Tattoo Aftercare Guide

The tattoo is only the first stage of the story. What happens in the weeks after is just as crucial. How you take care of your new ink determines whether it heals cleanly or patchily. How well you look after your new tattoo determines how it retains details and how the colours end up sitting in the skin. It’s the difference between having a great looking tattoo and a faded, patchy one. It is vital to take proper care of your tattoo whether it’s your first tattoo or your 20th.

This article takes you on a detailed journey through the different phases of healing, beginning from the immediate post-studio period through the years and decades that you'll need to dedicate to keeping your ink fresh. Within it you'll learn about the proper care process, cleaning schedules, and best types of creams and products for tattoo after-care. We'll also discuss some of the big tattoo do's and don'ts, like when it's okay to swim, work out, or get a bit of sunshine.

Day-by-Day Tattoo Healing Timeline

Days 1 to 3: These first three days are the acute stage where your tattoo is essentially a very fresh wound: it'll be red, swollen and leaking a combination of plasma, old ink and blood. Your artist will have applied cling film or a medical adhesive bandage (for example, Saniderm or Tegaderm) to the area. If they have opted for cling film, wash and rewrap it every night. Keep it on for 2 to 4 hours when first applied. If it's Saniderm, your tattoo will remain on it for the first 24 hours, after which it'll be replaced by a new layer for the next 3 to 5 days.

In days 4-14, the tattoo will itch and peel as the outer layer of skin flakes off. In appearance, it can be somewhat like a sunburn, and it may look cloudy or slightly dull, sometimes described as the "ugly duckling" period. DO NOT PICK OR SCRATCH. The surface will begin closing in weeks 2-3, the tattoo will look sharper and clearer. The dermal healing underneath will continue for another 2-3 months as your immune system permanently surrounds the individual particles of ink.

How to Clean and Moisturise a New Tattoo

Wash your tattoo two or three times a day during your first two weeks. Wash your hands thoroughly then use clean hands to lather and apply warm or lukewarm water and a clear, colour-free, liquid soap to the tattoo; antibacterial soap (eg Dial Gold) or a mild, non-drying soap (eg CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser) is recommended. DO NOT wash a new tattoo with a wash cloth, sponge or towel, but DO use a clean paper towel. Rinse your tattoo thoroughly then gently pat dry. Do not use a bathroom towel which can contain bacteria. Let your skin air-dry for at least 5–10 minutes following each cleaning.

The key to proper moisturising is applying a light coat. You want your skin to look a bit shiny, not like someone covered it in goop. Too much moisturizer chokes the tattoo and can cause breakouts and pimples and bubbling. Good products include Hustle Butter Deluxe Shea and Mango Butter Blend, Aquaphor Healing Ointment (use this sparingly, days 1 to 3 only; it's a petroleum product), and After Inked Moisturizer (vegan and paraben-free). You can go back to a basic unscented moisturizer like Lubriderm or Eucerin after the peeling phase.

What to Avoid During Tattoo Healing

Nothing will fade a healing tattoo faster than the sun. UV light degrades tattoo inks in a healed tattoo, the effects are a thousand times worse on the fresh ones. Protect the tattoo by avoiding direct exposure for a full month, and then wear SPF 50+ sunscreen any time you plan on exposing the area. It is a small commitment with massive payoffs.

No swimming (pools, baths, oceans, hot tubs) until 4 weeks. Don’t wear tight clothing on your tattoo, as tight clothes will rub the tattoo and create friction to pull ink and irritate the tattoo skin. Avoid the gym for 48-72 hours minimum; stretching and the sweat will irritate the healing skin. Do not use Neosporin on your fresh tattoo; Neosporin and other triple antibiotic products are designed to prevent infection on scrapes, and not for tattoos. It’s also a common cause of allergic reactions and will pull the ink out of your tattoo skin. Do not peel your healing tattoo (it may itch and flake). If you have a scab or peel, do not pick at your tattoo or flake it off, or you could pull ink out and cause your tattoo to heal in patchy spots, which will eventually need tattoo touch-ups to look right.

Signs of Infection and When to See a Doctor

A bit of redness, swelling, and heat is perfectly fine within the first 48 hours, as you've just had thousands of needles stuck in you. After day 3, however, if the redness gets worse and extends past the edges of the tattoo or you notice pus (a yellow or green, thick discharge), smelly smells, a trail of red going away from your tattoo, or you're having a fever, go to your doctor ASAP. Tattoo infections are usually the result of a staph bacterium and can grow into cellulitis or sepsis if not treated.

Ink allergies are less common, but they do happen, particularly with red and yellow pigment. Signs include raised bumps that don't go away, itching that is severe in one area of the tattoo only, and blistering. For allergic reactions, your dermatologist may recommend topical corticosteroid creams. If you're prone to skin sensitivities, request a small test patch from your tattoo artist 24-48 hours before your appointment.

Long-Term Tattoo Maintenance

When your tattoo has fully healed and is about 3-months old, change your care to long term: Daily application of moisturiser will keep your skin looking soft and fresh, and will keep your tattoo from looking old and cracked. The best thing you can buy is SPF 50+ and you need to put as much of it onto the part of the body that has a tattoo as you possibly can whenever you know you are exposed to sunlight. Mineral sunscreens (zinc oxide) sit on top of the skin for instant protection.

Schedule touch-ups roughly every 5 to 10 years, adjusting for tattoo size, style, and how much the body is exposed to the sun. Since fine-line tattoos have very thin lines and tend to fade more quickly, expect to revisit these more regularly, with touch-ups typically recommended every 3 to 5 years. Watercolour tattoos often require even more frequent touch-ups than fine-line tattoos since the color is more diluted than a solid colour fill. The most durable designs to retain their crisp lines are typically bold traditional and solid black ink pieces. It’s worth noting, though, that tattoo design placement can also have a big impact on longevity as our skin grows and stretches throughout a lifetime due to aging, weight changes, and pregnancy. Tattoo placements on less likely to stretch include the forearm, the outer upper arm, and the calf, while tattoo locations that are more prone to significant changes are the stomach and the inside of the bicep.