While Your Tattoo Is Healing

DO:

• Keep it clean and dry.

• Use clean hands whenever touching it.

• Let flakes and scabs fall off naturally.

• Wear loose, clean clothing.

• Keep pets from licking or rubbing against it.

• Contact me if you're unsure about anything you're seeing.

DON'T:

• Pick, peel, scratch, or shave over it.

• Soak it in a bath, pool, hot tub, lake, river, or ocean.

• Use heavily fragranced lotions or soaps.

• Apply alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or harsh antiseptics.

• Expose it to tanning beds or prolonged direct sunlight.

• Apply sunscreen until the skin has fully healed.

Showers are fine—just avoid prolonged soaking and don't blast the tattoo directly with high-pressure water.

What's Normal?

Healing looks a little different for everyone.

During the first few days, it's common to experience mild redness, tenderness, warmth, swelling, and a small amount of clear fluid, plasma, blood, or ink.

As your tattoo heals, it may become dry, flaky, itchy, or lightly scabbed. The tattoo can also temporarily look dull or cloudy as new skin forms over it.

Don't pick at it. Let your body do its thing.

Most tattoos take roughly 2–4 weeks for the surface of the skin to heal, although deeper layers continue healing beyond that.

When to Seek Medical Care

A tattoo shouldn't become progressively more painful, swollen, hot, or red as the days go on.

Seek medical attention if you experience symptoms such as:

• Redness or swelling that continues to spread

• Increasing or severe pain

• Pus or foul-smelling drainage

• Red streaks extending away from the tattoo

• Fever, chills, or feeling generally unwell

• Significant blistering, rash, or swelling

If you believe you may have an infection or serious allergic reaction, contact a healthcare professional promptly. Tattoo artists cannot diagnose or treat infections.

For severe symptoms—such as difficulty breathing, facial or throat swelling, fainting, or another rapidly developing reaction—seek emergency medical care.

Once It's Healed

Your tattoo is yours for a long time. Protect it accordingly.

Once the skin is completely healed, regularly moisturizing and using broad-spectrum SPF 30+ when your tattoo is exposed to the sun will help protect it from UV damage and premature fading.

Questions?

Not sure whether something you're seeing is part of normal healing?

Send me a message. I'm always happy to look at a healing tattoo and help determine whether what you're seeing is typical. If something appears to require medical attention, I'll recommend contacting an appropriate healthcare professional.

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Email: scrimshawbus@gmail.com