Tattoos

healing my

The Ultimate tattoo Healing and Aftercare Guide

You’ve decided to get your first tattoo (or maybe your second or sixth), figured out what design you want, and settled on where you want to put it. But there’s another part of the tattoo process that’s equally important: your tattoo aftercare routine.

What to expect:

Over the next few days, your immune system will continue to respond to the punctures as a wound, resulting in swelling and some inflammation, both of which should resolve pretty quickly. “A little bit of redness and tenderness is perfectly normal and to be expected, but if it’s not improving or it’s getting worse after a day or two, see your primary care doctor or a dermatologist.

The possibility of infection—which can occur anytime you’re breaking the skin—is the number one potential risk. This could be either bacterial infections or blood-borne viral infections (hepatitis, HIV), the latter of which are most likely to occur due to a lack of adequate needle sterilization

How should you take care of tattooed skin?

Your tattoo artist will handle the immediate tattoo aftercare, applying a thin layer of antibiotic ointment or a tattoo wrap / dressing before you leave the shop. A tattoo wrap serves two functions: It will shield your skin both from bacteria that can cause infection as well as from irritation from clothing, bedding, or other possible irritants in your environment she explains. You’ll likely be instructed to leave the tattoo wrap on for about 24 hours. This is when you may also notice swelling and redness, although this may depend on your skin tone, as well as itching, which can be alleviated by placing ice packs over the bandaged tattoo. Once the tattoo wrap comes off, keeping the area clean and moisturized is the name of the game, but you don’t need to get fancy with any kind of special tattoo aftercare products.

Here’s how to help the healing process go smoothly.

Wash the area daily.

Keeping the area clean is the most important thing you can do to stave off bacterial infection . We suggest washing the area with warm water (using clean hands) once to twice per day for the first few days, then daily for about two to three weeks. Any type of mild cleanser is a good choice here, look for “gentle” or “mild” on the label. an Antibacterial soap, like Dove works well.

We also advise against swimming in a pool, lake, or ocean, or hopping into a hot tub during this time to reduce the likelihood of infection.

You’ll also want to make sure to continuously moisturize the area—at least two to three times per day for two to three weeks. Why? The more moisturized the skin is, the less likely it is to scab—and scabbing actually impedes the wound-healing process. Thicker, occlusive ointments (such as Vaseline and Zumbuk) are not recommended. If you’re not a fan of a oily texture we recomend nipple cream.

You can also consider a coconut-oil-based cream or lotion. The ingredient may help the skin heal faster, as it contains several fatty acids that may have an anti-inflammatory effect. Even if you stay on top of moisturizing, it’s still possible for a scab to form. If that happens, resist the urge to scratch or pick, if you can. Though it may be tempting, this can cause scarring and ultimately affect the look of your tattoo. After two or three weeks the scab will begin to flake off on its own, a sign that the surface of your skin is nearly fully-healed.”

How long does it take for tattoos to heal?

It typically takes about two to three weeks for the surface of the skin, the epidermis, to heal: That means there’s no residual scabbing, open areas, or dry or peeling skin. Still, keep in mind that the healing of the wound that was created deeper in the dermis, where new collagen and connective tissue need to be formed, can take anywhere from three to six months.

While there won’t be any visible signs of this healing, your skin may continue to feel a bit more sensitive during this time. You’ll also want to continue to be especially diligent about sunblock in order to support the best healing environment possible, both for the health of your skin and the final look of your tattoo.

The size and location of your tattoo also play a role in healing time. As you might expect, smaller tattoos will heal faster, as will those that are placed on areas with thicker skin, like your back or quads. Thicker skin is more robust and contains more blood vessels, which results in faster healing. Areas of the body with more hair and oil glands, such as the face, also tend to heal faster. The tattoo healing process requires stem cells to repair tissue damage, and these stem cells are found in hair follicles.

No matter how long it takes to heal, though, as long as you take care of your new tattoo with the steps above, your new body art should end up feeling as good as it looks—and it’ll be well worth the initial discomfort.