Learn how to properly care for a new tattoo during the healing process. These guides cover washing, moisturising, and protecting fresh ink to ensure your tattoo heals cleanly and stays vibrant.
The sternum is one of the most sought-after tattoo placements right now — and one of the most demanding to heal. If you’ve just had one done, or you’re planning one, the aftercare approach has enough specific considerations that it’s worth understanding before you leave the studio. This isn’t about being overly cautious. It’s about…
In January 2026, a study led by researchers at UNSW Sydney found that every tattoo ink they tested — purchased from Australian suppliers — failed at least one European Union safety standard. The study detected toxic metals including arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and lead, as well as carcinogenic compounds, in 15 black and coloured inks from…
Tattoo balm is one of the most searched aftercare products in Australia, and also one of the most misunderstood. People buy it thinking it’s interchangeable with tattoo aftercare cream, or use it at the wrong stage of healing, or choose one based on packaging rather than what’s actually in it. This guide covers everything —…
Getting tattooed when you train seriously creates a real tension. You’ve built a routine, you’re in a program, and taking time off feels like going backwards. At the same time, you’ve just spent good money on something permanent that you don’t want to heal badly. The good news is that training and healing a tattoo…
A back tattoo presents a problem that most other placements don’t: you can’t easily see it, and you can’t easily reach it. That combination makes aftercare more logistically demanding than a forearm or thigh piece, and it’s why back tattoos — despite being one of the most popular placements — are also one of the…
Hand tattoos are beautiful. They’re also the most unforgiving placement on the body when it comes to healing. If you’ve just got one — or you’re planning one — the aftercare approach is different enough from a standard tattoo that it deserves its own guide. This isn’t about being overly cautious. It’s about understanding why…
There’s a difference between a tattoo aftercare cream and a tattoo aftercare balm, and it matters depending on where you are in the healing process. Creams are lighter, absorb faster, and are the right product for the first one to two weeks of healing — when the skin is actively repairing and needs consistent hydration…
Ten years ago, cling film was the default. Your artist wrapped you up, told you to leave it on for a few hours, and sent you on your way with a tub of Bepanthen. Today, most professional Australian studios have switched to second skin bandages — Saniderm, Tegaderm, or similar products — and for good…
Bepanthen is the most commonly recommended tattoo aftercare product in Australia. Walk out of almost any studio and there’s a reasonable chance the artist told you to pick some up on the way home. So is it actually good for tattoos? The short answer is: it works, but it’s not the best option available, and…
The answer you’ll see most often is “two to four weeks.” That’s not wrong, but it’s not the complete picture either. A tattoo healing in two weeks and a tattoo taking four months to fully heal are both accurate statements — they’re just describing different things. Here’s the full answer. The Two Stages of Healing…