Your new tattoo is fragile and sensitive to UV rays. Sun exposure can cause fading and interfere with healing. Avoid direct sunlight for the first two to four weeks, and cover your tattoo with loose clothing if you need to be outdoors.
Excessive sun exposure can quickly ruin a new tattoo. Especially during the first 40 days, stay out of the sun as much as possible. If you have to go outside, then make sure to cover up your fresh tattoo with clothing.
After the first few days, your tattoo may become itchy or begin to form flaky scabs. They will fall off on their own, so DO NOT PICK OR SCRATCH AT YOUR TATTOO. Doing so can cause some of the pigment to disappear, and your tattoo may not heal properly.
No. Blowouts are caused by the tattoo needle injecting ink into the wrong layer of skin. Trauma after the fact can fuck up a tattoo, but cannot cause a blowout. And slapping it to relieve itchiness will not cause any damage.
Days 5 Through 7
Avoid direct sunlight and keep applying an artist approved ointment or balm to keep your tattoo from drying out. You might notice some scabs or flaking patches, and this is normal. Don't touch them. If you pick or scratch at them, there's a good chance a chunk of your tattoo will come off with them.
Clean your tattoo 2-3 times a day with a mild fragrance-free soap using your fingers and BLOT dry. Do not rub. Don't worry about mild bruising, swelling or redness for the first few days, but seek medical advice if the symptoms don't improve or get worse.
Protecting from infection: During the first few days after getting a tattoo, the skin is more susceptible to infection. Sleeping on freshly tattooed skin can introduce bacteria and other contaminants to the wound, increasing the risk of infection.
Unfortunately, there's no way to control what your body does while you sleep, but keeping your new tattoo covered during the night will help mitigate the risk of causing any injuries by scratching it.
Your new tattoo is fragile and sensitive to UV rays. Sun exposure can cause fading and interfere with healing. Avoid direct sunlight for the first two to four weeks, and cover your tattoo with loose clothing if you need to be outdoors.
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.
Some infections occur shortly after getting a tattoo. Others develop over time, and you might not notice them until months later.
Sun Exposure
It's even more vital to stay out of the sun during the healing process. Sun on an exposed new tattoo is bad. No other way to put it. The ink rests in the dermis, your skin's second and thickest layer when you get tattooed.
Is it OK to wear clothes over a new tattoo? Yes, but try not to after the few initial days after application. If you do, make sure you change your clothes frequently. In our experience, tattoos can weep onto the clothes and if you don't change them, it can cause infection.
Planning ahead is the best way you can make sure you don't suffer from tattoo regret. In fact, 1 in 4 people who made a spontaneous decision to get a tattoo, regretted it within a few days.
Natural migration of pigment in the skin is manifested by: lines become visually wider; a small (about a millimeter) shadow may appear near the tattoo lines; there will be less empty space between the lines.
Tattoo ink does spread naturally as the skin ages, but the rate depends on several factors. Natural Ink Spread: Over years, pigment particles move slightly, softening lines and blurring details. Thicker skin (back, thighs) spreads less, while thinner skin (wrists, fingers) spreads more.
If scabs develop, they can remove the color beneath them if prematurely removed. It's important that they're allowed to dry out completely, and not get waterlogged at any time. The scab will eventually fall off on its own, and the tattoo should be fine if no deep cracks have formed.
During healing do NOT: Wrap the tattoo after the first night (wearing breathable clothes over it is fine as long as they are not causing friction. (Keeping tattoos wrapped in plastic or bandages will stop air from getting to the tattoo, slow healing, and make gross stuff grow in there.)
Tattoo flu is essentially your body's reaction to the trauma of getting tattooed, resulting in symptoms like fatigue, chills, and even slight fever. This can be alarming for those new to tattoos, leaving them to wonder if something has gone wrong.
To aid the skin healing process, the tattoo needs to be kept moist. You can use a very thin layer of hypoallergenic ointment or fragrance-free lotion like Vaseline® Intensive Care™ Advanced Repair Unscented Lotion, or Vaseline® Healing Jelly Original. Repeat daily for 2-3 weeks to help wound healing.
Be Careful While Showering
Yes, you can (and should!) shower with a new tattoo, but there are a few things to remember. "Use lukewarm water and do not directly soak the tattoo for too long," Smith notes. "You should also avoid scrubbing your tattoo or using harsh soaps as that can irritate healing skin."