Peeling and flaking of a new tattoo is perfectly normal. Before it actually begins to peel, the tattoo will look like it's covered with a whitish, cracking film. Then you'll see white or translucent flakes of old, dead skin start to peel off and some of the flakes may even contain some ink. Sometimes you can actually see a duplicate image of part of your tattoo peeling off - it's rather disconcerting, but it is also perfectly normal and there is no need to panic.

A new tattoo is an injury to your skin. It's a lot like a scrape. Typically, when the artist finishes, he or she will cover the new tattoo with some sort of bandage. In the old days, this might have been gauze, but now we have non-stick bandages that are much better. Some will use clear plastic sheet, such as Saran Wrap (TM). This is all right, and has the advantage that you can look at your new tattoo without having to lift the bandage.

The artist that did your tattoo will have something very definite to say about the care of your new tattoo, and it is probably a good idea to listen to him/her. Many shops will have an information sheet listing care instructions. The information provided in this section may or may not be the same method your artist offers.

After a couple days of stubble and bristly skin, the urge to shave can be overwhelming. Unfortunately, at this point, shaving is about as brutal on your tattoo as a weedwacker. The wound is still fresh, and especially if you have any scabbing or raised areas, you run the risk of damaging your artwork by running a razor across it. Chemical hair removers are just as bad if not worse - you never want to put anything like that on a fresh tattoo. Of course, you can shave the area around the tattoo.

Once it is healed, there is very little that will screw up a tattoo. The one exception is prolonged exposure to sunlight. (the other is scarring, but that is patently obvious). Well, unfortunately it is. The newer inks are better at resisting fading but whatever you do, if you spend lots of time in bright sunlight your tats will fade (over a lifetime, not over a week). Best to try and keep them out of bright sunlight.

On somebody else... Seriously though, as a general rule of thumb, skin that doesn't see the light of day tends to be more sensitive (under the arm, inside of leg). Skin directly over bone or ligaments tend to be more sensitive (inside wrist or back of ankle, ribs, neck). In addition, fat tissue tends to be more sensitive so areas that have more fat tend to be more sensitive (love handles, buttocks).

Moore River Limestone is the better stone to use if an aged look is required as it is darker in colour. Do not seal the stone but mix peat with water and let this mix soak into the stone. To encourage growth on the stone, use yogurt on the stone to assist growth and keep the stone moist.

Care will vary depending on the exact procedure but for a general guide please refer to our aftercare page here.

First of all, you can shave over a tattoo once it's healed - you just shave like you normally would as if the tattoo wasn't even there. But the key is knowing when the tattoo is healed enough to be shaved over.

One of the best things for a tattoo is Vitamin E. This will help to keep your colors bright and keep your tattoo looking new. We recommend Ink bomb which is an ointment that we make for tattoo aftercare which does have Vitamin E in it, along with several other natural healing ingredients.

Tattoo healing times can differ greatly from person to person. Most people are healed within 2 weeks, others can heal at a much slower rate. I've seen tattoos that have taken up to a month to heal. And just because it's healed on the outside, doesn't mean the tattoo is completely healed underneath. Healing time can depend on the individual and their health. The better your health, the faster you'll heal. Skin type can also be a factor in this. Healing time can depend on the body part.

Peeling is the final result when a paint film loses its adhesion to the substrate. Peeling may occur between coats of paint (intercoat failure), or all the paint coats may peel from the underlying substrate (total film failure).

Slick, glossy or non-porous surfaces - Prepare the surface to give it more 'tooth' (a rougher surface profile), so the paint will adhere better. This can be done by sanding, using a surface conditioner like Paso, or using a primer designed for slick surfaces. Dirty, greasy or grimy surfaces - Clean the surface with a suitable cleaner (like a TSP solution). Be sure to thoroughly rinse afterwards, and let the surface dry before painting.

The acne medications used in AcneRecovery can cause side effects like that. But, those symptoms are generally dose-dependent. That means that they higher the concentration of the medication, the more likely it is to cause the side effect. Because AcneRecovery is adjustable, you are able to decrease the concentration of the dose you are using.

In the summer months our skin is often exposed to sun, wind and air-conditioning. A combination of these external factors can lead to dehydration - a lack of sufficient moisture in the cellular system and intercellular channels. Dehydration is the most common of all skin conditions. Over one third of women suffer from dehydrated skin. Care for a dehydrated skin should include appropriate products that will protect the skin.

Yes, Fine Line Tattoo can cover old tattoos (see above). You can view several examples of covered up tattoo's by clicking here.

Not if you don't want it to. The ink becomes water resistant when it dries, so you can safely shower as long as you don't soap the tattoo or rub it when it is wet.

Some scarring occurs with every tattoo. Most of the time it's not really noticable. When the tattoo becomes irritated the scar will raise up for a bit. This can be caused by sun exposure or sunburn, slapping, scratching, rough clothing or even stress. Given time to calm down, the tattoo will lay flat again.