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Tattoo aftercare

Keep it clean, keep it lightly moisturized, and let it breathe. Wash gently about twice a day and keep a thin layer of fragrance-free lotion on it until it heals. The surface usually heals in 2 to 4 weeks, and deeper skin can take a few months.

Keep the bandage on for at least 1 hour, or as long as your artist tells you, then clean it as soon as you can.

Soap
A mild, fragrance-free antibacterial soap
No scrubs, beads, or perfumes
Lotion
A plain, fragrance-free lotion
The fragrance-free versions of Aveeno, Lubriderm, or CeraVe work
How often
About twice a day
Until it's healed, usually 2 to 4 weeks on the surface

The process

  1. Wash your hands thoroughly before touching the tattoo.
  2. Carefully remove the bandage.
  3. Lather soap and warm water in your hands. No washcloths, towels, loofahs, or sponges on fresh ink.
  4. Gently clean until all blood, ointment, and plasma are gone, then rinse.
  5. Pat dry with a clean paper towel, then let it air dry.
  6. Apply a very small amount of lotion, just lightly shiny, never caked on.
  7. Don't rewrap it. Wear clean, loose clothing and keep it out of the sun.
  8. Repeat about twice a day until it's healed.

Good to know

  • Around days 5 to 7 it will flake and peel like a sunburn. Don't pick or scratch, or you can pull ink out.
  • Ease off the lotion if your skin breaks out or gets irritated.
  • No swimming, saunas, baths, or hot tubs for at least 3 weeks, and until it's fully healed.
  • Stay out of the sun and tanning beds while it heals. Once it's healed, use sunscreen to keep it from fading.
  • Clean towels, bedding, and clothes go a long way while it heals.
  • Wear loose cotton. Keep tight straps and waistbands off fresh ink, along with anything dirty or sweaty.
  • Keep it away from pets, and change to fresh sheets.

Piercings heal differently

This page is for tattoos. For a new piercing, skip antibacterial soap, alcohol, and lotion on the piercing. Rinse with a sterile saline wound wash and follow the care sheet your piercer gives you.

When to see a doctor

See a doctor if you get a fever, the skin feels hot, there's an odor or a lot of drainage, the pain gets worse instead of better, redness spreads or shows red streaks, or you see signs of an allergic reaction. Then let your artist know. This page is general care information, not medical advice.