Tattoo Aftercare: What Actually Works

As a colour artist who regularly does large, multi-pass pieces, I get asked about numbing products a lot. Here’s the straight truth from the chair.

Your tattoo is permanent art and an open wound. Treat it like both.

Proper aftercare is 50 % of the final result. Do it right and your tattoo will heal bright, sharp, and infection-free. Do it wrong and you’ll be back for touch-ups – or worse.

Day 0 – Leaving the Studio

Your artist will apply a thin layer of aftercare ointment and cover with medical-grade wrap (cling film or Saniderm/second skin).

• Leave it on for the time your artist specifies (usually 2–24 hours depending on method).

• Do NOT peel it back early to show your mates. You’ll introduce bacteria and lose plasma/pigment.

• First Wash (when you remove the wrap) for temporary wrap only.

• Wash your hands like a surgeon.

• Gently remove wrap and rinse under lukewarm running water.

• Use fragrance-free, hypoallergenic liquid soap (e.g., QV Wash or whatever your artist sells).

• Lightly lather with clean fingertips – no loofahs or washcloths.

• Rinse thoroughly, pat dry with clean paper towel (not a bath towel).

• Let air-dry 5–10 minutes.

• Apply a rice-grain-thin layer of recommended tattoo sepcific, aftercare products. (Not Ebay ones).

Days 1–14 Routine (the non-negotiables)

• Wash 2–3 times daily (morning, night + after sweating).

• Always pat dry + air-dry 5–10 minutes before re-applying product.

• Use only a very thin layer – thick globs trap bacteria.

• No soaking: no swimming pools, ocean, baths, saunas for minimum 3 weeks (6 weeks if it’s a big piece).

Gym & dirty working environment: cover with fresh cling film (NO ointment underneath the wrap). Remove as soon as you’re home, wash, air, re-apply ointment.

Sleep: for the first 3–5 nights on large pieces, wash before bed, pat dry, and loosely wrap again to stop it sticking to sheets.

Recommended Aftercare Products (artist-approved, 2025)

• Bepanthen Tattoo Aftercare Ointment (my #1 for 20 years)– Pro-vitamin B5, breathable, no fragrances/preservatives– Dermatologically tested specifically for tattoos– Available in every pharmacy in AU/NZ/Europe

Link: bepanthen.com.au/bepanthen-tattoo-aftercare

• Hustle Butter Deluxe (global favourite, vegan)

• Aquaphor Healing Ointment (USA staple)

• SecondSkin Balm or Saniderm Aftercare (if you use second-skin method)

• After Inked (popular in USA/Canada)

• Shop Endorsed Adtercare

Never use: Vaseline, coconut oil, paw-paw ointment, bag balm, cheap eBay “tattoo goo”, or anything with fragrance/petroleum.

Week-by-Week What to Expect

Week 1 – Warm, red, shiny, weeping plasma. Colours look insanely bright.Week 2 – Itchy as hell, thick scabs/flakes start falling. Light scratch around the tattoo, never on it.Week 3 – Most scabs gone, some dull patches. Week 4–6 – Surface healed. Inner layers still settling. Colours will “settle” 20–30 % softer – this is normal.

Red Flags – Call Your Artist Immediately

• Dark red streaking

• Pussy discharge (yellow/green)

• Excessive swelling/heat after day 4

• Fever or feeling unwell

We’ll advise you to get your GP for antibiotics if needed.

Recovery & Self-Care – Don’t Sabotage Your New Ink

Your body just went through controlled trauma (especially with large or long sessions). Healing a tattoo is the same as healing any other wound: it needs rest, hydration, good food, and sleep.

• No binge drinking for at least 7–10 days (alcohol thins your blood, increases swelling, dehydrates skin, and dramatically raises infection risk).

• Skip the big nights out, late nights, junk food marathons, and drugs.

• Drink plenty of water, eat clean protein and vegetables, and get solid sleep.

You can have the best tattoo in the world on day one, but if you treat your body like a rubbish bin during healing, you’ll fade, blow out, or scar the artwork – and no artist will fix that for free.

Look after yourself like an athlete in recovery. Your tattoo (and your future self) will thank you.

We’ll give you the best tattoo, but we can’t follow you home and clean it for you.

Heal smart, heal fast, and enjoy your new ink!

Allergic Reactions & Irritation 

Numbing Cream + Aftercare Products

(Extremely rare, but when it happens it’s dramatic – know the signs and how to shut it down fast)

True allergies to modern tattoo products are uncommon (<1 %), but certain people are wired for trouble:

• Redheads / fair Celtic skin (MC1R gene)

• History of multiple allergies (especially lanolin, fragrances, nickel, or essential oils)

• Previous reactions to medical creams or anaesthetics

  
  

The usual culprits:

• Lidocaine / tetracaine / benzocaine in numbing creams

• Lanolin or fragrances in some aftercare ointments

• Red and navy-blue pigments (historically higher nickel/metal content – much less common with 2025 REACH-compliant inks)

  
  

Immediate Signs of a Reaction (within minutes to 48 hours)

• Intense burning or stinging that gets worse, not better

• Raised, angry red welts beyond the tattoo border

• Hives or tiny blisters

• Excessive heat and throbbing

• Itch that feels like fire ants

If this happens → act fast. Emergency Response Protocol

1. Stop everything. Remove any remaining numbing cream or aftercare product immediately.

2. Wash the area thoroughly with lukewarm water and fragrance-free soap for at least 2 minutes.

3. Pat dry with clean paper towel.

4. Cool it down – wrap an ice pack or frozen peas in a clean, damp tea towel (never apply ice directly – you’ll add frostbite to your problems). Apply 10 minutes on / 10 minutes off.

5. Take an oral antihistamine (e.g., cetirizine/Zyrtec, loratadine/Claratyne) if you have no contraindications.

6. If swelling spreads, breathing feels tight, or you feel faint → go straight to emergency.

7. Photograph the reaction and message your artist immediately.

If You Suspect the Aftercare Ointment

• Switch instantly to a known hypoallergenic alternative:– Plain Bepanthen (white tube – original nappy rash cream, zero fragrance)– Aquaphor (USA)– Pure refined coconut oil (only if you’re 100 % sure you’re not allergic)– Or just keep it clean and dry – some people heal large pieces with nothing but gentle washing.

If You Suspect the Numbing Cream

• Reactions are almost always from the “-caine” anaesthetics, not the ink.

• Stop using any numbing product for future tattoos.

• Let your artist know – we keep records, so you’re never exposed again.

99.9 % of people sail through with zero drama, but if you’re that 0.1 %, speed is everything.

Message the shop the second something feels wrong – They will likely talk you through it.

Better to over-react and be safe than ignore it and end up with scarring or pigment loss.

Legal & Professional Protection

Make an aftercare sheet like this, your official shop protocol:

1. Customise it with your studio name, logo, contact details, and any specific product preferences.

2. Print it (laminated or on quality card) and hand it to every client at the end of their session.

3. Upload the exact same document as a downloadable PDF on your website (e.g., yourdomain.com/aftercare).

These three actions (signed/handed sheet + website PDF + business card link) create an unbreakable paper trail proving you provided clear, written aftercare instructions.

If anyone ever claims, “I wasn’t told how to look after it,” you simply produce the signed copy, the website timestamp, and the card they were given. Case closed. Courts, councils, and insurers love this level of documentation – it protects you 100 %.

DISCLAIMER

By downloading, printing, or using this form from Erika Armstrong (or any related site, course, or resource), you acknowledge and agree to the following: This is a free, generic global information intended only as a starting point. It must be customized to comply with the specific tattoo laws, health regulations, and insurance requirements in your jurisdiction, which vary worldwide. Erika Armstrong does not guarantee that this form is legally sufficient, compliant, or suitable for use in your city, state, province, or country. By downloading or using this form, you fully release Erika Armstrong, and all affiliated parties from any liability, claims, damages, or lawsuits arising from its use or customization. Use at your own risk and always have your final version reviewed by a qualified local attorney.