Our tattoo aftercare guide · Keep this page handy

Heal the work.
Keep the detail.

Before you leave, we’ll explain the dressing and care method we used. Follow that plan, and contact us if anything is unclear.

Find your care method

Start here

Which dressing did we use?

Choose the path that matches the covering we applied. Film brands and dressings differ, so use the timing we gave you.

01

Protective film

Keep the seal clean and intact.

  1. Leave the film in place for the time we gave you. Follow the instructions for that specific film rather than another person’s schedule.
  2. A small pocket of clear, pink, or ink-colored fluid can be normal while the seal remains closed.
  3. Remove the film if it leaks, exposes the tattoo, becomes dirty or very loose, or causes a spreading rash, unusual heat, or worsening pain. Never patch it with household plastic.
  4. Remove it slowly in a warm shower, stretching the film back over itself close to the skin—never straight upward.
  5. Wash your hands, then gently clean the tattoo with water and a small amount of mild fragrance-free soap. Rinse well and dab dry with clean paper or let it air dry. Reapply film only if we supplied it with instructions.
Continue after film removal
02

Traditional dressing · No adhesive film

Keep it clean, dry, and protected.

First dressing

Keep the initial dressing on for the time we gave you. Remove it with clean hands and do not reuse it.

After removal

Shower or gently wash the tattoo using clean hands, plenty of water, and a small amount of mild fragrance-free soap. Rinse thoroughly.

Dry and care

Dab dry with fresh clean paper or let it air dry. Apply only a light film of the hypoallergenic aftercare product we recommended, following the timing we gave you.

During healing

Use clean, loose clothing and bedding. Avoid friction, dirty surfaces, heavy sweating, direct sun, and all soaking.

Clean hands, gentle washing, thorough rinsing, careful drying, and a light layer of the recommended product are the basics. Do not overapply or re-cover the tattoo unless we told you to.

Both methods · Once the covering is off

The next two weeks

Wash

Wash your hands first. Gently clean the tattoo with water and a small amount of mild fragrance-free cleanser, rinse well, then dab or air dry. Do not scrub.

Use a light layer

Use only the product and timing we recommended. Apply a light film; the skin should not stay wet, greasy, or heavily coated.

Protect

Let flakes fall naturally. Do not scratch, shave, exfoliate, or pull scabs. Keep clothing and bedding clean and loose.

Bohol rule

Avoid the sea, pools, baths, hot tubs, saunas, and soaking until the tattoo is completely healed. Showering is fine.

Simple products win

What to use

Use the product and schedule we recommended for your dressing and skin. More product is not better; a light layer is enough.

For washing

Mild fragrance-free cleanser

Use a small amount with clean hands, rinse thoroughly, and never scrub the tattoo.

For early wound care

Recommended hypoallergenic aftercare

Use only the product we discussed at your session, in a light film and at the frequency we gave you.

As healing progresses

Fragrance-free water-based lotion

Once the surface is no longer weeping, a light fragrance-free water-based lotion can help if the skin feels dry.

Skip during healing

Avoid fragranced lotion, essential oils, body butter, coconut oil, exfoliating acids, alcohol, peroxide, thick petroleum jelly, and antibiotic cream unless medically prescribed.

Know the difference

Healing should improve—not intensify.

Usually normal

  • Mild redness, warmth, swelling, or tenderness that decreases
  • A little clear or pink fluid during the first days
  • Dryness, itching, light scabbing, peeling, or flaking
  • A temporarily dull appearance while new skin forms

Get medical care

  • Redness that darkens, spreads, or returns after improving
  • Pain, heat, or swelling that gets worse
  • Pus, foul discharge, red streaks, open sores, fever, chills, or feeling unwell
  • Hives, intense swelling, chest tightness, trouble breathing, or dizziness

Trouble breathing, chest tightness, dizziness, or intense swelling needs emergency medical care now. Contact a clinician promptly for worsening infection or reaction signs.

Once completely healed

Sun protection keeps the contrast.

Cover a fresh tattoo with clean, loose clothing instead of sunscreen on broken skin. Once healed, use broad-spectrum, water-resistant SPF 30+ and reapply every two hours outdoors.

Quick answers

Aftercare FAQ

How should I wash my new tattoo?

Follow the dressing timing we gave you. Once the covering is removed, use clean hands, water, and a small amount of mild fragrance-free soap, rinse well, then dab or air dry.

Can I swim after getting tattooed in Bohol?

No. Avoid the sea, pools, hot tubs, baths, and soaking until the tattoo is completely healed. Showering is fine.

Which aftercare product should I use?

Use the product and timing we recommended for your dressing and skin. Apply only a light layer, and stop using a product if it causes irritation.

When should I get medical help?

Get prompt care for spreading redness, worsening pain or swelling, heat, pus, red streaks, open sores, fever, or chills. Trouble breathing, chest tightness, dizziness, hives, or intense swelling needs emergency care.

Reviewed 14 August 2026

Evidence & further reading