Healing: 50% of the Work

Do you think the tattoo is finished when you leave the studio? Wrong! The artist's work is done, but yours is just beginning. Poor healing can ruin even the most beautiful tattoo (holes, dull colors, infections). Here is the protocol recommended by Owink in Metz.

Day 1: The Shock

You leave with a bandage (plastic film or second skin).

• Keep it on for 2 to 4 hours (or 24 hours if it's an adhesive bandage like Dermalize, depending on the artist's advice).
• Remove it (clean hands!).
• Wash the tattoo with lukewarm water and pH-neutral soap (fragrance-free). Remove all lymph and rejected ink.
• Pat dry with clean paper towels (not a bath towel, which is a breeding ground for bacteria).
• Apply a very thin layer of healing cream.

Week 1: Tight Skin

• Wash morning and evening.
• Cream 2 to 3 times a day. The tattoo should never be dry, but should not be "swimming" in cream.
• It will weep (ink rejection) the first few days, this is normal. Stain your old sheets, not the new ones!

Week 2: The Shedding

• The tattoo will peel like a sunburn. Small colored skin flakes will fall off.
• DO NOT SCRATCH! If you pick at a scab, you pick off the ink with it => hole in the tattoo.
• If it itches, tap it or apply a little more cream.

Week 3 and Beyond: Maturation

• The skin has reformed but remains fragile and slightly shiny (baby skin).
• Continue to moisturize with regular hydrating cream.
• Sun forbidden for at least 1 month.

Enemies of Healing

1. The Sun: Guaranteed burn.
2. Stagnant Water: Baths, pools, sea, sauna = risk of infection and softening of scabs.
3. Dirty Hands: Always wash your hands before touching.
4. Tight Clothing: Choose loose cotton instead.

If in doubt (abnormal redness, heat, pus), contact us immediately or consult a doctor.