Congratulations on choosing Tanuki Tattoo to bring your latest tattoo idea to life. Now it’s up to you to look after your beautiful new tattoo to ensure it looks its absolute best for years and years to come. Below is a list of dos and don’ts, carefully curated by your artist, based on their years of experience. Please make sure to follow these directions as closely as possible, and most importantly, ignore all advice from your friends, colleagues, relatives, people in the street, google etc as I guarantee none of them are as invested in the outcome of your tattoo as your artist, or yourself.

Aftercare instructions:

  • Between one and 3 hours after leaving the studio, remove any covering on your tattoo and give it a wash (if no covering was applied just wash your tattoo):
    • Wash tattoo with warm soapy water
    • Make sure your hands are clean prior to washing your fresh tattoo.
  • Dry your tattoo with a clean towel, or alternatively a good quality paper towel
  • Once your tattoo is dry apply a thin layer of Bepanthen (our recommended aftercare ointment). o If using a different product for your aftercare, please follow the instructions carefully and bear in mind, not all tattoo aftercare products are made the same. We recommend Bepanthen due to its shielding and antiseptic properties. If using a product without any antiseptic ingredients, be very cautious.
  • Apply bepanthen 3 times a day to your fresh tattoo, and ensure you are washing and drying your tattoo
    before every fresh application o Applying new Bepanthen over old Bepanthen can lead to clogged pores and infected hair
    follicles.
  • Continue with Bepanthen for the first week of healing your tattoo, or until the tattoo has reached a point
    where it is no longer a “wound” and therefore no longer susceptible to infection. – When you have reached this point, switch from bepanthen to a moisturiser (honestly any will do) and
    moisturise your tattoo after showers, and whenever it looks or feels dry.
  • Ongoing moisturising of your tattoo is a great way to ensure it looks its best for years to come.

Things to avoid when healing:

  • Prolonged exposure to the sun
  • Getting hammered the same day you were tattooed
  • Immersing the tattoo in water (2 weeks from date of being tattooed)
  • Picking or scratching. (if it becomes itchy when healing, a little slap is your best option)
  • Tight clothing
  • Contact with pets, particularly the furry kind
  • Touching your tattoo with unwashed hands.

And that’s it! The only other to do is get out there and show off your new tattoo. Thanks again for your support and we look forward to continuing to work with you for years to come.

Tanuki Tattoo team