Published on December 2nd, 2022

Last updated on January 24th, 2023

Tattoo Healing Process Day-by-day: Aftercare And What To Expect

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
woman with tattoo

Tattoos are one of the ways to decorate your appearance. However, despite its attractiveness, tattoo healing process can be quite a complicated. After applying it, the following stages of tissue healing can be distinguished:

  • Inflammation;
  • Visible tattoo recovery;
  • Invisible tattoo recovery.

Tattoos are fashionable and exciting, but you need to understand that they will need some time to heal. For the tattoo healing process to happen faster, you will need to take care of it in certain ways. Taking care of your tattoo is extremely important as getting it leaves you with wounds on your skin that can be vulnerable to bacteria breeding. If you do not follow the rules for caring for a tattoo, you risk getting an infection, which you may have to heal for a long time.

In this article, we will look at the stages of tattoo healing and how you can speed up the process.

Healing Time For Tattoos

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Usually, tattoos heal within a month after they are applied. However, it is essential to consider that, in this case, a person must be absolutely healthy and not have skin problems. For the tattoo to acquire the final color you wanted, it should take several months to six months after tattooing.

There are several important factors that affect how quickly the skin heals at the tattoo site. So, for example, tattoos of brighter and more saturated colors heal longer. It is because more strokes are used to apply them. Therefore, a person who has got a colorful bright tattoo may feel discomfort a little longer.

If you are interested in the healing process of a tattoo, there are several stages here. Each stage has its description of the condition of the tattoo and the skin around it. Each of these stages has its processes; you can determine how soon your tattoo will completely heal. Let’s take a closer look at what stages of tattoo healing exist and what changes you should observe in the tattoo and the skin around it.

Stages Of Tattoo Healing Process

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As we said, your skin needs about a month to return to normal. Within a few or even six months the tattoo will have its ideal appearance. However, you need a more detailed description of the skin condition for each stage of tattoo healing. It is worth highlighting the three main stages of tattoo healing. At each of these stages, the skin has its condition. If your healing time for a tattoo is quite behind, this is a reason to see a doctor. You may have an allergy to ink, skin diseases, an infection, or other problems that you should be aware of. Let’s consider these stages of tattoo healing in more detail.

Inflammation

The area where you got the tattoo could be red, swollen, and sore. It is a normal reaction to the tattoo during the first three days. These days, you may even notice blood or ink dripping from the tattoo site. If everything is in order with your body and there is no adverse reaction to the tattoo, your condition will improve daily.

Visible Recovery

Starting on the fourth day, your skin at the tattoo site will begin to heal. This process takes about ten days. During this time, you may notice peeling of the top layer of the skin. Some crusts may come off your skin, as happens after a sunburn. It is considered a normal reaction of the skin to its healing after a tattoo. Do not touch the skin, and do not tear off the crusts from it. It will only slow down the tattoo healing process of the skin.

Invisible Recovery

The symptoms we discussed in the previous paragraph begin to disappear about two weeks after getting the tattoo. However, you may observe that your tattoo remains dark for about two more weeks. After a month, your tattoo can become brighter. Complete healing of the tattoo and establishing the constancy of its appearance occurs within six months.

In fact, if you decide to get a tattoo, you should know that you will have to take care of it for a while until it heals. It is really vital because you are protecting the skin that has been punctured and is currently vulnerable to bacteria penetration. Failure to comply with this paragraph can lead to wound infection, long healing of the tattoo, or even more unfortunate consequences.

In the next block of the article, we would like to consider tattoo care tips for quick healing.

Tattoo Care Tips To Speed ​​Up The Tattoo Healing Process

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If you and your skin are healthy, healing of the skin at the site of the tattoo should occur every day. That is, every day, you should notice improvements in the condition of your skin. If this does not happen, you can talk about infections at the site of the tattoo or other health problems. For the tattoo to heal faster, you need to take care of it. We have prepared some tips on how to care for a tattoo to speed up its healing process.

  1. Put on a breathable bandage in the first week after you get a tattoo. 
  2. Tattooing creates holes in your skin that bacteria can enter. Therefore, cover your tattoo with an airtight sticker. Such things are created to protect wounds from infections. You can remove the bandage after a week.
  3. Wash your tattooed skin every day with water and mild soap. Also, clean the skin around the tattoo site with antibacterial soap twice a day.
  4. Apply ointment to speed up the healing of the skin until it is completely healed.

Bottom Line

Thus, we told you about the timing of skin healing after tattooing. We have also detailed all the stages of tattoo healing and a description of the condition you are most likely to encounter. If your skin is healing slowly or you notice any problems at the site of the tattoo, see a doctor immediately to avoid serious health problems.

FAQ

How Long Does It Take For A Small Tattoo To Heal?

The size of the tattoo does not affect the speed of the healing process. The symptoms you feel after the tattooing process are related to the application of the ink. The degree of their severity and the speed of healing depends on the artist’s skill and the health of your skin. Therefore, a small tattoo will take as long to heal as a large one. As a rule, it is for several months.

How Long Does It Take For A Tattoo To Heal Fully?

Full healing of the tattoo occurs within a few months. The speed of skin healing will depend on your health, skin condition, and professionalism of the tattoo artist. For some, this process can take a month, and for someone, six months.

How To Understand That The Tattoo Is Completely Healed?

When all the exfoliating skin around the tattoo falls off, and new and smooth skin appears in its place, it will be possible to say that your tattoo has healed. Also, complete skin healing is indicated by the absence of discomfort, burning, and itching.

Can I Touch My Recent Tattoo?

The tattoo creates a wound in the skin that can become infected. Therefore, it is vital to monitor the condition of the skin in the place where the tattoo was made. On the first day, you get a tattoo. You are not allowed to touch it. Wrap this place with a sterile, breathable bandage and do not remove it even at night. Also, make sure that your clothing does not touch the tattoo either.