We get asked a lot about the tattooing process and related aftercare, so we thought we would do a blog post on some of the basics!

Firstly we thought we'd cover the hygiene and risks involved with tattooing. We like to educate our clients as much as possible on the risks of infection post tattooing so that everyone can leave our shop confident in the fact that they can care for their new art!

We do everything within our power to minimize the risk of infection during the tattooing process and provide goodie bags for each client that contain aftercare lotion and advise as well as other treats! :)

Infections can be serious but are mostly rare, we can eliminate any potential risk of infection in the studio, all needles and grips are single use and disposable and all machines and studio equipment are sterilised with medical grade disinfectant. Once you leave us we strongly advise that you follow our aftercare advise to help you minimise the chance of your tattoo becoming infected over the crucial days of healing to come.

Your tattoo should be cared for in the same way you would care for any other open wound, we advise you wash your hands before applying aftercare lotion, avoid the sea/swimming pools etc for the first 2 weeks. Do not pick or scratch at your tattoo, if you work in a particularly dirty/dusty environment we also advise you keep it covered. You are most likely to pick up an infection after you leave us and unveil your tattoo to the contaminants in day to day life.

Signs of infection in new tattoos:

1. Redness spreading around the site. (redness during the tattoo is normal to begin with but should settle down within a few hours.)

2. Puss or green/yellow fluid.

3. Bleeding that is not controlled by light pressure to the area.

4. Pain rather than discomfort. (The pain you should experience should be likened to mild sunburn.)

5. Excessive swelling and tight skin.

6. Exceedingly hot to the touch.

7. Immobility of said limb or body part.

If you experience any of these syptoms then you should seek medical advise. We do not wish to scare clients with this information, we wish to educate everyone on the risks and what you can do to prevent infections. :)

Here's a snazzy pic of an example Goodie Bag!