What’s The Best Way To Heal A New Tattoo
It seems like everyone is an expert on healing tattoosjust ask, and they will tell you that they know the best, fastest, and the only way to do it.
I’m no expert, but I have a few tattoos and nearly all have healed wellbut not all! I’ve gotten quite good at taking care of them over time, and through trial and error I’ve learned that the secret is to:
- Pay attention to how your skin feels and looks.
- Use good products.
Some will tell you to listen to your artist and do whatever they tell you, to the letter. This isn’t necessarily the best advice. I know because I’ve tried it a few times with poor results. Why? Everyone’s skin is different, every tattoo is different, and there’s no one-size-fits-all aftercare sheet.
Instead, you should listen to your skin and come up with a custom method that’s best for you. When you find a product your skin likes, stick with it! Learning how your skin heals best, then improving your personal technique is the secret to fast, safe healing for tattoos both big and small.
In this article, I’ll share what I’ve learned about tattoo aftercare and show you my preferred method. Use it as a jumping-off point to customise a method for you.
Let’s begin!
How Long Does It Take for a Tattoo to Heal?
Your tattoo should be healed after about two to three weeks in terms of appearance. After four to five weeks, your skin should look smooth, and there should be no itching. It can take up to three to four months for all the layers of skin to heal.
Stage Three: Dull & Cloudy
Nearly there! Youve made it to the third and final stage of the healing process. By now, most scabs and flaky areas will have disappeared, but one or two heavier scabs may remain.
The tattooed area will probably still be somewhat flaky and a little sore/sensitive to the touch. Continue to moisturize whenever your skin begins to look or feel dry.
Throughout this stage, your tattoo can continue to look cloudy, dull, or scaly. It can even look somewhat glossy or shiny in particular light. When a healing tattoo looks dull or faded, it can often be quite worrying, but rest assured this is normal.
There is typically still a very fine dead layer of skin over the tattoo at this stage. This will naturally flake away over the next month or two until your skin has completely healed. The clarity and beauty will return when your newly-regenerated skin reaches the surface, although this can take a couple of months.
For this reason, its sometimes common for a black tattoo to look like its turning grey during healing. The deep, sharp blacks should return with time, though.
This is the perfect time to check your tattoo over for any problems. Issues may include patchy spots, fading, or tattoo blowout. You can then contact your tattoo artist to arrange a touch up if necessary.
Phase : Initial Healing
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Most Tattoos Will Heal Within Three Weeks
In most cases, it will take between two and three weeks for a tattoo to finish healing. Its rare for it to take any longer than three weeks for a tattoo to heal. Once the healing process is over, youll be able to fully appreciate the new piece of art that youve added to your body.
If youre worried that it will take months for your tattoo to heal, you dont need to be. While you will have a period of healing time, that period shouldnt be all that long. Before long, your tattoo will be fully healed, which means it will just be a part of your skin.
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Clean The Tattoo Effectively And Regularly
A freshly inked tattoo should be cleaned three times each day in soap and warm water. This should begin immediately after the initial bandage is removed.
The cleaning process -and any other aftercare steps you choose- should last through the entire initial healing and tattoo care timeline.
A range of different soaps are good options to use in tattoo aftercare and its your choice to use a single product, or combination. Some are specific to tattoos, while others are versatile for everyday use.
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The Advantages: Whats Great About Dry Healing Tattoos
Here are a few reasons why should consider dry healing yournew tattoo:
1. Low or no cost
With dry healing, you only need some soap and water to clean out the tattoo, and then you let your body do the healing. Of course, it goes without saying that the rate by which you heal will depend on how healthy you are.
But no matter your state of health, with dry healing you wont need to worry about a lot of things, such as:
- No more worrying about choosing the rightaftercare products
- No more panicking when you run out of cream orlotion
- No more checking your budget to see if you canafford your tattooists recommended aftercareproduct
With dry healing, your only investment is the money paid to your tattooist and your mild soap . Thats it!
2. Very easy to manage
As long as you keep the area clean, youre good to go.Just wash twice or thrice a day, and make sure your hands are clean before youtouch your tattoo.
For best results, just avoid touching the tender area unlessabsolutely necessary. This is really all you have to remember with dry healing.Of course, its easier said than done. But if youre determined NOT to give into using aftercare products, then youll manage!
3. Natural, chemical-free healing
Aftercare products that are marketed to tattooed audiences are often tagged as organic or natural or toxin-free or safe for tattoos. But you never know with most products, right?
4. Perfect for those who are allergic to someaftercare ingredients
Dry Healing Tattoo: Is This The Best Way To Heal A Tattoo Fast
An unhealed tattoo is NO fun. Its messy, its painful, and worst of all, it can itch like crazy. You just want it all to end, so you can finally show off your new tattoo to the world. Right now, youre probably thinking of scratching the ink off your skin . Most likely, youre asking the age old question, What is the fastest way to heal a new tattoo? Lets find out if the dry healing tattoo method is the answer to your inky nightmare!
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In Our New Blog We Explain How You Should Heal Your Freshly Made Tattoo
30 April 2020
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We know this is one of the most important things, but it is also one of the things that causes the most doubt. Therefore, here we explain how to heal your newly made tattoo.
Maintaining a safe, clean area and making the best tattoo possible is our responsibility. But there is a very important part that does not depend on us: the aftercare to cure your freshly made tattoo. In this article we give you our recommendations and tips.
Amazingly Healed Tattoo From The Same Studio
The above badly healed tattoos can be fixed through retouching it again. However, it’s hard to restore its original beauty. We keep track of all the tattoos done by us, try our best to make sure things are going well and tattoo care is followed. Check out some of these beautifully healed tattoos from the same studio. Slide through to see fresh and healed tattoos.
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Things You Should Not Do With Your Freshly Made Tattooje Recin Hecho
Here we list a number of things NOT to do with your freshly made tattoo:
Do not towel dry. You should always use kitchen paper.
Avoid going to the gym or any activity that makes you sweat excessively.
Do not swim in the pool / beach. Go to the sauna or jacuzzi
Wear loose clothing that does not cause friction on the tattoo.
Prevent animals from touching your freshly made tattoo.
Not to expose to sun radiation.
Do not scratch or touch the tattoo.
Do not apply too much cream.
The 5 Best Healing Creams For Tattoos: Tattoo Aftercare
- After Inked Tattoo Moisturizer and Aftercare. After Inked is a renowned brand in the tattoo
- Hustle Butter Deluxe. On the second spot, we have an Amazon bestselling product that
- Jergens Ultra Healing Cream. Right from the start, we want to mention that Jergens Ultra
- Viking Revolution Tattoo Care Balm. Who says that you need to spend a fortune on healing
- Tattoo Goo. Are you looking for a natural healing cream that will keep both your old and new
Seals moisture into skin Helps keep tattoo looking vibrant What We Dont Like Not Byrdie Clean Aquaphors Healing Ointment is of the most widely used tattoo aftercare treatments, and youll find a lot of artists quick to recommend the old stand-by.
Sep 26, 2019 Explore Phil Hortons board Healing tattoo on . See more ideas about healing tattoo, symbolic tattoos, norse tattoo.
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Optional: Add Emu Oil To Your Regimen
I’ve had excellent results with emu oil as a part of the aftercare.
- It’s not quite emollient enough for me to use alone, so I generally use a combination of my fragrance-free moisturizer in the mornings and emu oil throughout the day.
- Emu oil is reported to have properties that allow it to penetrate deep into the skin, and it also contains effective anti-inflammatory properties.
Scabs And Skin Being Pulled Off Prematurely
One of the most essential things to remember when your tattoo is healing is to NOT pick the scabs off, no matter how tempting. This also goes for pulling off pieces of peeling skin.
Heavy scabs that are not yet ready to fall off are still forming deep enough into your skin to affect the layers in which the tattoo ink has been set, meaning that pulling a scab off prematurely can pull ink away from the area, potentially leaving pits and colorless spots in your skin.
Pulling thick scabs away can delay healing times considerably, and will potentially cause your tattoo to require extra touchups from your artist if any color is lost.
Note
Although some scabbing is common on new tattoos, especially bigger and darker pieces, heavy scabbing covering large areas of a tattoo is not normal, and this could mean your artist may have been too rough, and/or went too deep with the needle. Go back and see your artist for advice if the scabbing is excessive.
The same goes for peeling skin. This stage of healing can be very uncomfortable, with large areas of half-dead skin hanging from your tattooed area and varying bouts of itching .
Read our great guide here on how to stop your tattoo itching.
Just remember that this stage only normally lasts for several days, so try and see it out by letting the skin fall off naturally without pulling it off. Peeling skin off that isnt yet ready to fall off can pull ink from the skin just like scabbing can.
Dont Worry!
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Is There Anything I Can Do To Make My Tattoo Heal Faster
Other than taking proper care of your tattoo as outlined in this article or described by your tattoo artist, there’s no quick and easy way to heal your tattoo. Be diligent about cleansing and moisturizing your tattoo, and avoid everything that can cause infection or fading, and in a few short months, you’ll have a beautiful tattoo that will last a lifetime!
This content is accurate and true to the best of the authors knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.
Tattoo Healing Process: Steps Aftercare And Precautions
How Tattoos Heal. 1. Oozing and redness. Your tattoo artist will bandage your tattoo. Theyll tell you when to take it off, anywhere from a few.
1. Avoid Processed Foods. Dietary options that are heavy on oil, preservatives, and salt need to be avoided, at least for a week or two as the 2. Avoid Alcoholic Beverages. 3. Consume Foods Loaded with antioxidants.
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Above All Make Sure To Follow Your Artists Instructions
When your tattoo is complete, your artist will wrap it up and walk you through the aftercare process so you know exactly how to take care of your new ink. The specifics of aftercare can vary from artist to artist based on their preferred healing methods, but the most common way to heal a tattoo, Valentine explains involves keeping your bandage or wrapping on for two to three hours and upon removing it, washing the tattoo with warm water and soapsomething gentle and antibacterial, and nothing with fragrances or dyes because those have extra chemicals that you dont want to get inside an open wound. After washing, youll apply a thin layer of healing ointmentValentine recommends Aquaphortwice a day for the next few days. Then, youll switch to a fragrance-free body lotion, using it as needed to keep the tattoo moisturized for about two weeks or until its completely healed.
Although this is one of the most popular ways of healing a new tattoo, Valentine emphasizes that it is far from the only methodin fact, she suggests varying methods for clients depending on the type of tattoo and their level of experience healing fresh inkso if your artist recommends something different, unless you have a number of tattoos and are a healing expert, you should heed their individual instruction.
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A new tattoo will seep a clear liquid called blood plasma during the initial healing phase. Generally, the more an area was worked with the machine, the more weeping you will see. Its important to prevent this plasma from drying on the skin as it can contribute to scabbing. Scabs can cause discoloration, scarring, and even total ink loss. Theyre also uncomfortable and take much longer to heal.
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Don’t Pick Or Itch It
The time it takes for your tattoo to fully heal depends on the size and execution of the tattoo, but Carter says it should be around six weeks. . He also says that tattoos with colored ink take longer to heal than non-colored tattoos, especially if its large or on the inside of a joint. The bending can crack the healing tattoo and cause a scab, which can delay the healing process, he says.
Etched tattoos and link work cause minimal trauma to the skin, so they tend to heal faster. On the third or fourth day, the art will begin to peel, which may be uncomfortable or itchybut refrain from picking and scratching the design. The area will still be hypersensitive even after the peeling stage, so its recommended to keep up with your moisturizing routine. Continue to use unscented soap and lotion without scent, dye, and perfume. No shaving.
Stay Clear From Bodies Of Water
Avoid bathing in any body of water for at least two weeks after finishing your tattoo. This means going on vacation and taking a dip in a lake, sea, ocean, pool, pond, or river is a definite no-no. Even having baths are not recommended and especially not saunas, hot tubs, or jacuzzis.
Youre probably guessing by now that this is to prevent bacterias from infecting the area. Large bodies of water often have a lot of bacteria, so by not entering it, youre closing the doors to all those bacteria swimming around.
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How Long Does It Take A Tattoo To Heal
So how long does it take a tattoo to fully heal? The outer layer of your skin should heal within 2-3 weeks. However, the skin underneath can actually take up to 6 months to fully heal. The healing process occurs in stages and can vary for different people. Applying the above Do’s and Don’ts of tattoo aftercare can help the process.
Do Finger Tattoos And Hand Tattoos Heal Well
As Los Angeles-based tattoo artist Johnny Dagger will tell you, the process of healing hand and finger tattoos can differ from ones on other areas of the body. “Depending on the exact area of the hands, it can heal completely different,” he explains to Allure. “The best bet for hand tattoos are the top of the fingers and top of hands those two areas will heal well and will not fade quickly. When you tattoo other parts of the hands, it can definitely be a roll of the dice to see if the tattoo stays or not.” Some parts of the hands have lots of joints and creases so they can bend and move properly those will be more prone to patchiness and fading.
The palm, side of the hand, or in-between the fingers are good examples of that, New York City-based tattoo artist Ron Mor explains further. “I’ve found that this type of skin doesn’t hold the ink as well in the long or short term,” he says. “It might look good when freshly tattooed but much of the tattoo can fall out or disappear there can be a shadowy appearance to the tattoo. Theres also a chance that it could fade much quicker over the years compared to a tattoo on a bicep or thigh, for example.”
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