General Tattoo Aftercare: How to heal your tattoo
Tattoos heal differently depending on many factors. Overall health, immune system strength, emotional and physical stress levels, and more can all be factors. Sensitive skin might take longer to heal and experience scabbing and peeling more than other areas. Most tattoos completely heal in 4-6 weeks.
The most important thing to remember is that a tattoo is an open wound and needs to be kept clean, free of germs, and moisturized. Read on to learn everything you need to know about tattoo aftercare.
What to Expect While Your Tattoo is Healing
WEEK 1: Don’t worry if your tattoo is sore and red immediately after your procedure. It’s common for a tattoo to feel like a sunburn. It might ooze some ink, blood, and plasma for about 24 hours. Carefully following the aftercare tips above will ensure your tattoo heals properly.
WEEK 1: Your tattoo might peel, flake, and become itchy. DO NOT PICK, RUB, OR SCRATCH IT! The scab and flakes must come off naturally so you don’t cause excess irritation or pull ink out. The scabs/flakes will be the same colour as your tattoo, making it look like the tattoo is coming off – but it’s not!
Clear Bandage
- Leave the bandage on for 5-7 days, 7 days is highly suggested for best results!
- DO NOT pick, scratch or peel up the bandage!
- If edges start to peel up you can carefully trim around the edges of the bandage, being careful not to peel up more of the bandage.
- It is normal for the bandage to fill up with fluid. Your body reabsorbs it within 3-4 days!
- After the clear bandage is put on, you can go about like normal just refrain from trauma in the area or soaking the bandage.
- To remove the bandage… hop in the shower, wash with warm water and mild gentle unscented soap, and peel up one of the corners, pulling them out then up while working underneath with your warm water and soap to gently release the bandage.
- Wash and rinse the whole tattoo after removing the full bandage.
- After removing the bandage, you may notice some redness where the bandage was placed, this is completely normal, and it should subside within 30 minutes.
- After removing you can apply a non-comedogenic, non-greasy, unscented moisturizer with clean hands to the area or whenever feeling dry as at the end of the 7 days, the tattoo should be close to the end of the healing process if not healed already!
- If you still have adhesive residue from the bandage left over on the skin after removing/cleaning your bandage, massage the area with a small amount of moisturizer that works best with your skin to gently remove the residue.
- Moisturizers we suggest… After Inked Tattoo Moisturizer, Vitamin E cream, Lubriderm, Aquaphor, or any non-comedogenic, non-greasy moisturizer that’s going to let your skin breathe after applying and works best with your skin.
- Stay away from pools, hot tubs, and UV exposure for 3-4 weeks after removing the bandage for the longevity of your tattoo.
Black/Blue Bandage
- Leave the bandage on for 4-8 hours after bandaging to let your body release fluid from the area.
- Wash the area with a warm water and a gentle mild unscented soap with extra care.
- Using disposable paper towel (damp but not soaking) apply a hot/warm compress to the area repeating until the paper towel comes off clean to release excess fluid buildup in the tattoo.
- DO NOT use cream for the first two days, on day three you can apply a non-comedogenic, non- greasy, unscented moisturizer with clean hands to the area or whenever feeling dry
- DON’T PICK IT, DON’T SOAK IT. IF SOMETHING IRRITATES YOUR TATTOO, STOP DOING IT IMMEDIATELY.