What Can I Put On My Tattoo To Heal?
Aftercare for Your Tattoo – So, how can you make sure that new tattoo is something you don’t end up regretting? Follow these steps while your new tattoo heals.
- Be sure your artist covers your new tattoo in a thin layer of petroleum jelly and a bandage.
- Remove the bandage after 24 hours. Gently wash the tattoo with antimicrobial soap and water and be sure to pat dry.
- Apply a layer of antibacterial/Vaseline ointment twice a day, but don’t put on another bandage.
- Gently wash your tattoo area twice a day with soap and water and gently pat dry before reapplying the antibacterial/Vaseline ointment.
- Keep applying a moisturizer or ointment after you clean it to keep it moist.
You should repeat this process for 2 to 4 weeks. Also try not to wear clothes that will stick to your tattoo, and avoid swimming and the sun for about 2 weeks. And take cool showers. Scalding hot water will not only hurt, but it can also fade the ink. Wear a physical blocker sunscreen with at least 7% zinc oxide sunscreen during the daylight hours and/or cover it up (with clothing, a bandage).
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What helps a tattoo heal faster?
What kind of ointment do you put on tattoos?
– Use a mild, fragrance-free soap or a specially formulated tattoo cleanser to clean the area. Your tattoo artist can recommend a tattoo-specific cleanser. Soap options include the following products, which you can buy online:
- Dove Sensitive Skin Beauty Bar
- Liquid Neutrogena
- Dial Gold Antibacterial Deodorant Bar Soap (although this soap isn’t fragrance-free, tattoo artists often recommend it)
For the first day or two, use an ointment like A+D Original Ointment or Aquaphor Healing Ointment or the product recommended by your tattoo artist to help the tattoo heal. It’s best to avoid products that are 100 percent petroleum-based, like Vaseline. The American Academy of Dermatology says that petroleum-based products can cause the ink to fade. However, there’s one exception: Authority Tattoo says that Vaseline may be helpful while showering.
Because Vaseline is nonporous (watertight), you can apply it to your tattoo before you step into the shower so that it can protect the area from getting sprayed with water. It’s also been noted that Vaseline may be helpful on healed tattoos or the skin surrounding the tattoo if it’s exceptionally dry.
Just apply a thin layer. Putting on too thick of a layer won’t allow your skin to breathe. After about 2 days, you can switch to a regular moisturizer. Some products that you can buy online include:
- Lubriderm Daily Moisture Fragrance-Free Lotion
- Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Lotion for Dry Skin
- Curél Fragrance-Free Lotion
- Eucerin Intensive Repair Lotion
Whatever you choose, make sure it’s fragrance-free and alcohol-free. Also make sure it doesn’t contain additives, such as colored dye, that could dry out your skin. When properly cared for, your tattoo can be as brilliant as one of these inspiring breast cancer tattoos.
Can you put Vaseline on a new tattoo?
– The first 24 hours after getting a tattoo are critical to your aftercare. Your tattoo artist may advise that you wear special bandages for added protection. After a few days, you may be able to safely take showers, but you’ll still need to avoid submerging the tattoo in water when bathing.
While your tattoo is bandaged, this may allow for a very small window for using Vaseline too, since your tattoo is already covered. However, you’ll want to verify this with your tattoo artist first. Generally, there’s no need for Vaseline on a new tattoo whatsoever.
Once your bandages are off, you’ll want to stay away from Vaseline during the healing process, too. You may be able to use Vaseline on a newer tattoo only after it’s completely healed. The only use for petroleum jelly on your tattoo is for extremely dry skin around the area.
What is the best tattoo aftercare?
Is it better to let a tattoo dry heal?
– Tattoo dry healing is an acceptable part of a tattoo aftercare routine as long as you follow all other aftercare instructions closely. Not taking extra care of your tattoo can lead to scabbing or scarring. And if you’re concerned that dry healing won’t work for you, feel free to use a safe, chemical-free moisturizer to prevent any reactions or interactions with your skin or the tattoo ink.
How many weeks does a tattoo heal?
– The healing process is different for every person and tattoo. Most sources indicate that tattoos generally take about 2 weeks to heal. However, it may take up to 4 weeks for the skin to fully recover. Some complications may prolong the healing process. The following is what a person can typically expect.
Can I use coconut oil on my tattoo?
– Coconut oil is gentle enough to use during any stage of the tattoo process. You can apply it to new tattoos, old ones, or even those that are undergoing removal or retouching. This can prove beneficial if you have more than one tattoo, or if you’re thinking about getting additional ink in the near future.
Is Aloe Vera good for tattoos?
Conclusions: Is Aloe Vera Good for Tattoo Care? – Aloe vera is great for tattoo care. Finding tattoo care products that include aloe vera as an ingredient like ours can be key to the health of your art. Aloe vera can help ensure the area is soothed and protected, ease discomfort and irritation, and keep your tattoo moisturized while letting it breathe.
- With amazing cooling effects and nourishing properties, your vulnerable-to-infection ink will thank you for using aloe vera;
- It is an all natural product that yields amazing results;
- So, yes, aloe vera is good for tattoos;
You’re welcome. Sources: Aloe Vera and Tattoo Aftercare | LinkedIn Can Aloe Vera help with Tattoos? | Easy Succulents Aloe Vera | NCCIH.
How often do you moisturize your tattoo?
How Often Should You Moisturize Your Tattoo? – Professional tattoo artists always recommended one moisturizes their tattoo(s) once or twice a day. The best way to moisturize a tattoo is by doing it in the morning and in the evening. It is also important to apply lotion or ointment after taking a shower, to protect the tattoo from drying out.
Note : Make sure to wait between 10 and 20 minutes to apply lotion/ointment onto the tattoo after a shower. In that time, the tattoo will dry naturally, so when you do apply a moisturizer, it will soak into the skin nicely.
By applying lotion onto a wet tattoo, you’re risking overdoing it.
Should you cover tattoo at night?
This info should guide you through the care of healing your tattoo, but if you have any other questions while it is healing, do not hesitate to contact your artist directly or call the shop for immediate reply. There are no stupid questions about healing.
– After your tattoo is completed, your artist will bandage your tattoo for your trip home. Leave the bandage on for one to three hours. When you take the bandage off, wash it with very warm water (as hot as is comfortable) and mild liquid hand soap (like Dr.
Bronner’s, Dial or Softsoap, just no perfumed or exfoliating body washes). Pat it dry gently with a paper towel, and let it air dry the rest of the way (never scrub the tattoo with a towel or sponge). Then you will apply a very small amount of Aquaphor Ointment or plain, unscented skin lotion (we recommend Aveeno, Lubriderm, Curel, or any of their generics) to the tattoo, just enough to lightly moisturize.
- Your first night sleeping, your artist might recommend you re-wrap the tattoo with plastic wrap (like Saran Wrap) to sleep without the tattoo sticking to your sheets. This is generally for larger or solid-color tattoos. If your artist did not recommend re-wrapping, just let the tattoo stay exposed to air overnight.
- Every day from then on, you will wash the tattoo in the morning and at night, and apply lotion 3 times a day or so, or whenever the tattoo feels dry or tight.
- Always wash your hands before touching the tattoo.
- DO NOT apply Vaseline, Neosporin, Bacitracin or any other medicated or perfumed product to your tattoo.
- After a few days, the tattoo will form a thin scab over it, and in about a week the scab will begin to flake off in the shower. DO NOT pick or scratch at the scab, just keep it clean and moist and the scabs will all fall off by themselves in about two weeks. Picking any of the scabs off will cause faded color and damage to the skin.
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. )
- Submerge the tattoo in water. This means baths, pools and oceans. Regular showering is fine.
- Expose it to strong sunlight (Like outdoor activities or beach days. Walking to your car is fine)
- Shave over the tattoo (ouch!)
When all the scabs fall off and the skin feels smooth again to the touch, it is all healed and you can shave over it again, and swim and everything else. Sometimes after the scab falls off there is a secondary shiny, raised or waxy coat over the tattoo. This is just another healing layer of skin. Continue to moisturize it and it will smooth out by itself over time. If you have any questions about your tattoo while its healing you are always welcome to come by the shop and have us check it out, or email the artist who did the tattoo with “AFTERCARE” in the subject line for an immediate response.
Do not slather a big, thick coat of product over it; just enough for it to stay moist and flexible. If you are using Aquaphor, you can switch to a plain lotion after the first few days. Lotion is generally fine for everyone, your artist will recommend if you would benefit from ointment.
If something doesn’t look perfect After your tattoo is finished healing, we’ll do our best to make it right. Sometimes with excessive scabbing, or other unpredictable reactions during healing, your skin can reject some ink, leaving a “light spot” that is closer to your skin color in the tattoo (or a line might get thinner or lighter in one spot).
- This is common as its unlikely your body will accept every spot of pigment uniformly, so just contact your artist via email after your tattoo is finished healing with a photo to see if a small touch up is in order;
Unless you were negligent during the care of your tattoo, touch-ups are very minor and quick, and guaranteed by our artists if you contact them about it within 3 months of getting the tattoo. Because older tattoos that have settled in fully and aged require more work to make uniform, we suggest coming in as soon as possible when it’s healed, as touch ups are performed for a fee at the artist’s discretion after 3 months.
What do you do first 24 hours after a tattoo?
Do black tattoos heal faster?
Tattoo Healing Duration – The tattoo healing stages and duration may differ from one tattoo to the other. The healing duration depends on several factors, like;
- The style of the tattoo
- Whether it is grey or colored
- The size of the tattoo
- The location or body placement
- The execution of the tattoo artist
- The time the tattoo was wrapped and protected
So, taking into consideration the factors, we can determine an estimated healing duration for different tattoos;
- Colored tattoos – the colored tattoos take the longest to heal. The reason for this lies in the very tattooing execution when coloring the tattoo. The needle has to go over every inch of the tattoo to fill it in with color, without any breaks. The increased work irritates the skin more, leading to skin trauma, and later, longer periods of scabbing and overall healing.
- Black & grey tattoos – these tattoos heal much faster than the colored ones. The reason for this lies in the less intense approach to the skin. These tattoos often have some blank space or some light shading, which doesn’t irritate or damage the skin as much as the coloring does. Such a tattoo may take up to 3 weeks to have the surface skin healed if taken care of properly.
- Tattoos with sensitive body placement – if a tattoo is placed in an area that has very thin skin and a lot of nerve endings, the damage to the skin might be greater. That is why any type of tattoo done in a sensitive area takes much longer to heal than expected. You may experience longer periods of redness and irritation, and the skin may even be itchier during the healing process. The overall healing duration for a sensitive tattoo may be up to 6 weeks, but there were cases where the healing lasted for several months (just the surface skin layer).
Image Source: Saved Tattoo.
