Besides admiration and praise, what should you expect after you get your tattoo? The healing process goes through stages, and the timeline can be different for each person. It all depends on your age, health of your skin, location of the tattoo and so on.
You can expect the following shortly after getting a tattoo (all these are normal):
- Redness
- Swelling
- Oozing
- Ink “weeping” from the tattoo location
After the healing process starts, you will notice some itching and finally peeling. These are also a normal part of the healing process. One important thing to remember is DO NOT SCRATCH THE TATTOO. I know it can be difficult, but it will be more difficult to fix your now messed up tattoo, and more money out of your pocket. Do your best to try and ignore it. If you have to, use a gentle lotion to help ease your discomfort. Avoid petroleum based or anything with fragrance added. There are products on the market designed specifically for tattoo aftercare, and may be the best option. This could still be going on for a month, particularly the peeling.
In the beginning, your tattoo may appear to be lighter or darker during the healing process, so don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t look exactly right immediately.
It’s important to keep the tattoo area clean during this time.
Also, never EVER pick at a scab on a healing tattoo. You will most likely ruin it.
After you are all healed up, and your tattoo is looking awesome, aftercare is important. Using moisturizers and sunscreen will help prolong how well your tattoo looks, and is just an overall good thing to do for your skin’s health.
If your tattoo is NOT healing well, you may experience the following (this is RARE and most people have no complications):
- Redness or puffiness long after you had your tattoo.
- Oozing past a week, especially if greenish or yellowish.
- Fever and chills.
- Extensive itching and discomfort well past the time it should have stopped.
- Scarring. A tattoo should never turn into a scar.
If you experience any of the above, you should seek medical help immediately.
In short, take care of your tattoo. It is healing, so treat it as such.