Start with your artist's instructions
Every artist gives aftercare advice, and it differs from shop to shop: some use a clear adhesive film for several days, others a wrap you take off the same evening, and they recommend different ointments. Follow what your artist tells you, because they know the products they used and how your tattoo was done. The steps below are the general advice from dermatologists and medical sources, and they sit alongside your artist's instructions, not in place of them.
If anything in your artist's advice worries you, or your skin reacts badly to a product, ask a doctor or pharmacist. Your artist can tell you what is normal for a fresh tattoo, but they cannot diagnose an infection or an allergy.
The first few hours: taking off the bandage
Before you leave the shop, your artist will usually put a thin layer of ointment on the tattoo and cover it with a bandage or clear film. Cleveland Clinic dermatologist Shilpi Khetarpal, MD, advises leaving it on for as long as your artist says, which may be at least a few hours depending on the size of the tattoo.
When it is time, wash your hands first. Soaking the bandage in warm water softens it so you can peel it off gently instead of tearing it away. It is normal to see some fluid, a little blood and ink on the bandage and on the skin. That mix is part of how a fresh tattoo starts to heal.
How to wash a new tattoo
Wash the tattoo gently twice a day while it heals. Use a mild, fragrance-free soap without perfumes or dyes and warm water, not hot. Lather the soap in clean hands and smooth it over the tattoo with your fingertips. Do not scrub it, and do not use a washcloth, loofah or anything rough.
Rinse it well, then pat it dry with a clean paper towel rather than rubbing it with a bath towel, which can hold bacteria and catch on flaking skin. Let it air dry for a few minutes before you put moisturizer on.
- Wash your hands before you touch the tattoo
- Mild, fragrance-free soap and warm water
- Fingertips only, no scrubbing
- Pat dry with a clean paper towel
- Twice a day until the surface has healed
How to moisturize it
Once the tattoo is clean and dry, apply a thin layer of a simple moisturizer or the ointment your artist recommends. Cleveland Clinic suggests doing this twice a day, and Healthline advises moisturizing several times a day for the first two to three weeks. A thin layer is enough. If the tattoo looks shiny or wet afterward, you have used too much, so blot off the excess with a clean paper towel.
Cleveland Clinic's dermatologist advises against petroleum jelly on a healing tattoo, because it can block pores and trap bacteria. The American Academy of Dermatology also notes that petroleum-based products can fade tattoo ink and recommends a water-based lotion or cream. Choose something fragrance-free so it does not irritate the healing skin.
What to avoid until it heals
A new tattoo is an open wound, so most of aftercare is about keeping things away from it. Until it is fully healed, Cleveland Clinic advises avoiding the habits below. Healthline adds that scratching can change the look of the tattoo and cause scarring, so treat itching with moisturizer instead of your nails.
- Soaking it: no baths, swimming pools, hot tubs or open water
- Direct sun and tanning beds; cover it with loose clothing instead
- Sunscreen on unhealed skin; wait until it has healed
- Picking scabs or pulling off flaking skin
- Tight clothing that rubs or sticks to the tattoo
- Exfoliating or scrubbing the area
Signs you should see a doctor
Some redness, soreness, swelling, oozing and flaking are normal in the first days. What is not normal is a tattoo that gets worse instead of better. Cleveland Clinic and Healthline both list the signs below as reasons to see a doctor. Go to a doctor rather than back to your artist: only a doctor can tell whether you have an infection or an allergic reaction and treat it.
Reactions to tattoo ink can also appear later, sometimes months or years after the tattoo has healed. If a healed tattoo becomes itchy, raised, bumpy or changes in any way, the American Academy of Dermatology suggests seeing a board-certified dermatologist.
- Fever or chills
- Skin that feels hot to the touch
- Redness that keeps spreading, or red streaks running from the tattoo
- Pain that gets worse instead of better
- Pus, significant drainage or a bad smell
- Oozing or swelling that has not settled after about a week
- Hives or intense itching that does not ease
Caring for a healed tattoo
After about three weeks, Cleveland Clinic says the scabbing and flaking usually settle down. The deeper layers of skin keep healing for months, so keep moisturizing as needed and stay careful with the sun. Once the skin has fully healed, you no longer need to wash it any differently from the rest of your body.
Sun is the main thing that fades a tattoo over the years. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher, applied 15 minutes before you go outside and reapplied at least every two hours. It also advises staying away from tanning beds and sunlamps, which can fade ink and raise your risk of skin cancer.