What the Aftercare desk covers
The Aftercare desk looks at what happens to skin once a tattoo or piercing is finished. It describes the stages of healing, from the first days of redness and swelling to the slow settling of the surface over the following weeks. Each article focuses on the body’s normal response and the signs that separate ordinary healing from a problem.
Articles also cover the general principles of cleanliness, moisture, protection from sun and friction, and the difference between tattoos and piercings, which heal in different ways. Pages draw on public sources such as national health authorities, museums and libraries, so readers can trace the claims back to their origin.
How the pages are organized
Each page starts with a short overview of the healing process, then moves into the specific stage or question being discussed. Sections are kept separate for tattoos, for piercings, and for common situations such as healing in warm climates or on areas that rub against clothing.
A closing part of each page lists questions readers can bring to their artist or piercer before and after the procedure. These questions are meant to start a conversation about the work, its materials and the expected healing, and they are written to be useful for readers at any stage of their body art.
StylesTraditional, blackwork, fine line, irezumi and the other families of tattoo design.
IdeasMotifs, symbols, placement and sizing, explained before the first sketch.1 page 
PiercingTypes, jewelry materials and healing, without shop talk.
HistoryWhere tattooing and body art come from, and what they mean in different cultures.