How Long Does It Take For A Tattoo To Heal

Every new tattoo undergoes a certain healing process, which can usually be divided into three different stages. As with any other type of open wound on the body, the skin must protect itself from harmful external bacteria and return itself to a fully healthy state after any damage has occurred.

The Tattoo Healing Process

The visible part of the tattoo healing process lasts four to six weeks. However, the deeper layers of skin will continue to heal at a slower rate over the next few months.

The more you follow a good care routine in the early stages, the faster the tattoo will heal.

1. Stage 1 (days 1-3) - oozing, swelling and redness that gradually gets better each day. Scabs begin to form on the area.

2. Stage 2 (days 4-8) - Itching and flaking begin until all dead skin and crusts have fallen off.

3. Stage 3 (days 9-30) - The tattoo looks completely healed, but may look a little dull. The deeper layers of skin are still healing, so continue to take care of your tattoo.

Stage 1 - Oozing and Soreness

This first phase of treatment begins once you get out of the tattoo artist's chair. The area where the ink was injected is now an open wound and the skin begins to produce plasma to begin the clotting and scabbing process. Your tattoo artist will most likely clean the area with antibacterial green soap and wrap the tattoo with a bandage, to prevent bacteria until you return home.

All artists have their own method of wrapping, but many recommend keeping the wrap on for 12-24 hours, however, it is recommended not to exceed three hours.

Once the bandage is removed, your tattooed area will likely be leaking blood, plasma, lymphatic fluid, and ink, which is completely normal and is the body's way of trying to repair itself.

At this point you will need to rinse off as much of the oozing blood, ink, and sticky plasma as possible. The best way to do this is to use warm water and circular motions with clean fingers.

It is important not to use any rough wash cloths or towels as these can rub off any dry scabs and delay healing around the damaged area of the tattoo. Often your body may be tired by the time you are done with a large tattoo and the tattoo area may feel slightly warm for a few days.

As mentioned earlier, as long as you clean your tattoo with water 3-5 times a day, the scabbing will not be too thick.

It is normal that the color of your tattoo will be ugly during the healing phase. The color will pick up after it has fully healed.

Stage 2 - Itching and Scabbing

Many people consider this to be the worst stage of the tattoo healing process. This is because of the terrible itching and scabbing that you will experience. All tattoos go through the scabbing process and some of the smaller scabs will peel off at any time, some without you even noticing. This will last for about a week. Your skin will become very dry and fragile at this point. Tattoos that are lighter in color, especially those that consist primarily of white ink, will scab and peel more easily than darker, thicker tattoos.

At this stage, the dryness of damaged and dead skin is the cause of flaking and itching. The secret to preventing itching is to keep your skin moist. It is very important not to scratch your tattoo, as this can ruin a beautiful tattoo if you do not take care of it carefully. If you have to relieve the itch, don't scratch, try patting the area gently or give it a rinse to moisturize.

In stage 2 you can rinse your tattoo several times. Some people recommend 6-7 times a day, but keeping your tattoo dry after each wash is one way to promote tattoo recovery. Water soaking between the lotion and your skin may cause your scab to absorb moisture and turn into a shadow.

Stage 3 - Tattoo still looks dull

You have entered the third and final stage of the healing process. While some of the heavier scabs may still be present, there may still be a slight flakiness that is a bit painful and sensitive to touch. Throughout this stage, your tattoo will continue to look a little cloudy, dull and scaly, and it may even look a little shiny in the light. It may look like the tattoo has faded, but this is usually normal.

At this stage, there is usually still a very fine layer of dead skin on the tattoo, but this will naturally disappear over the next month or two until your skin is completely back to normal.

For this reason, sometimes black tattoos look like they have turned gray during the treatment, but eventually the clean, saturated color will return.

When is the tattoo completely healed?

Although your skin will look normal again after the 2-3 week healing phase, the deeper layers of the skin will still be busy repairing themselves.

Although your tattoo will begin to look clearer and more defined by 2-3 weeks, it will likely take 3-4 months for the underlying skin to fully heal. Most tattoo healing issues will also be completely gone by this time.

All in all, it is difficult to say when a tattoo is completely healed because everyone has a different metabolic rate and heals differently. It also depends on many factors, such as how large the tattoo is and the skill of the tattoo artist (if the tattoo artist is fussy and the needle is deeper than needed, the tattoo may take longer than normal to heal).

Frequently Asked Questions

What to avoid after getting a tattoo?

1. After the tattoo in the epidermis damage recovery before (skin off) please do not take any food or drink containing alcohol, do not eat seafood and other foods.

2. Don't touch the water excessively before the tattoo area is healed, avoid swimming and going to the sea.

3. There are tattoo parts do not have damage, breaks, or sun exposure, the tattoo place will be affected. If you can love the tattoo in strong sunlight under good protection measures, tattoo color will be better.

4. Try to wear loose clothing, the tattoo parts can be exposed.

5. Do not scratch, pick, be patient and insist! Because these actions you may pull out the ink and leave scars, tattoo discoloration or suggest infection. Use a soft, clean towel or paper towel to gently pat dry after contact with water and be gentle with your tattoo for best results.