Getting tattooed is the easy part. The fortnight afterwards is where you actually influence how the work looks in five years.
Most aftercare advice fails because it treats the whole process as one thing. It isn't. A tattoo needs different things on day one than it does in week three, and using the same product throughout is the most common mistake we see. Here's the routine stage by stage.
One thing before we start: if your artist gave you specific instructions, follow theirs. They've seen your skin and the work they put in it. We haven't.
The first 24 hours
Your artist will wrap the area before you leave. Leave it on exactly as long as they told you - that might be two hours or it might be three days, depending on whether it's cling film or an adhesive healing film.
During this window:
- Don't touch it, and don't let anyone else
- Keep the area clean and dry
- Sleep on clean sheets, ideally not on the tattoo
When the wrap comes off, expect ink and fluid pooled under the film. That looks alarming the first time and it isn't your tattoo falling out.
Wash it. Lukewarm water, clean hands, a mild fragrance-free cleanser, and a gentle circular motion until the surface feels clean rather than slippery. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry with clean paper towel - not the bath towel that's been hanging up all week.
Then a thin layer of a lightweight cream. Not balm. Not ointment. At this stage the skin is still open and it needs moisture it can breathe through, not a seal over the top.
Days 2 to 14: the first fortnight
This is the whole routine, and it doesn't change:
- Wash gently, twice a day
- Pat dry with clean paper towel
- Thin layer of lightweight cream
That's it. Consistency beats quantity every time — a light layer twice a day does more than a thick layer once.
What you'll probably feel along the way: tightness, warmth, dryness, and itching that gets worse before it gets better. All normal.
Somewhere around day four to seven, it'll start flaking. Coloured flakes come off and people panic. They shouldn't - that's surface skin carrying surface pigment, and the ink that matters sits deeper. We've written about this in detail in Why Is My New Tattoo Peeling So Much? if it's worrying you.
Through this fortnight, avoid:
- Picking, scratching or helping the flakes along
- Long hot showers, baths, spas and swimming pools
- Direct sun
- Training that soaks the area in sweat or drags clothing across it
- Fragranced skincare of any kind
Weeks 2 to 4: settling
By the end of the second week the surface has usually closed over, even though the deeper layers are still sorting themselves out. You'll often hit the "silver" or cloudy stage here, where the tattoo looks slightly dull and hazy under new skin. It clears.
This is the point to switch. Once the skin has closed, a richer balm makes sense - it seals moisture in and holds up against heat, sun and daily wear in a way a light cream won't.
Keep it to once a day, on clean dry skin.
Month one and beyond
Once it's settled, your tattoo is just part of your skin - and it ages like the rest of your skin does. Dry skin makes ink look dull, and sun is the single biggest factor in how a tattoo looks a decade later.
Long-term care is simple:
- Keep the skin moisturised, especially in summer and after swimming
- Cover up or use sunscreen on exposed work
- Balm more often through heat, humidity and chlorine
The five mistakes worth avoiding
- Too much product. A thick layer traps warmth and moisture against skin that's trying to close over. Thin layers, always.
- Starting with balm. Heavy occlusives belong after the first fortnight, not during it.
- Switching products constantly. If something's working, leave it alone.
- Anything fragranced. Freshly tattooed skin has temporarily lost its barrier, and added perfume is the most common trigger for contact reactions in skincare.
- Picking. Every time. It's the one that actually costs you ink.
The quick version
Day 1 to 14 — wash twice daily, thin layer of lightweight cream after each wash.
Week 2 onward — switch to a richer balm, once daily.
Forever — keep it moisturised, keep it out of the sun.
What we'd use
We make aftercare, so take this with the appropriate salt - but this is the routine the three products were built around, which is why they're three products and not one tub.
- Line Work Tattoo Wash - mild, soap-free, fragrance-free, vegan. Twice daily for the first two weeks.
- Stand Fast Aftercare Cream - lightweight daily moisture for the first fortnight. Thin layers after each wash.
- Hold Fast Tattoo Balm - richer balm for once the skin has settled, and for years after. Contains beeswax, so it isn't vegan.
The first two together are the Fresh Ink Kit. All three are The Full Ritual Kit.
All fragrance-free, free from parabens, petroleum and fillers, made in Australia. Every ingredient is listed and explained on our ingredients page, including the ones that sound like they need explaining.
FAQ
How long does tattoo aftercare take?
The intensive part is roughly two weeks - washing twice daily and moisturising after each wash. The surface usually closes over by the end of week two, though deeper layers keep settling for a month or more.
When can I start using balm on a new tattoo?
Once the skin has closed over, generally after the first fortnight. Before that a lightweight cream is the better fit, because heavy products sit on top of skin that's still open.
How often should I wash a new tattoo?
Twice a day for the first two weeks, with a mild fragrance-free cleanser. More detail in How Long After a Tattoo Can You Wash It With Soap?
Is it normal for my tattoo to flake and peel?
Yes, usually from around day four. Coloured flakes are surface skin carrying surface pigment - the ink that matters sits deeper.
When can I swim or train again?
Avoid pools, spas and the ocean until the surface has fully closed, generally two weeks. Light training is usually fine sooner, as long as you're not soaking the area in sweat or dragging clothing across it - check with your artist.
