hours after it’s been wrapped.
2. Hop into the shower and wash it very gently with your hand and lathered up antibacterial or glycerine soap. Make sure not to use a cloth, loofah, sponge, or anything abrasive.
3. Rinse your tattoo and allow it to air dry for about half an hour.
4. Once it’s completely dry, apply a thin layer of your chosen aftercare cream.
5. Repeat the same washing and moisturising routine for the following 5-7 days, applying the cream throughout the day, 1-3 times or whenever it feels a bit tight/dry. 

Wet healing

1. Leave opsite plaster on for 3-4 days. Don’t panic if it comes off sooner. It may get funky underneath the plaster - this is normal!
2. If the plaster comes off before the 4 days are up, see above for dry healing process.
3. You can also come into the studio where we will gladly put another opsite plaster on for you.
4. On the 4th day, jump in the shower and slowly drag the plaster off, keeping the plaster close to the skin. Hot water does help and also some antibacterial/ glycerine soap. 
5. Once air dried, apply cream and always keep it moisturised.

For either option also do this:

1. Preferably shower rather than bath as it’s best not to soak your tattoo in water while it’s healing.
2. Itching and scabbing will occur during the healing process, just make sure NOT to scratch/pick at the scabs as this can lead to ink falling out of the tattoo or raised skin. 

-swimming

-direct sunlight 

-pets/animals near the tattoo
-no gyming/exercising 

Use sunblock when outdoors and always keep moisturised. 

We recommend Easy Tattoo aftercare but also sell Epimax and E45. A glycerine soap is also included in your aftercare pack

DO NOT use SPF whilst the tattoo is still healing. Rather just keep the tattoo out of the sun.
It is OK to take a bath or shower whilst healing but DO NOT SOAK the tattoo in water.
It is advisable NOT to do any sports/ strenuous activity the day after your tattoo.
When exercising during the healing period, make sure to give your tattoo a good wash after any exercise.
IN THE GYM - make sure your tattoo does not come into contact with sweaty benches or machinery.
You can apply an Opsite Flexigrid Plaster if you intend doing anything out of the ordinary, like extreme sports or contact sports, during the healing period. This is available at pharmacies, consult a pharmacist for application.
Please do not use Zambuk or tea tree oil on a healing tattoo.

1. Don't drink the night before.

Alcohol thins the blood - heavy bleeding makes it harder for the artist to work, harder for the ink to stay in, and harder for you to heal. Try your best to stay away from any unnecessary medication that thins the blood before your session (unless of course you have a medical condition)

2. Eat a good meal before the time.
   Not eating can result in dizziness and a lot more discomfort than usual, occasionally even causing you to pass out or experience severe nausea. During full day sittings typically both artist and client will break for lunch to replenish the reserves.

3. Otherwise, come relaxed. Some people like to have something to read, or keep themselves busy with where possible 

Yes it is and we sell the best numbing cream! The cream will need to be applied 45-60 minutes prior to the tattoo to be effective. So make a plan to arrive earlier so you can optimise your booked time.

Your tattoo will generally take about 2 months to heal up completely.
If in this time the colour seems dull - it may just be because a thin layer of skin will form over the tattoo until it is healed - making the colour appear lighter than it should. If after 2 months this is still the case - you may require a touch up.

Infection can be characterized by swelling or redness on or around the tattoo.

If you suspect you have a mild infection (which can be caused by sensitive skin, sweat, irritation, over caring or under caring) come by and let us have a look - something that looks suspect to you may very well be quite normal - like minor scabbing. We can gauge whether you need to seek medical attention or whether you are healing normally. Please do not be afraid to ask and do not leave it too long

If you follow a careful after-care regime you should not scab too much - if you think your scabs are too thick - come by so we can have a look and advise.

Itching is normal, try not to scratch.

Making sure the stencil is the right size and right place does sometimes take a bit of time. It is therefore essential that you are well prepared during the design process and know exactly what you want, how big you want it and where you want it. Especially on the first day of a multiple bookings project.

Please note that your booking includes a setup time and stencil time of 30 minutes which is charged for. This can take longer in certain instances.

No appointments will be made outside of regular store operating hours.