There's usually some peeling, which is pretty much a given, but you still need to keep your tattoo protected, and of course, moisturized, to prevent anything more serious from happening.
Yep, after washing I'd recommend applying a thin layer of moisturizer until it at least finishes peeling. This will help keep any scabs from cracking as well as help manage any excessive itching. Your artist likely recommended some products so I'd stick to their advice on which ones to use.
Let the tattoo dry out for 2-3 days. This means no lotion but, you can still wash it. Showering is fine.
Your skin should be topically healed enough when you remove your second skin bandage to prevent infection. I find that Aquaphor is too thick for this stage of aftercare and may clog the pores of your skin, increasing the risk of irritation and slowing the healing process.
No ointment or lotion on it. Scabs are the blood and plasma drying. If you lotion it out gets soft and will come off when washing. Your body will then leak more blood and plasma to create a new scab and pull more color out. The color in a scab will usually reabsorb into the skin if left alone.
"It's very important to keep your fresh tattoo moisturised to prevent the skin from any flaking or itching which may cause the tattoo to heal improperly." If you don't follow the aftercare advice of your artist or use a product that reacts badly with your tattoo you could end up with a patchy piece of ink.
Does a tattoo's color come back after peeling? Generally speaking, the waxy white flakes of peeling skin don't have much ink in them. The ink is actually in the deeper layer, so once the peeling is done you should see the original color.
Use the Aquaphor for the first 2-3 days then switch to a regular FRAGRANCE-FREE lotion such as Lubriderm, or any other fragrance-free brand. 5. Fresh tattoos sometimes “weep” during the first couple of days, meaning that plasma and ink form a thin moist coating on the skin. This can be DABBED with a clean paper towel.
Don't worry, this is completely natural. It happens because the old skin, damaged during the tattooing process, forms a thin layer over your tattoo and masks its true appearance. In time this old skin will naturally exfoliate itself, revealing your tattoo underneath in all its vibrant glory.
Week one. Some tattoo artists recommend waiting between 24-48 hours before applying moisturizer, though others recommend doing so as soon as the first wash. A person with a fresh tattoo should follow their tattoo artist's instructions on when to start using moisturizer.
Your first night sleeping, your artist might recommend you re-wrap the tattoo with plastic wrap (like Saran Wrap) to sleep without the tattoo sticking to your sheets. This is generally for larger or solid-color tattoos. If your artist did not recommend re-wrapping, just let the tattoo stay exposed to air overnight.
The tattoo's appearance may change as the top layer of skin peels away. The peeling process may cause the colours to appear duller or less vibrant, but this is only temporary. Once the skin has completely healed, the colours should return to their original richness.
You can shower 3-4 hours after getting a tattoo, if you have a Saniderm bandage on, however, if you have a plastic wrap wait 24 hours to unwrap your tattoo and shower. In either case, shower in cold or lukewarm water and avoid prolonged soaking or submerging your tattoo in water for 3-4 weeks.
During the peeling stage, it's important to keep your tattoo clean and moisturized to avoid any complications such as infection or scarring.
If you want the best care for your new tattoo, there are far better options than Aquaphor. The semi-occlusive layer suffocates your new ink, slowing the recovery process. And though it's a highly refined version of petroleum oil, it's understandable that you wouldn't want that anywhere near your healing skin.
"You can gently cleanse the skin while it's in the peeling phase, but use a non-foaming, unscented cleanser," says Nazarian. "Perfumes and colognes can be super irritating to freshly tattooed skin or a peeling tattoo, so avoid anything with fragrance. After washing, gently pat dry and do not rub the area."
Laser tattoo removal is likely the most commonly heard of tattoo removal method. Laser tattoo removal works by firing concentrated light at ink in a tattoo, which then breaks the tattoo into smaller pieces so your body can process the tattoo out over time.
Apply a thin layer of Cetaphil lotion or Aquaphor. Don't scratch, peel or pick at your tattoo. Avoid hot tubs, swimming pools and the beach during the healing process (approximately 2 weeks) Always apply a high SPF sunscreen on the tattoo before exposure to the sun.
Signs of a tattoo infection may appear across the entire tattoo or only within specific colors. They can include: Bumps on your skin (papules) that sometimes contain pus (pustules). Nodules, bumps on or below your skin that are larger than papules.