Tattoo Aftercare

It depends on which covering your artist applied. A regular plastic film (cling wrap) stays on for just 2 to 4 hours, take it off once you are back at your hotel. A “second skin” adhesive film stays on for 24 hours before you remove it.

Both do the same job, protecting the fresh tattoo on your way home, they simply last for different times. Your artist will tell you which one you have and confirm the timing before you leave the studio.

Once the wrap is off, wash the tattoo well with the soap we give you. Gently but thoroughly remove all the mix of blood, plasma and excess ink from the surface, this first wash matters most.

Clearing that residue properly is what keeps thick scabs from forming. When it is done well, only a fine layer of skin will peel as the tattoo heals, exactly what you want. The one rule to remember: never pick or scratch a scab, because pulling one also pulls out colour pigment and can leave gaps in the design.

After washing, let the tattoo dry. Because Thailand’s climate is humid, wait 48 to 72 hours before applying any cream or ointment, the tattoo needs to be genuinely dry first.

Putting cream on too early traps moisture against the skin and slows healing, and that matters even more in a warm, humid climate. For the first two to three days, keep the tattoo clean and dry, washing gently with our soap once or twice a day. Only once it is fully dry do you start a thin layer of moisturizer.

Beyond those three steps, a handful of simple habits keep your tattoo looking its best as it settles, usually over about two weeks.

• Wash gently with the soap we give you, and apply only a thin layer of moisturizer once the tattoo is fully dry.
• Let any flaking skin peel on its own, never pick or scratch it.
• Avoid soaking the tattoo (pools, the sea, long baths) until it has fully healed. Heading to the islands? Plan your beach days for after it has closed up.
• Keep it out of strong direct sun while it heals; once healed, a little sunscreen keeps the colours vivid for years.
• Wear loose, comfortable clothing over the area so it can breathe.

If you want to understand what happens in the skin while a tattoo heals, the Wikipedia article on tattoos explains it in plain language.

Questions before you book? Our tattoo FAQ covers deposits, walk-ins and touch-ups, and the booking page explains what to send us. If your piece is fine line or lettering, the fine line page shows how thin lines heal.

Regular plastic film: 2 to 4 hours, then remove it once you are back at your hotel. A “second skin” adhesive film: leave it on for 24 hours before gently removing it.

It removes the blood, plasma and excess ink from the surface so thick scabs do not form, only a fine layer of skin should peel. Use the soap we give you, and never pick a scab, because pulling one removes colour pigment too.

Wait until the tattoo is fully dry. In Thailand’s humid climate that usually means 48 to 72 hours. Keep it clean and dry first, then start a thin layer of moisturizer only once it is genuinely dry.

Keep a fresh tattoo out of pools, the sea and long baths until it has fully healed, usually about two weeks. If a beach or island trip is part of your plans, schedule your swimming for after it has closed up.

Let it peel away naturally and keep moisturizing lightly once the tattoo is dry. Do not pick or scratch it, pulling a scab pulls out colour pigment and can leave gaps.

Use the soap we give you at the end of your session. It is suited to a fresh tattoo, and we show you exactly how to do that important first wash before you leave the studio.