TATTOO CARE - all the ins-and-outs at a glance

If you've just had your tattoo done, don't think by any means that your tattoo journey is over. In fact, as soon as you leave the tattoo studio, you are far from finished. That's when it starts: the aftercare of your tattoo.

• Listen to the advice of your tattoo artist
• Clean your tattoo regularly
• Never apply too much tattoo cream
• Do not pick and pull at skins and scabs
• Stay out of the sun until your tattoo is healed
• Avoid water as much as possible with your tattoo
• Take care of your tattoo until it heals

To enjoy your tattoo as long as possible, we recommend that you take a serious approach to the care of your tattoo.

Your artist will tell you exactly the same thing. The end result and appearance of your tattoo depends not only on the skills of your tattoo artist, but also on the care you give it.

• Tattoo aftercare is important for the recovery of your tattoo
• Tattoo aftercare prevents tattoo irritations and infections
• Tattoo aftercare prevents unnecessary touch-ups
• Tattoo aftercare ensures a beautiful end result of your tattoo

Cleaning your tattoo is the first step of your tattoo care. Especially the first few days, it is incredibly important to keep your tattoo clean. Our tattoo soap is specially designed to make this as pleasant as possible.

You notice this right away when you first start cleaning your tattoo. When you start washing the blood, ink and Vaseline off your new tattoo. Then the Cleansing Gel not only cleans your tattoo very well, but it calms your tattoo right down. This is due to the cooling and anti-inflammatory effect of the tattoo soap.

You will then feel your tattoo, which is actually still a wound, settle down immediately. The swelling and redness will then also be a lot less.

You don't have to worry about dehydrated pulling skin. The cleansing gel actually keeps your skin from drying out. It is suitable for washing your tattoo often and always leaves a protective layer.

Benefits aftercare soap:

• cleanses and cares
• Soothes the pain of tattooing 
• reduces itching and burning
• bacteria-inhibiting
• does not dry out the skin

After cleaning, it is important to take extra care of your tattoo and especially not let it dry out. Lubricating your tattoo is the next step of your tattoo care.

Lubricating your just-set tattoo isn't exactly pleasant. Your skin is completely raw, like an abrasion, and feels irritated. Lubricating with a stiff oily ointment is not pleasant at all.

Onzetattooaftercare cream is developed in such a way that it spreads easily over your fresh tattoo. After applying it, it will be absorbed into your skin. The After Tattoo will not stick to your clothes. The cream is not greasy at all.

We are often asked what the difference is between a tattoo ointment and a tattoo cream. A cream does not seal your skin and allows your tattoo to breathe.

The After tattoo contains ingredients that help your tattoo heal quickly and also take good care of your skin. Panthenol soothes itching and burning, while Vitamin E gives your skin a big boost and keeps it well supple.

Once your tattoo is healed, the trick is to keep it beautiful for as long as possible. The ☀️ sun will be your biggest enemy. Not just in the summer, but all year round. Your tattoo will slowly fade and look less and less sparkling over the years.

 Our tattoo day cream is specially formulated to provide daily care for your healed tattoo and protect it from fading. The Daily Tattoo Care contains a UV filter that protects your tattoo from the sun's rays.

Regeneration of your tattoo means that your tattoo heals quickly and healthily. With proper care, you will ensure proper regeneration and prevent your tattoo from irritating or perhaps even infecting unnecessarily.

Your tattoo is basically a big abrasion. That means your new tattoo is open to all sorts of nasty germs and bacteria. So take care of that tattoo! 

When your tattoo is all healed, you are still not done taking care of your tattoo. Not only are you getting older, but so is your tattoo. We'll tell you later how to keep your tattoo beautiful for as long as possible. 

HOW TO HELP YOUR TATTOO HEAL AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE?

- Leave the plastic wrap on for as long as your artist has told you. One artist may ask you to leave it on for up to an hour, another may leave it on for an entire day. Your artist knows what is best for your tattoo.

- After removing the cling film, clean your tattoo with lukewarm water and alcohol-free soap. This will remove excess ink, plasma and blood.

- Pat your tattoo dry after cleaning. Use a clean lint-free cloth to do this. Be sure not to rub, but dab.

- Always apply only a small amount of cream or ointment. Make sure your skin is completely dry before applying the tattoo cream or ointment. Above all, do not apply too thickly, but certainly do not let your tattoo dry out.

- Wash your tattoo regularly. For the first few days, it is important to clean your tattoo at least twice a day. Make sure that bacteria do not have a chance to spoil your tattoo.

- Repeat this grooming process until your tattoo is healed. Exactly how long that takes varies from person to person. Just assume 2 to 4 weeks.

- Don't pick and pull at the skins and scabs. Not everyone suffers equally, but please stay away from them.

- Stay out of the sun. No direct sunlight and applying sun creams to your tattoo is completely out of the question before your tattoo is healed.

- Avoid water as much as possible, You can shower briefly with your tattoo, but swimming or bathing should be left for a while. Water can contain nasty bacteria that can completely ruin your new tattoo if you are not careful.

- Continue to take care of your tattoo after it has healed. Protect it from the sun with sunscreen and prevent your skin from drying out.

What comes your way once your artist is done putting it on? We go through it step by step and outline how best to care for your tattoo.

When your artist is done tattooing, you can't just put on your clothes and walk out. First, because you would be giving bacteria free rein and second, it doesn't feel comfortable at all.

Your artist will clean your tattoo for the last time and apply Vaseline, for example. Then your tattoo will be wrapped with cling film, but that can also be another kind of bandage or a special adhesive tattoo film. 

One of the most frequently asked questions is after how long you can take the foil off your tattoo. It is also quite exciting to take it off for the first time. Generally, it is recommended to take the foil off after 2 to 4 hours.

If your artist works with second skin tattoo film, you can leave it on longer.

By the way, not every artist has the same way of working, keep that in mind. Just listen to your artist's advice. He knows what is best for your tattoo.

Note!

Before you take the foil off, you should make absolutely sure that you wash your hands lol and be sure that you can clean your tattoo. It is important that you can clean your tattoo immediately with water and a mild alcohol-free soap.

After you wash your hands, first carefully peel off the tape that the film is attached to. This is skin-friendly tape, so it won't hurt. Then very gently remove the film. You will notice that there is quite a bit of dirt underneath. Well, dirt. It's just a mixture of ink, your own blood and blood plasma, and if that's on it, Vaseline or something similar.

You have to wash all that "dirt" off. Not by just putting the shower on it at the temperature it was at before you got tattooed. That doesn ѐt feel ѐy at all, we can tell you.

Not only that. Too hot water and also the steam released then also reopen your pores. That's not conducive to your tattoo. Instead, you want your pores to stay closed to trap as much ink as possible. Lukewarm water works best. Also read Can you shower with your new tattoo?

Cleaning your tattoo is done not only with water, but also with a mild mild alcohol-free soap. Preferably with a soap specially designed for cleaning tattoos. By soap we mean preferably a soap-free soap or washing gel with a skin-friendly pH value.

First lather the soap with water in your hands and then wash your tattoo with circular motions. The Vaseline can make it feel quite slippery. Use only your hands for cleaning. No sponge or anything similar.

Vaseline usually doesn't come off all at once. Feel free to wash your tattoo several times in a row this way.

Especially don't be alarmed if you see ink running toward your drain. That's excess ink.

It is ESSENTIAL that you rinse off all soap thoroughly!

After washing, you are going to dry your tattoo gently. Be careful not to take your towel off the drying rack out of habit and then rub yourself dry. Especially don't! Pat your tattoo dry very carefully and especially with a clean cloth. Do not use a cloth that has fluff or fibers on it.

No doubt you've experienced it before. It doesn't work if you apply when your skin is still wet. For example, if you come out of the sea and immediately start applying sunscreen. The same applies now. So make sure your tattoo is lolly dry. We even recommend that you wait a few more minutes before putting on sunscreen. Then your skin will be all washed out.

When rubbing in, the main rule is to apply THIN. It is important not to seal your skin. Your tattoo needs to be able to breathe. Oxygen is incredibly important for the healing of your tattoo. Be sure not to let your tattoo dry out. In fact, it is essential to keep the skin moist and supple. This will help the healing process of your tattoo. With a sufficiently moist tattoo you have the least chance of crusting and you reduce the chance that your tattoo will itch. Too moist again gives a greater chance of infection. Just a thin layer of cream.

What cream, ointment or lotion you rub your tattoo with is also important. Use creams designed specifically for tattoo care. You can't just put your perfumed body lotion on it. It is essential that your tattoo regenerates properly.

If your tattoo is taped with a tattoo foil, you don't need to apply anything at all to your tattoo as long as the foil is on it.

So how do you ensure that your tattoo heals beautifully and that you can enjoy it for as long as possible? Then in addition to washing and lubricating, there are a number of things you should especially leave for the coming period. 

• Repackaging your tattoo with foil
• Wearing clothes that are too tight
• Wearing woolen or fluffy clothing
• Touching your tattoo with dirty hands
• Touching your tattoo with dirty hands
• Picking at your scabs
• Exercising too fast with your tattoo
• Taking a bath with your tattoo

We mentioned it before in taking care of your new tattoo. It is important not to close off your tattoo. Enough oxygen needs to get to it. That will not happen if you re-wrap your tattoo with cling film. Under the cling film it can breed and bacteria like that. So leave as much as possible.

So it is allowed? Yes. Your artist may even advise you to leave the foil on for 24 hours and advise you to sleep with the foil on the first night. Then change the foil during the day. Above all, follow your artist's advice here.

Wearing clothes that are too tight does not help the healing of your tattoo, in fact, you can damage the skin again quite nicely and thus become inflamed. Preferably wear wide clothes. It feels much more comfortable.

Wearing woolen or other fluffy clothing is not convenient with your fresh tattoo. But not if you have the adhesive film on your tattoo, you run the risk of lint getting into your tattoo. It is best to wear cotton clothing. That is also the easiest to clean if ink or blood gets into it.

No doubt that will happen, but oh so dangerous! The danger of infection is really lurking. If it does happen, just clean your tattoo an extra time with your chosen tattoo soap. Then don't forget to wash your hands first and only then your tattoo.

That too is bound to happen! Beautiful tattoos are simply irresistible and ask to be touched. DON'T! We don't have to explain why.

Is that not allowed either? No, no matter how tempting it is.

By the way, not every tattoo gets scabs, especially if you have the second skin on your tattoo. 

Do you get them? Then try to stay away from them as much as possible. Those scabs on your tattoo really do fall off on their own. As long as they are attached, they are necessary for the healing of your tattoo. If you take them off, you risk damaging your tattoo and thus maybe even scarring your new tattoo.

If you move too fast exercise with your new tattoo you run the risk of disrupting the healing process. Your body needs all the energy to let your tattoo recover, especially if it is a large area. We should also add right away that it matters what kind of sport you do.

Sweating and moving around a lot is not conducive to your ink. Especially not the first few days. The tattoo ink is then busy settling into your skin. Leave this process alone as much as possible. The same goes for heavy labor, of course.

Then, if you are unstoppable and absolutely want to exercise, make sure that as little dirt as possible gets into it. No dirt at all, of course, is impossible. So wash it again. Preferably immediately after exercising and care for it as usual.

Until your tattoo is fully healed, it is wise not to bathe with your new ink. The heat will open up your pores. That way you open them wide for bacteria that are àalways lurking ѐn you run the risk of the ink bleeding out. The same goes for the Sauna. Just be patient! Swimming with your new tattoo is not helpful at all.

When your tattoo starts peeling, it is very tempting to fiddle with the sheets and see if she can gently take you off. You guessed it, do NOT. If you pull the skin along, chances are you will damage your tattoo with all its dangers. When, if and even to what extent your tattoo sheds varies from person to person, body to body and artist to artist.

Itch. No matter how crazy it makes you, stay away from your tattoo! It may be the most important tip of all. And so much can go wrong. Not only can you ruin the look of your tattoo by scratching off the scabs or skins when you have an itch. You also run a very high risk of your tattoo getting infected! Nails and hands are a walhalla for bacteria.

This may be very tempting when your tattoo starts to itch. But this way your tattoo cannot breathe enough, which is essential for your tattoo's healing process. Always keep rubbing your tattoo with a thin layer of cream. The point is to keep your tattoo supple and moisturized. Don't drown it!

Speaking of drowning, we can tell you right away that too much alcohol is not good for the recovery of your tattoo. Too much alcohol dehydrates the body and prevents many vitamins and minerals from being absorbed.

Not only that, by the way. If your tattoo is bleeding heavily, too much alcohol isn't helpful either. After all, alcohol dilutes blood. The same applies if you're on blood thinners and want to get tattooed.

Drink plenty of water. Especially in the first few days of your tattoo care phase.

Tattoo and sun do not mix well. As long as your tattoo is not yet healed, your skin is still so delicate that the sun can do a lot of damage to your skin. We are not talking about the fading of your tattoo, but about tattoo irritations such as blisters, bumps, infections and so on. All of these can be very painful and cause great damage to your tattoo and your health.

If the sun is really unavoidable, try to shield your tattoo as much as possible by covering it.

The first three weeks after getting your tattoo are without a doubt the most important weeks of your tattoo care! Or perhaps longer for some people, it varies from person to person. The care you put into your tattoo in the first weeks determines to a large extent whether your tattoo will look beautiful or whether you will ruin it. Keep a close eye on your tattoo during the healing process! Pay close attention to how your tattoo develops. During this period, the risk of infection or inflammation of your tattoo is greatest.

Good luck with your new tattoo!

Then check out our All in Bundle for the care for your freshly done tattoo.
For cleaning, grooming and sun protection.

Our blogs on taking care of your tattoo:

• Can you put sunscreen on your new tattoo?
• My tattoo keeps itching. How do I get rid of it?
• Do you already have a friendship tattoo?
• Help there is all blood coming out of my tattoo!
• How long does and finger tattoo last?
• How do you prepare for your first tattoo?
• What should you look out for and tattoo cover?
• Alcohol and your new tattoo. Do they go together?
• Lubricating your new tattoo
• When is your tattoo healed?
• How do you use the tattoo foil?
• Sunbathing with your new tattoo. Do's & don'ts
• How do you keep your tattoo beautiful in the sun?
• Swimming with your new tattoo. Do's & don'ts
• Cleaning your tattoo
• Working out with your new tattoo. Do's & don'ts
• Sleeping with your new tattoo
• What is a tattoo blowout?
• Getting older and tattoos