Tattoo Healing & Aftercare
How to look after your new tattoo
Getting a tattoo is only the beginning. What you do while it heals can have a real effect on how the finished tattoo looks.
A fresh tattoo is a controlled injury to the skin. The tattoo needle places pigment into the dermis while passing through the outer layer of skin many times. Your body then has to repair that area while the pigment settles into the skin.
There are many different approaches to tattoo aftercare, and different artists may give slightly different advice depending on their techniques, the type of tattoo, the products they use and the covering applied afterwards.
The most important rule is to follow the aftercare instructions given to you by the artist who tattooed you.
The following is the aftercare guidance we give to clients at The Good Fight Tattoo in Camden, North London.
The first few days
Your tattoo will initially be a fresh wound.
It may be red, swollen, warm to the touch and slightly uncomfortable. There may also be a small amount of blood, plasma or excess ink coming from the tattoo.
This is normal during the early stages of healing.
Your priority during this period is simple:
Keep the tattoo clean, allow it to breathe and don't interfere with the healing process.
Do not pick, scratch or peel the tattoo, even if it becomes itchy or starts to flake.
The skin needs time to repair itself.
If your tattoo has been covered with Dermalize or another second-skin wrap
Leave the wrap on for a minimum of 24 hours and no longer than 3 days, unless your artist has given you different instructions.
When you're ready to remove it, doing so in the shower can make the process easier. Use warm water to help loosen the adhesive and gently peel the covering away.
Once the covering has been removed:
Wash your hands.
Gently clean the tattoo using water and an unperfumed soap.
Don't scrub the tattoo.
Pat it dry gently with clean kitchen roll.
Allow the tattoo to dry completely.
Once dry, apply a very thin layer of the aftercare product recommended by your artist.
For our standard aftercare, we recommend either Bepanthen or Palmers Cocoa Butter.
Repeat the cleaning and moisturising process twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening, until the tattoo has healed.
You don't need to cover the tattoo again with cling film or another dressing unless your artist specifically tells you to.
If your tattoo has been covered with cling film
If your tattoo has been covered with traditional cling film, leave it on for approximately 2–3 hours.
When removing it:
Wash your hands thoroughly.
Remove the cling film.
Gently wash the tattoo with water and unperfumed soap.
Pat it dry with clean kitchen roll.
Allow the tattoo to dry completely.
Apply a thin layer of Bepanthen or Palmers Cocoa Butter.
For the first two days, repeat this process morning, afternoon and evening, (excluding the bepanthen or palmers cocoa butter, and re wrapping with cling film after).
After the first two days, clean the tattoo as before but do not re-wrap it in cling film.
Instead, apply a thin layer of your recommended aftercare product.
Continue this process three times a day for at least the first week, or follow the specific instructions given to you by your artist.
Don't over-moisturise your tattoo
More moisturiser does not mean better healing.
Apply only a thin layer.
The tattoo should not be covered in a thick layer of ointment or moisturiser. Excessive product can leave the skin overly wet and interfere with the healing process.
If the tattoo looks excessively greasy or remains wet beneath the product, you're probably using too much.
Don't pick, scratch or peel your tattoo
As your tattoo heals, it will often become dry, flaky and itchy.
Do not scratch it. Do not pick at the flakes. Do not peel the skin away.
The flaking is part of the normal healing process.
Picking or scratching can remove skin before it is ready to come away and can irritate the area unnecessarily. It can also interfere with the healing of the tattoo and potentially affect the finished result.
If it becomes itchy, leave it alone.
The itching will pass.
Swimming, bathing and soaking
Do not submerge your fresh tattoo in water while it is healing.
This means:
No swimming pools.
No hot tubs.
No baths.
No swimming in the sea.
No prolonged soaking.
A fresh tattoo is effectively a wound. Submerging it in water can soften and disturb the developing skin barrier.
Swimming pools also contain chemicals such as chlorine which can irritate freshly tattooed skin. Natural bodies of water can contain bacteria and other microorganisms which can increase the risk of infection.
Do not go swimming simply because the tattoo looks healed on the surface.
The deeper layers of skin can still be repairing underneath.
Wait until the tattoo is fully healed before swimming or deliberately soaking it.
A normal shower is fine, but don't deliberately soak, scrub or expose the tattoo to very hot water.
Sun and UV exposure
Keep a fresh tattoo completely out of direct sunlight while it is healing.
Do not sunbathe and do not use sunbeds while your tattoo is healing.
Freshly tattooed skin is particularly vulnerable to irritation while it is repairing. UV exposure can cause additional inflammation and can contribute to premature fading of tattoo pigments.
Do not rely on sunscreen as protection for a fresh tattoo. During the initial healing period, the best protection from sunlight is simply keeping the tattoo covered and out of direct UV exposure.
Once your tattoo has completely healed, protecting it from prolonged UV exposure with a suitable high-SPF sunscreen will help preserve its colour and detail over time.
Exercise and excessive sweating
During the initial healing period, you should avoid activities that cause excessive sweating or significant friction against the tattoo.
Heavy exercise can cause sweat, heat and friction around the freshly tattooed area. Clothing or equipment rubbing repeatedly against the tattoo can also irritate the healing skin.
This doesn't mean you need to stop moving completely.
Use common sense and give the tattoo time to settle. If an activity is going to cause the tattoo to become very sweaty, repeatedly rub against clothing or equipment, or expose it to dirty environments, wait until the tattoo has healed before doing it.
Keep your tattoo clean
While your tattoo is healing, keep it clean and avoid exposing it unnecessarily to dirt, dust or other contaminants.
Wash your hands before touching the tattoo.
When cleaning it, use clean hands, water and an unperfumed soap. Be gentle — there is no need to scrub the tattoo to make it clean.
After washing, gently pat the tattoo dry with clean kitchen roll.
Don't rub it aggressively with a towel.
How long does a tattoo take to heal?
A tattoo can begin to look healed after around a week, but that doesn't necessarily mean the healing process is finished.
The skin underneath can continue repairing for several weeks.
For this reason, we recommend treating the tattoo as a healing wound until it has completely settled.
Full healing can take up to around 6 weeks.
The exact healing time varies between people and can depend on the size and style of the tattoo, the area of the body, your individual skin and how well you look after it.
What is normal while a tattoo heals?
During healing, you may notice:
Redness around the tattoo
Mild swelling
Tenderness
Dryness
Flaking or peeling
Itching
A slightly dull or cloudy appearance as the skin settles
These things can all occur as part of the normal healing process.
A tattoo can also look different at different stages of healing. It may look particularly vibrant immediately after the tattoo is completed, become duller or cloudy during healing, and then become clearer again once the skin has fully settled.
Try not to judge the final appearance of your tattoo while it is still healing.
When should you contact us?
If you're unsure whether something happening with your tattoo is normal, contact your artist rather than guessing.
We would much rather answer a question than have you worry about something unnecessarily.
If you experience symptoms that concern you, particularly increasing rather than decreasing redness, significant swelling, worsening pain, pus or other signs that could indicate infection, seek appropriate medical advice.
Your tattoo artist can advise you about the tattoo itself, but they are not a substitute for a medical professional.
Why we're strict about aftercare
These aren't arbitrary rules.
The way you treat a tattoo during its healing period can affect both how comfortably it heals and how the finished tattoo looks.
Swimming, soaking, excessive sweating, scratching and sun exposure all introduce unnecessary risks while the skin is repairing.
The good news is that the most important part is also the simplest:
Give your tattoo time to heal.
You don't need complicated products or a huge skincare routine.
Keep it clean.
Keep it lightly moisturised.
Don't pick it.
Don't soak it.
Don't expose it to the sun.
And follow the specific instructions given to you by your tattoo artist.
A few weeks of sensible aftercare can help give your tattoo the best possible start.
Different artists may have different advice
You may find that different tattoo artists recommend slightly different aftercare routines.
That doesn't necessarily mean one artist is right and another is wrong.
Different artists use different techniques, coverings and products, and may have developed their own preferred healing methods through experience.
If you have been tattooed by another artist, follow their aftercare instructions rather than automatically following ours.
The guidance on this page is specifically the guidance we provide to clients tattooed at The Good Fight Tattoo.
If you're one of our clients and you're unsure about anything during the healing process, get in touch with your artist and we'll be happy to help.
The Good Fight Tattoo
The Good Fight Tattoo is an independent tattoo studio in Camden, North London, with artists specialising in a range of tattoo styles including illustrative, blackwork, anime, gothic, oriental and neo-traditional tattooing.
We believe good tattooing doesn't end when the needle stops.
Looking after the tattoo properly during those first few weeks is an important part of getting the best possible result.