Aftercare Instructions for Tattoo – New Tattoo Care
New tattoos require attentive aftercare to promote healthy healing. A tattoo is an open wound and requires the same attention throughout the healing process. Tattoos must be kept clean and exposed to least amount of germs as possible.
The healing stages of a tattoo will be as unique as the individual who is experiencing it. Different skin type, body location, and tattoo artist techniques can all cause a variance in your personal tattoo healing process.
Tattoo aftercare is critical to the healthy healing of your new tattoo. The aftercare instructions below should be started as soon as possible following your tattoo appointment and make sure that you take proper care of your tattoo as there is nothing worse than getting a great tattoo and then having it heal poorly and mess up the finished tattoo. For additional resources on the proper care of a new tattoo click here.
None of this article should be taken as medical advice, for all medical advice consult your physician.
How to Care for a New Tattoo -
Your new tattoo will be bandaged when you leave the tattoo parlor. It is recommended to leave this bandage on your new tattoo for a few hours, to protect it from any outside contact. A brand new tattoo is similar to having minor surgery so don't be surprised if your tattoo bleeds a little for the first 24 hours. This is normal and your bandage will help absorb any bleeding from your tattoo initially following your procedure. One thing to note is to be extremely careful when removing your bandage and to not let a large amount of blood dry on your bandage.
When it is time to remove the bandage from your tattoo, do so carefully. It is possible that blood has dried to the bandage and if you just rip it off, you could possibly screw up the appearance of your new tattoo.
Your tattoo is tattoo is going to be sore, red, and possibly a bit swollen. You may also experience a slight stinging sensation that is similar to the feeling of sunburn. Tattoo artists will tell you that getting a tattoo feels like a strong sunburn, the truth is that a healing tattoo will often feel like a sunburn. If you're a wimp, you can take over-the-counter pain relievers can help alleviate these temporary symptoms of tattoo healing.
Your primary focus when taking care of a new tattoo is to keep the tattoo clean. After the initial bandage is removed, gently wash your tattoo with water and a tattoo aftercare cleanser such as Tattoo Goo
After your tattoo has dried, gently apply a tattoo aftercare lotion such as Tattoo Goo or Aquaphor Healing Ointment
Repeat the tattoo aftercare instructions for cleaning your tattoo 3 times a day.
Be sure to wear clean, loose-fitting clothing around your tattooed area and to sleep on clean sheets.
Tattoo Care - Peeling, Is it Normal?
The tattoo healing process is similar to recovering from a bad sunburn. It is quite common for a new tattoo to peel after a couple of days. Allow the tattoo to peel away naturally - do NOT peel the dry skin away yourself. This can pull the ink out of your tattoo leaving it discolored or uneven in appearance. You will also notice that your new tattoo feels tight, dry, and itchy. Keep applying your tattoo aftercare lotion to hydrate the tattoo and alleviate these symptoms. It is normal to see small flakes of colored skin flake away from your tattoo as your tattoo is healing.
What Does a Healthy, Healing Tattoo Look like?
New tattoos will appear red and swollen immediately following your tattoo procedure. This appearance will continue for a few days throughout the tattoo healing process. Within a week to ten days, the skin surrounding the tattoo area should be more back to normal. Most tattoos are completely healed in three weeks time.
Healing Stages of Tattoos
Everyone heals differently making it difficult to give an exact time line for the tattoo healing process. it is impossible to predict exactly how everyone will heal from a tattoo experience being that no two human bodies heal at the same rate. Those with sensitive skin may take longer to heal, and may experience a longer period of flaking or peeling, than those that have normal skin. Location of your tattoo can also cause the healing time to vary. Tattoos on the hands or feet may take up to two weeks longer to heal than a tattoo on another body part.
Below is a general over-view of the healing stages of a tattoo.
Tattoo healing stage - Week 1
New tattoo will be sore and red.
Slight bleeding is common during the initial 24 hours following your procedure.
Minor symptoms such as swelling and stinging can be eased with the use of over-the-counter pain relievers.
Proper tattoo aftercare must be started immediately following procedure to ensure healthy healing.
Tattoo healing stage - Week 2
Tattoo may begin to flake or peel.
Tattoo may become itchy
Important to NOT scratch or pick at tattoo
Tattoo healing stage - Week 3
Scabbing and/or peeling has subsided
Tattoo area may still feel sensitiveTattoo Care - Tattoo advice to preserve the quality of your tattoo.
Tattoo Care - Tattoo advice to preserve the quality of your tattoo.
new tattoo
tattoo procedure
your healing tattoo
Tattoo Aftercare Video
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IP2E-Oz7GVY[/youtube]
Tattoo Aftercare Products
You probably spent good money getting that great new tattoo, didn't you? Now is not the time to get cheap and skimp on tattoo aftercare products. The Original Tattoo Goo Tattoo AfterCare Kit
If you change your mind, then you can always look into Tattoo Removal. I've searched around a few places in Atlanta for a good Tattoo Removal Atlanta doctor and am considering getting mine laser removed. We'll see as time goes by what I decide to do there.
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The New Cool
Hi, I have a few questions if you don’t mind….Three years ago, I got my first tattoo…..a small star on my right foot. I LOVED it, but of course I wanted more…Three days ago, on vacation, I got a wild hair (stupid I know) and had two more stars tattooed on my foot and the original one re-inked so it would be the same color as the two new ones. Although if you look closely, you can see the lines of the stars, there is alot of ink coming out. I don’t remember this with the first star…Will this all dry up and peel away…It’s been 3 days and it looks like it is “cracking” at times, but going no where. Also, I didn’t worry about it at all with the first tattoo (maybe it’s because of the shop that I was in) but I am worried about infection with this one. I guess being out of town I didn’t know this place as well. Before tattooing me, the artist showed me a needle and something else, saying that the needle was new and the other part had been autoclaved. I remember the tattooist smoking outside when I drove up, he wore gloves while tattooing me, but I am still freaking out…Am I just being paranoid??!?? THanks so much, please be honest with me!
If you are seriously concerned, you should go to the doctor. You don’t want an infected tattoo.
hello
i had a tattoo on monday, today(friday) my tattoo is starting to crack is this normal?
thank you
on the spur of a moment i got a tattoo at a less than reputable place a few days ago. although i’m almost sure he used a clean needle he didn’t wear gloves and the pain was excruciating. none of my other tattoos hurt that much and this one was only on my stomach. i wasn’t aloud to stand up to see the transfer before it was tattooed on and he put the bandage on before i could look.
another thing is the tattoo sucks. its wonky and almost upside down!!!what are my options? i regret it so much. i’m scarred life.
take my advice book, get to know the artist and do your homework. don’t end up with the mess i have.
OMG!! No gloves?? I would have walked out right then and there. It is ABSOLUTELY necessary that the artist wear gloves! But just because he didn’t use gloves doesn’t mean that it should hurt more. It could just be the artist or the area where he was tattooing. You could get it removed, although it is pricey and you can still see a scar. I would see an artist that you trust (and researched beforehand) and see what you can do about a cover up.
I got a tattoo on my ankle exactly a week ago. Last Monday, (2 days later) I accidently dropped my laptop and it scratched a small center area of my tattoo. I have been putting on predominantly Badger After Sun Salve and an unscented organic shea butter salve. I have also been putting on some Aquaphor from time to time, but kinda have liked the other stuff better.
BTW, my artist covered my tat with plastic wrap after, which I kept on for a hour or so. He was very sanitary. I have heard pw is a no no, tho.
I have been gently washing my tat about 3-4 times a day, ( with castile soap), blotting dry and dabbing the salves on.
This am while washing it, it completely peeled, apart from the still healing center. It is still there and looks fine, but is lighter. Is that from the dead skin being sloughed off? It gently peeled off, since it was dead skin moisturized with salve, kinda like a peeling sunburn. Is that ok? I have had no itching, yet.
Now, the center has a few pustles, but aside from being slightly sore, like the rest of the tat, it is fine.
I went to my local tattoo parlor (I got it done while visiting a tattooed friend in TX) before it peeled and they said they could not give me any advice on the center part until after about a month. I have not seen a dr.
Any advice is welcomed. Thanks!
Actually, looking at the center in daylight, I think it has a scab on it, and that’s how it feels when I wash it.
Sorry, one more question: I read not to put petroleum jelly on it, yet that is the primary ingredient in Aquaphor. Is is ok or not, to use it?
I think its freaking funny all these morons asking questions and not getting answers, I wonder how many times a day they come back to look and see that nobody cares about them or their tattoo…so sad. I am going to go look for an active board and ask my questions there instead of wasting time here.
i got a tattoo about 14 hrs ago and it is pussing ever since i took a hot shower is that normal??
had a new tattoo how often do i need to wash it?
I’d say just be sure you keep it clean… don’t overdue it, but if it gets at all dirty you need to clean it… Do not scrub the tattoo with a washcloth or anything other than your hand. Wash gently, don’t ‘rub’ but pat the tattoo. Do not scrub it, just rinse it / pat it at the most… .
Rinse your new tattoo completely with clear room temperature water then blot slightly with a clean towel. Allow your tattoo to air dry for 15 minutes or so. Most tat artists will provide you with instructions on how to clean your new tattoo, cause again, my tattoo sucks.
I want to do depilation with laser. I have the tat 10 days.
Im not asking of cource, to do it straight on the tattoo.
But around it. How much around?
And at the procedure do i have to cover it with sth? Cause i m covering my eyes just in case.
Tula, (aug. 5,2009), you can remove the tat if you really really hate it, with a product called Tat B Gone. It will take around 6 months or so, but it is less than having lazer surgery. I have heard very good things about this.
Hope this helps…
PS
If you decide to get another tat, please don’t do a spur of the moment. Tats, the most part last forever. It should be something you really like or something with special meaning for you.
Have a good day.
within the last week i got 2 tattoos in 2 days… i was told by several people that its ok to do that but someone told me that its not healthy to do that… and one of the tattoos i got im still going to be adding on but i wanted to know how long to wait to get more added to it…
I got my 1st tattoo, about a week ago. I never used ointment for it, all I did was wash it how your supposed to, and kept it moisturized. I rarely touch it, and keep it from touching things I know is dirty. Now its going through the itchy phase, but it looks as if its “cracking”. Is this just the part where it starts peeling, or am I not keeping it moisturized enough?
I jus got a tat last fri and it seems like its loosin color..Could it b that its jus scabbin up and healin and i cant see the color yet?
I dont kno it looks fine but wats the best kind of soap to use on it while its healin up?
Im considering getting a tatto, but i am also in the proccess of losing weight. I have aout another 20-30 pounds to go. Should i just wait it out or go for it????
Beanstat (April 7th, 2010) I would suggest waiting because you may change your mind after losing weight depending on the tattoo and where you want it.
@Rachel January 15th 2010
Dont worry about the cracking, once you have been moisturising its alright, keep moisturising it 3 times a day and dont pick it and the tattoo should be fine. I just got my first tattoo aswell about 3 weeks ago and mine is totally fine now after it went through that “cracking” stage aswell.
hope this helped
I have a tattoo on my penis. I wont heal properly and blleds when I am having anal sex with my lover.
is this normal?
@Shilo Watts–first of all, why the hell would you get a tattoo there?? second of all, if it’s not healed all the way you shouldn’t be doing those kinds of things. i’m not a doctor or a tattoo artist, but you should probably wait until it’s healed to do anything with it.
[...] forget, tattoos are meant to be permanent! All tattoo aftercare advice is designed to help prolong the life of your tattoo and keep it as perfect as the day you [...]
Ok I got a tattoo on tuesday and its now sunday (same week). The first few days were fine, then, thursday night I noticed that it was cracking but I was told that it was normal (so I had no worries). But the same night I was rugh housing with my uncle and the top layer of skin came off, and from what I hear that is normal as well. But the next afternoon (friday afternoon) I went to the river and did very little swimming. I did my best not to soak my tattoo. And the rest of the skin from the night before was getting washed off. My tattoo is now way lighter than is was before and has a little scabbing I think. I have blue in the tattoo and in a part of the blue there is a small speck of green (? WTF?) but I know he didnt use any green ink because I was watching the whole time; What the hell is this green??? And will my tattoo be repaired if I just go and get it recolored?
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this is how u take care of your new tattoo:
for the first 5days use ointment, i personally apply aquaphor, A&D, or preparationH.
you got to wash it 3to4 times a day, make sure to wash it with worm water and antibacterial soap, make sure you only use your hands to wash it. do not scrub it or scratch it!!!! you will regret doing that!!!! after its nice and clean wait for a couple minutes to let it dry(7min) and than apply a very thin layer of ointment. keep doing this everyday after you get your new tattoo for 5days straight….. after the 5days your tattoo might start or perhaps it has fully pealed, this is normal so dont freak out! it is now time to start using any kind of lotion that is fragance free for 2 weeks , you wont need to wash it, but just make sure you keep it clean!!! this is how i treat all my tattoos, and i have over 50 of them!
let me know if this was helpful…… just leave comments and questions and i will gladly help you..
i dont want to leave my name because its noot importatnt…………
Jeremy. the green is the color it will be scabbing. it will come back blue. with the rough housing you probably scrufed off a top layer of the healing to it will be significantly lighter then if it would have healed normally. just wait till it is healed completely, which takes about a month, and then decide whether you are happy or want it recolored.
i am going to schlitterbahn on monday i got my tat on wednesday night. its all outline no shading. does anyone think it will be ok to get in the water.
I got two tattoos the other day. I got an h on my left butt check and an e on my right butt cheek. When I bend over and spread my Cheeks it spells hoe