What Are The Stages Of A Healing Tattoo?

After you get home from the tattoo studio, you will want to do everything to heal the inked area. What are the healing stages for your new tattoo? During the next few weeks and months, give your tattoo some care to help it maintain a great appearance. Here are a few things to expect with these healing stages.

Day One

After your tattoo is finished and wrapped in a bandage, it is an open wound. As you may have guessed, open, fresh wounds need the proper aftercare. Most artists from the local Philadelphia tattoo shops will send you home with aftercare instructions. Make sure to follow them. Keep the tattoo wrapped, wear loose clothes, and avoid touching the tattoo. Over the next few days, the tattoo is still a fresh wound. You could notice oozing, swelling, and redness. These are normal reactions to the tattoo process. For the most part, you should leave the tattoo alone. However, if you need to wash the area, use antibacterial soap and pat dry. Your skin will need air to heal. With that in mind, don’t wear tight-fitting clothes over the new ink.

Week One

You may notice flaking, scabbing, and itching during the first week. Whatever you do, never pick or touch the tattoo. Picking can disrupt the healing process, and it might even harm the ink. While you don’t have to wash the tattoo often, keep up on the moisturizing. You should apply lotion or cream at least twice a day.

Weeks Two And Three

You could notice more scabs falling off in the second and third weeks. The itching will reduce, and new skin should be forming over the tattoo. At this stage, you want to keep the tattoo clean but do not entirely submerge it in water. Showers are fine if you pat dry the new skin. Never use a rough towel to dry it. Instead, choose a clean, soft fabric to pat down the area.

Week Four

You are at the halfway healing point. At this time, the surface skin layers should be almost healed. However, those deeper layers will need more time. If your skin is still red or sensitive to touch, it might be time to talk to your artist or doctor about the possibility of a skin infection. You will want to keep up with the regular aftercare routine and avoid touching the area. Some tattoos will have a cloudy appearance, but this color is normal. As the dry skin comes off, the ink will appear more vivid.

Months Three To Six

After a few months, your tattoo should be healed, including all skin layers. The skin should not feel itchy. Your tattoo will look vibrant, vivid, and bright. You can stop applying regular moisturizer but always wear sunscreen when going outside. However, you might want to limit your sun exposure and wear loose clothing. Water will not cause any issues, allowing you to resume swimming and taking long baths.

What Can Extend The Tattoo Healing Time?

These healing stages can be affected by many factors. The color of the ink can impact the healing process. Those colored tattoos look beautiful, but they take the longest time to heal. The method of applying the ink is one reason for a longer healing time. The needle must go over every inch of the skin to fill it with color. Most of the time, this process happens without a break. All the increased work can irritate the skin, causing more trauma. You might notice more scabbing if you have a colored tattoo, leading to additional healing time. Most tattoos will take two to three weeks to heal, but a colored one will need four to six for recovery.

On the other hand, black and gray tattoos are known to heal faster. The tattoo artist will use a less intense approach to apply the ink. If the tattoo has blank space or light shading, then there is not much irritation to the skin. These types of tattoos usually take three weeks to heal with the proper aftercare.Finally, tattoos on those sensitive body parts can take longer to heal, especially if placed in an area with many nerve endings or near thin skin. There is more damage to the skin, resulting in extended periods of irritation and redness. In some situations, the skin might be itchier during the healing stage. Tattoos in sensitive areas can take up to six weeks to heal, but some cases require several months of healing time.

Final Thoughts

Whenever you get a new tattoo, it is an exciting moment. While you will want to show it off to your friends, take the time to care for it. Be patient and follow those aftercare instructions. Since it will stay on your body, you want it to look good for many years.Along with following the care instructions, drink plenty of water, get rest, and eat healthy food. If there are any signs of infection, talk to your doctor or the tattoo artist. All of these tips can help you heal and protect your new tattoo.

Need Local Tattoo Shops Near Me?

Oracle Tattoo Gallery has served the Philadelphia area since 2020. Our skilled artists can help create a fantastic tattoo for you. Plus, we will provide you with aftercare instructions to help heal the fresh ink. You can schedule an appointment by calling 215-638-1601.