When To Start Putting Lotion On Tattoo?
You should start moisturizing your tattoo as soon as it starts to dry — not before. This can generally take about 1–3 days after you got your tattoo. Be sure to wash and dry your tattoo with antibacterial soap and choose the appropriate moisturizer as well.
If you’re new to tattoos, we recommend that you educate yourself on the complete healing process. We go into detail on the precautions you need to take, how to get the job done, and how often to moisturize.
If you’re a tattoo-head, it might be worth your while to get a refresher, as well.
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What happens if you moisturize your tattoo too soon?
What Are The Risks of Over Moisturizing a Tattoo? – By applying thicker layers of lotion or ointment, several times a day (or every hour or two as some people do), you’re risking over-moisturizing a tattoo. By over-moisturizing a tattoo, you can cause the following problems;
- Due to excess moisture, the tattoo won’t be able to dry and heal
- Excess moisture can create a perfect environment for bacteria and germ growth
- Over moisturizing can lead to tattoo inflammation and infection
- Excess moisture can cause clogged pores since the moisturizer prevents the skin from breathing
- Excess moisture can cause the tattooed skin to break out
To avoid these issues, make sure to follow the moisturizing rules we mentioned before. However, make sure to not under moisturizing your tattoo as well. Some people are afraid they might over-moisturize their tattoo, so they leave it dehydrated, which results in heavy scabbing and tattoo dryness. So, make sure to stay in the middle and simply apply a thin layer of lotion/ointment twice a day.
Can I put lotion on my new tattoo?
Should I apply lotion to my tattoo? What kind of tattoo care products do you recommend? – Yes! Moisturizing your tattoo regularly is extremely important. You should moisturize your clean tattoo 3 – 6 times per day, for roughly two weeks (though proper skincare is always important, and most tattoo enthusiasts moisturize their tattoos daily for life!). A white cream lotion or moisturizer, preferably unscented, should be used! We recommend these fragrance-free, white cream lotions: Aveeno , Curel , and Eucerin . Be warned: your favorite fragranced lotion is not a good option for moisturizing your tattoo – this can cause an excruciating burning sensation when applied to the tattoo, which is essentially an open wound. The fewer chemicals in the product, the better! Pure cocoa butter or shea butter is also popular for darker skin tones and is a fine option. There are some manufacturers who design products specifically for tattoo aftercare that work well for long-term care (such as Tattoo Goo , H2Ocean , and Hustle Butter ). Do NOT use aloe vera gel to moisturize, and we don’t recommend A&D ointment either, as the oil in these products can extract some of the ink from your tattoo.
When should I stop moisturizing my new tattoo?
The tattooed area might still look dry and dull. Keep moisturizing until the skin looks hydrated again. By the second or third week, the outer layers of skin should’ve healed. It may take 3 to 4 months for the lower layers to completely heal.
How do you tell if your tattoo is too dry?
Why Does Tattoo Cracking Happen? – When your tattoo begins to scab over in the healing process, the area around the tattoo generally becomes scaly , extremely dry, and also very itchy. Some tattoos will scab very lightly where the scabs are hardly visible, and some will scab heavily, with thick prominent crusts. 
A tattoo beginning to crack When the scabs lose moisture within them, they will become so dry that they begin to split, break apart, and often bleed. This is what is known as tattoo cracking. Below are the main reasons why your new ink may begin to crack:.
How do I take care of my tattoo the first week?
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).
Should I let my tattoo dry out?
Are There Any Disadvantages to Dry Healing a Tattoo? – For every argument in favor of dry healing, you’ll find a counter-argument. Critics of dry healing will point out, for instance, that it does nothing to relieve the itchiness that comes when your skin is healing after a tattoo.
That would be bad enough if it simply means you’ll spend a few weeks being more uncomfortable, but it’s worse than that. If you have a hard time putting up with the itchiness and you give in to the urge to scratch your tattoo, you can damage your skin before it has fully recovered.
If that’s the case, using an ointment that relieves the itchiness is likely a better alternative. The best tattoo lotion I’ve ever personally used is a vegan aftercare product called After Inked Tattoo Aftercare Lotion. This stuff works amazingly well during the healing process; not only by keeping your tattoo really well hydrated but also by soothing any annoying itching and irritation.
- When using it from the very start of the healing process, this lotion will help to decrease tattoo healing times and work towards eliminating any lingering dryness and scabbing;
- Some people allege that those in favor of dry healing may have simply used the wrong types of ointments;
It’s true that some lotions have harsh chemicals or don’t contain enough of the ingredients that are friendly to your skin. However, if you do a bit of research you should be able to find creams that will deliver the vitamins your skin needs without any unnecessary additives. 
A tattoo that is so dry that the scabs have cracked and are now bleeding While proponents of dry healing profess that it speeds up the healing process, it could also tighten the skin, which makes it more likely that scabs will break. This, of course, will extend the amount of time it takes for your tattoo to heal, and could cause minor blemishes.
What happens if I don’t moisturize my tattoo?
It’s a tricky line to tread, looking after your new tattoo and making sure it doesn’t get infected, while also leaving it alone to do its healing without being fiddled with! Too much balm can be problematic, as skin needs to breathe while healing, but what happens if you don’t put any on at all?
- Itchiness Without moisturiser, there’s a risk that healing skin will get very dry, tight and itchy, and itchy skin that you can’t scratch – that in fact you shouldn’t touch at all – is not much fun! If you do itch then you risk damaging the new tattoo.
- Tightness and Scabbing Dry skin can also cause very tight scabs to form; these can flake and fall off easily, pulling the ink away with them, which you also really want to avoid.
- Infection Lastly, uncovered skin can be more open to infection, which can also damage the design; a fine layer of breathable balm works like a sticking plaster to protect against irritants and microbes.
Your skin needs to be looked after whether it’s been tattooed or not; it goes through the same natural cycle of repair and regeneration every 3-4 weeks, rebuilding its outer layer so that it can provide a robust barrier to the outside world.
Should I moisturize a scabbing tattoo?
Tattoo Scabbing | Aftercare & Healing – A new tattoo will flake and peel during the healing process and may even scab a little bit. To prevent a new tattoo from overly scabbing and thus possibly losing color and clarity, the first two weeks is the most critical time to carefully follow aftercare tips.
Whether you use an aftercare product suggested by the tattoo artist, an over-the-counter ointment or an unscented hand lotion or moisturizer, you must keep your tattoo moist. If it dries out and starts cracking, where it splits is where you are going to see scabbing.
While keeping it moist is vitally important, you can overdo it and keep it too moist or what you’d call saturated. Avoid using petroleum or lanolin based product that clogs your pores. These products can not only pull out color, but they actually hamper the healing process.
- A slow healing tattoo has the potential to scab just as much as one that doesn’t get enough moisture during healing;
- Wear loose clothing while your tattoo is healing;
- Tight clothes that rub on a new tattoo can irritate and scrape the area to the point of pulling off flakes and scabs that aren’t ready to come off;
It’s also wise to wear clothing made of breathable materials such as cotton. Avoid nylons and polyesters. Keep it clean Gently wash your tattoo with a mild, antibacterial soap and your fingers. Never use a wash cloth, sponge, bath puff or any other material while washing the area.
- Then, thoroughly rinse all of the soap off;
- It’s important to carefully remove this debris to prevent a new tattoo from scabbing;
- Don’t rub Rubbing your tattoo can pull off the thin layer that is also referred to as a scab which forms a protective layer over the fresh ink;
This scab is necessary and you don’t want to pull it off before it’s ready or you will end up with larger scabs that are harmful. Re-apply ointment, lotion or moisturizer Avoid Sweating Sports, gum etc can irritate a new tattoo, so try to avoid extremely physical activity.
Also avoid contact sports, where the protective scab can be knocked off. Don’t soak in any kind of water including bathtubs, oceans, lakes, swimming pools or hot tubs. Not only can the water seep under the skin and draw the ink out, any germs found in the water source can potentially cause infection, which can lead to scabbing and scarring.
Tattoo Scabbing – Healing Scabs can be unsightly, painful and itchy. Scabs are the encrusted formation that forms atop a wound during the healing process. Designed to keep germs and bacteria from invading the wound and leading the infection, they can be unsightly.
Improper caring of scabs can lead to permanent scarring. Reasons for Scabs: The tattoo starts to scab over, similar to a scab that may occur if you’ve been badly sun burned. This is a natural reaction, as the top layer of skin becomes a little crusty, protecting the open wound (tattoo) underneath.
After a few days, the natural healing process of the tattoo causes the skin to form a complete scab over the entire image. This scab should be very thin and flaky if you’ve taken care of your tattoo correctly. Once the tattoo finishes healing, the scab begins to peel, eventually falling off completely on its own.
During this time, it’s important not to pick the scab or it could pull the ink out of the fresh tattoo underneath. What to avoid: Don’t pick at the scab; give it time to heal undisturbed. Picking scabs open not only exposes the cut to bacteria, but keeps it from healing properly and will eventually lead to scarring.
Clean the scab with warm, soapy water. Don’t rub on it or you risk having it fall off. Dry it immediately after washing. Keep the scab moist by applying a warm, wet compress one to two times a day. This will help promote healing by allowing the skin beneath the scab to regenerate.
Apply lotion to the scab to keep it healthier and less likely to fall off or become cracked. Apply an antibiotic ointment to the scab between soakings to help keep it from hardening. Avoid soaking the scab in excess water.
This can cause the scab to fall off, which will restart the healing process, making it so another scab has to form. Allow the scab to get as much air as possible to promote healing. If you cover the scab, make sure it still has airflow. Talk to your doctor about chemical peeling for scabs and scars.
Should I moisturize my tattoo while its peeling?
Moisturizing is Essential During the peeling process, unless you’ve decided to take on the dry healing method it’s essential that you keep your tattoo moisturized. For the first three days after you get your tattoo, you should be cleaning your tattoo and washing, drying, and putting ointment on it regularly.
What is an overworked tattoo?
Natalia Lebedinskaia/Shutterstock New tattoos usually take two to three weeks to fully heal, and with good aftercare, they should heal perfectly, per Glamour Magazine. However, there are times when the healing process of a new tattoo doesn’t go as smoothly as it should. This can be so in the case of overworked tattoos. Otherwise known as a tattoo blowout (via Healthline ), an overworked tattoo is what happens when a tattoo causes scarring or when the tattoo ink goes past the dermis layer and reaches the hypodermis, per Demi Ink.
An effect of this is that the tattoo begins to look blurry, per Byrdie. Overworked tattoos are more likely when you patronize beginner tattoo artists, and the problem with overworked skin is that it only becomes truly apparent to the client once the tattoo begins to heal, per Saved Tattoo.
The discolored skin that slowly forms is a big hallmark of a tattoo blowout. It can be the result of the high voltage on the machine affecting its speed, per Tattooing 101. A tattoo artist going over a patch of skin more than once can also result in a tattoo blowout.
How long after a tattoo can you shower normally?
After 2-3 weeks, or once your tattoo has finished scabbing and peeling, you should be able to go back to your usual showering routine and get the tattoo as wet as you like with no problems.
What should you avoid after getting a tattoo?
What do you do first 24 hours after a tattoo?
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).
Should I moisturize my tattoo while its peeling?
Moisturizing is Essential During the peeling process, unless you’ve decided to take on the dry healing method it’s essential that you keep your tattoo moisturized. For the first three days after you get your tattoo, you should be cleaning your tattoo and washing, drying, and putting ointment on it regularly.
