I’ve seen a lot of search engine strings to my site relating to how long it takes tattoos to heal. So I thought I’d write a post on the healing process and the amount of time it can take for a tattoo to heal.
How Your Tattoo Heals
It is important to know what your tattoo does during the healing process in order to take proper care of it. The tattoo is an open wound and acts just as a brush burn does. The first couple of days (1-2) your tattoo will ooze fluid and, to some extent, lubricate itself. You must realize however that after about two days your tattoo will try to push all the moisture out of your skin. That means that your tattoo is easier to take care of in the first few days compared to the later healing process. It is extremely important to take care of your tattoo during the entire healing process for optimal tattoo quality.
How To Take Care Of Your Tattoos
For a tattoo to heal properly it must remain moist while your damaged skin regenerates. To achieve this you will need to use an over the counter lubricant such as Bacitracin. I do not recommend Vasoline as it has a tendency to fade tattoo ink, but it will work in a pinch. If your tattoo is on the top of your hand or your neck this can be easily maintained but many other locations will require some work to constantly keep moist.
I recommend that anyone with a fresh tattoo wraps it in plastic wrap for at least a week, applying the petroleum jelly between the skin and plastic wrap. This will not only keep the petroleum jelly from wiping off, it will also keep your clothes from being stained. The plastic wrap also acts as a second skin which will make the irritated skin feel better.
It is extremely important to keep the tattoo moist for an entire week. You will start to see peeling of dead skin after 3-4 days but your tattoo can scab even after the peeling process has begun.
If you follow the plastic wrap and Bacitracin regiment that I described above for an entire week, your tattoo will heal quickly without scabs. If your tattoo does dry out and scab, there is no way to remove the scabs. You will just have to wait for the scabs to fall off naturally. Scabs can take 3-4 weeks to fall off once established. If you remove a scab prematurely you run the risk of removing ink from your design which can only be fixed by retouching the tattoo.
17 responses so far ↓
1 Brittany // Feb 5, 2008 at 6:11 am
Having recently acquired my first tattoo, I’ve spent the last several weeks researching and reading and talking to artists, tattooed people, etc. all with the intention of having the best possible tattooing and healing experience.
The advice given here to keep a new tattoo covered with plastic cling wrap runs counter to everything else I have read or been told by my and other tattoo artists. Wounds (and as far as your body is concerned, your new tattoo is a wound) need oxygen to heal and keep from becoming infected. Moisture is important too, but plastic wrap doesn’t allow for air flow to the damaged skin.
Meaning no disrespect to the well-meaning person who wrote this tattoo aftercare advice… but to people looking for information about healing tattoos, I’m encouraging you to keep searching and reading and get other opinions.
2 Curt // Feb 6, 2008 at 7:33 pm
Brittany I understand that skin needs air, but if you follow my advise and use a petroleum based antiseptic and change your bandage several times a day this will avoid infection.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion and this method has worked best for me.
3 Matt // Apr 17, 2008 at 12:08 pm
Ivve just had my first tattoo on my back. Ive researched many ways of helping it to heal and found that the best way for mine to heal was to apply bapanthen cream and cling film for at least 3 days after the tattoo has been done.
After these few days warm quick showers clean the tat then just applying the cream reduces healing time.
4 Amaris // May 5, 2008 at 7:35 pm
I just got my second tattoo a little over a week ago, located right next to my belly button- -it’s a medium sized tattoo. The artist covered it with cling-wrap and instructed me to take it off and wash after 5 hours. Immediatly after taking it off- -some burning and discomfort occured- -a light-bulb in my head went off to, clean it, apply more A&D and put some fresh plactic wrap on it……..I do have to say, sticking to that regimen for the first 4 days or so REALLY helped…..kept my clothes from rubbing it and helped me sleep more comfortably, something about it was soothing…where as, my 1st tattoo, took almost 2 weeks to get to the stage of healing as this one……so, to the plastic wrap suggestion, I highly reccommend it…..this certainly will not be my last tattoo, and I will definately be using cling wrap the next time around as well…
5 kiera // Jul 29, 2008 at 9:14 am
Hey. I got my first tattoo recently. Any good tattoo studio will tell you what to do after. I got told to wear cling film for the first 2 days, washing and changing it 3-4 times a day. Then apply bepanthon cream twice daily until healed.I’m on my 2nd day now and it it starting to scab already. It’s a fresh wound so it needs to be covered for at least 2 days, it’s not like a normal cut!
6 Mecca // Jul 30, 2008 at 12:24 am
I must my Admit i have a friend who does tattoo’s and he at first when he did the my tattoo’s was brand new so it took a little longer but it came out nice still but now this time he used plastic wrap and it most def worked better and is alot comfortable i thought he was weird for doing it but it was smart move its good
7 antoinette // Aug 3, 2008 at 6:44 pm
this is my first time ever having a tattoo and no one had told me how long it takes to heal and i had to wait 24 hours to remove the bandage and wash it with mild soap and pat dry and i had to apply the a&d ointment on my tattoo lightly 3or 4 times a day but no one told me how long it takes or anything
8 anon // Sep 22, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Are you kidding??? Putting any kind of petroleum based product on your new tattoo is the worst thing you could do. Petroleum based products , such as Vaseline, prevent the tattoo from breathing which is exactly what it needs to do in order to heal. Also, not only does the plastic wrap create a breeding ground fro bacteria, the bandage should be left on for no longer than the first night you sleep with your tattoo, at the very most. The only thing that should ever touch your tattoo is plain fragrance-free lotion.
9 Curt // Sep 23, 2008 at 10:17 am
anon,
I have addressed this issue in another post. To each his own.
10 Joe // Oct 2, 2008 at 8:35 pm
I just got my first tattoo on Saturday. My artist told me to keep the bandage on for the first couple hours but to then take it off and rub some antibacterial ointment on it. After that night to just rub lotion on it when I wake up and when I go to bed. My tattoo scabbed over the second night and most of the scab has fallen off since then. The tattoo looks great underneath and my skin is already back to smooth.
11 Savannah // Oct 5, 2008 at 12:50 pm
I recenlty got my first tattoo on the back of my neck and the tattoo artist said to leave my hair up for 2 weeks. However Ive been sleeping with my tattoo exposed to my sheets. Im not sure if I should let my hair down or not. Any advise???
12 Curt // Oct 7, 2008 at 7:44 am
Savannah,
As long as you keep your new tattoo clean and moist you shouldn’t have a problem with your hair. Just be sure that your hair does not get sucked into any scabs which could breed infection and you should be fine.
13 shannon // Oct 11, 2008 at 8:26 pm
i just got my tattoo today… artist told me to keep the wrap on for 8 hours then remove it, but im hearing from others to use wrap for two-three days..frustrating to get so many different answers!
14 kels // Oct 29, 2008 at 9:00 am
i recently got my second and third tattoo. i have one on each of my wrists. i kept putting A and D on it and it soon became red and started to hurt. i went to a tattoo shop and asked what this was and what to do. they said becuase i was not still putting A and D on it after 5 days of getting it i was not allowing the tattoo to get air. they told me to shop putting A and D on it and keep it uncovered. this way it would have time to scab. so i say after the first 3 days discontinue use of any ointment and let the air get at it.
15 Dave // Oct 30, 2008 at 6:21 pm
My advice ive got my 3rd tattoo today and the advice was ALL the same leave the cling film on for two hours after tattoo is finished…remove an wash with warm soapy water and apply “after care cream/gel” then until the scab falls off naturally wash an apply cream every morning and evening….an what ever you do DO NOT PICK SCAB……………….this advice has made my 2 tattoos that have fully healed near perfect.
16 KK // Nov 9, 2008 at 11:42 pm
I got my first tattoo done on Saturday night. The artist told me to leave the wrap on for 2-5 hours. After he said to clean it with a mild soap and put A&D on it. He told me to put A&D on it 3 times a day for 3 days. After that, he said put lotion on it everyday for another 10 days or so. He said to keep it VERY clean for the next two weeks.
17 Ashley Cox // Nov 16, 2008 at 3:35 pm
See, your only giving you’re opinion on what people should do while healing a new tattoo. But what they really need is the correct facts, which you have surely not given them.
As stated above, in multiple comments you DO NOT put petroleum based products on a tattoo, or leave the cling wrap on a healing tattoo.
Petroleum products keep the healing skin from breathing, which creates a longer healing time.
Plastic Wrap keeps air out so it can’t breath and harbors moisture, thus making a perfect breading ground for bacteria and make you more prone to infections.
Tattoos are to weap fluids, it means its trying to heal. You are to take the Cling Wrap off 2-6 hours after it is first covered. You then wash it with dye and fragrance free dial(or other soap), do not rub while drying off, pat dry. Let the remaining water left in the skin naturally dry. Wait 2 days(sure its gonna be itchy, itchy means healing) then apply any fragrance/dye free lotion 2-3 times a day.
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