Tattoo Prep & Aftercare

Preparing for your appointment:

Before coming in for your tattoo, please make sure you are well rested, have eaten a full meal and are hydrated.
Maintaining proper skincare (moisturising and SPF)  will make your skin a lot easier to work with and will also be good for your tattoos in the long term.

Avoid alcohol in the 24hrs prior to your tattoo. Keep in mind that caffeine is also a blood thinner and heavy consumption prior to your appointment may impact your tattoo experience and results.

If you are sick or unwell in the days leading up to your appointment, please reach out to me and reschedule. Tattooing is a very close contact procedure. I keep my clients health in my best interests and hope that they do the same for me.

You are welcome to bring a support person with you to your appointment. please try keep this to one person as we work in a small space and additional people may be required to wait in our waiting room.

You are also encouraged to bring some snacks and a water bottle to your appointment.

Caged Worm is a sober and inclusive space. We seek to create a safe and comfortable environment for all clients. If you have any questions or requests, please contact me asap or discuss it with me during your appointment.

You may be refused service if you are not sober at the time of your appointment. This will also forfeit your deposit.

Aftercare:

You may be given specific instructions based on your tattoos placement, your work activities or daily to day life. please follow these specifics for the best results.

Tattooing is just creating a wound on purpose and you want to take care to ensure it heals properly without damaging your new artwork.

If you are not given second skin you can either heal your tattoos with a wet or dry method.

Wet healing:

requires an ointment, my recommendations are Bepanthen Tattoo, Lucas Paw Paw, or Hustle Butter (non affiliate, just easy links to products at lower prices).
When you get home or 2 hours after your appointment, whatever comes last, remove the wrap applied to your tattoo and gently wash your tattoo with a non-scented, gentle soap. Dry the area with a clean paper towel and allow to air dry before applying your ointment of choice. Reapply whenever the area starts to feel dry.
Ink and plasma may get pushed out during the first 24hrs after your appointment as a normal part of the healing process and could stain clothes and bedding.

After this, I recommend washing your tattoo in the same way two times per day. Pat it dry with a clean paper towel and allow to fully air dry before gently applying a thin layer of ointment. Apply ointment 2-3 times per day until scabs start to form on your tattoo. Then you can drop to washing once per day in the shower, applying moisturiser at least 2-3 times per day.

Dry Healing:

requires you to leave the tattoo alone other than a gentle wash when showering with non-scented, gentle soap.
Thicker scabs will form with this method and it is a lot harsher way to heal your tattoo.

Myself and others find more consistent results with wet healing but I personally have produced good results with both.

Both of these methods require you to not pick at or scratch your tattoo and both will go through an itchy period as your skin heals.

Second Skin:

I don't often offer second skin but you are always welcome to ask for it if you would prefer. It is not suitable for sensitive skin or those with adhesive allergies.
Keep this bandage on for no longer than 48hrs. Ink and plasma will be pushed out and pool inside of the bandage as a normal part of the healing process.
If any fluid escapes the bandage, remove it immediately. If stuff can get out, bad stuff can get in and possibly infect your tattoo.
If you notice any redness, burning, or itching around the edges of the bandage, remove it immediately.

To remove the bandage, gently pull it off in a warm shower by stretching it (sort of like removing a command strip). You need to be gentle to avoid further damage to your freshly wounded skin. You may find some adhesive is still stuck to your skin, be very gentle when attempting to remove it.
Wash your tattoo gently with warm water and a non-scented, gentle soap.

After this, I recommend washing your tattoo in the same way two times per day. Pat it dry with a clean paper towel and allow to fully air dry before gently applying a thin layer of moisturiser. Apply moisturiser 2-3 times per day until scabs start to form on your tattoo. Then you can drop to washing once per day in the shower, applying moisturiser at least 2-3 times per day.

Do not pick at the scabs as this will remove pigment from your tattoo and possibly leave scarring. Allow them to flake off on their own.

There are a lot of different brands of second skin.

If touchups are required after your tattoo is fully healed (around 4 weeks), you can book one in here at no cost.

Please keep in mind that different artists will give you different advice. It is my recommendation that you follow each specific artists advice for their work.
If you come to me with a lot of well healed pieces, I may instruct you to keep doing what you've been doing for previous works. If you need any clarification, please ask.