Tattoo touch-ups can only take place once your tattoo is fully healed (anywhere between 4 weeks to 6 months). Touching up a tattoo before it has had the chance to heal will only aggravate and further implicate the artwork. Touch-ups have the same healing protocol as initial tattoos.
If you're wondering whether you can get your tattoo touched up after 3 weeks, the answer is yes! In most cases, it's perfectly fine to wait a few weeks before getting a touch-up.
There are many artists who will recommend a touch up within the first 6 months. Your best bet is to check with your artist and see what their recommendation is based on your tattoo design and any other factors to consider.
If you experience long healing times (more than two weeks) or noticeable shinny-ness on the healed tattoo it is very likely that you will need touch ups. Allow time for the skin to settle down to a more normal condition before having your touch ups (1-5 months, but no more than 6 months).
Don't worry, this is completely natural. It happens because the old skin, damaged during the tattooing process, forms a thin layer over your tattoo and masks its true appearance. In time this old skin will naturally exfoliate itself, revealing your tattoo underneath in all its vibrant glory.
After your tattoo has fully healed and the skin has regenerated, you can go for a touch-up if you are not happy with how it is looking. Most of those who are hoping to make colors and lines more vibrant will go for a touch-up after about two to four years of getting the tattoo.
"Touch-ups usually heal quicker because less space on the skin has been affected," says Forte. "If you had line or dot work style ink touched up, that may take the full time, which can be weeks or even months," he adds.
Your Artist Recommends It
They'll also be able to tell you when the best time to come in is, whether it's a week or two after the final work or a couple of months later. Plus, many artists offer free touch-ups after the tattoo is completed. (Just make sure to tip your artist, even for a complementary touch-up session!)
Many reputable artists will guarantee their work and throw in a touch-up free of charge.
After a couple of weeks, the ink pigment should have embedded further down in the dermis. This will mean the tattoo is healing well. Ideally, it'll be looking healthy and fresh. Scratching is safer at this stage as the epidermis layer of skin is now healed over the ink, but you should probably still wait one more week.
Week three and beyond
Small scabs and bits of dead skin may appear. However, these will also clear up as the healing process continues. Scabs and flaking skin can cause the area to look dry and dull. Applying moisturizer and protecting the tattoo from the sun will help with these issues.
Weeks 5 and 6: completely healed
You'll know you're in this phase — and that your tattoo is fully healed — because all the dry skin and scabs have sloughed off to reveal new, smooth skin with a vibrant tattoo and you no longer feel the burning and itchiness because the body has repaired itself.
In most cases, acne blemishes will not damage a tattoo. However, picking or popping a pimple will increase the risk of spreading harmful bacteria to nearby skin, which can lead to more pimples on an old tattoo or a skin infection in a new tattoo.
After you uncover the initial bandage or wrapping per your artist's recommendation, keep it uncovered so it can stay dry, breathe and heal. Don't Touch, Pick, Rub or Scratch! – This is a big No-No! Tattoos are open wounds and vulnerable to infection during the healing process.
If you're getting smaller art done or maybe a touch-up for $100, tipping anywhere from $15 to $25 fits the bill. Some regular or return clients also give gifts to their tattoo artists, such as restaurant gift cards, theater tickets and doughnuts for the shop.
A: No, retouching a tattoo generally does not hurt more than getting the initial tattoo. Retouching a tattoo involves going over areas that have faded or need color adjustments, but the process is similar to getting a tattoo.
A patchy tattoo could be the result of bad technique; if the artist hasn't made sure the ink is deep enough to stay put. It could also be due to them not 'packing' the ink enough; certain ink colours, or areas of concentrated black, often need to be packed in quite a lot in order to create a solid area of colour.
cost? The answer, of course, depends on the artist and the size of the tattoo. However, touch ups typically start at around $50 and can go up from there. So, if you're looking to keep your ink looking fresh, be prepared to spend a little extra cash.
Some areas will heal faster than others depending on how much you use the body part. Joints and places that flex or bend on a regular basis can take longer to heal. This includes hands and feet, which can take up to a full month to heal because of the difference in the texture of the skin in these spots.
Most people that get a tattoo end up wanting one more, which is great! It's important to wait between sessions so that the tattoo can heal and the body can recover, though. Waiting 2 to 3 weeks will help with pain management, ensure proper recovery since tattoo size affects healing time, and rebuild immunity.
Over-moisturising can lead to inflamed tattoos and potentially infection. Excess moisture can clog your skin's pores which prevents it from breathing, something that's important for your skin to heal. This can lead to breakouts on the skin that can damage the tattoo.
Peeling usually occurs a few days after getting the tattoo, as the skin begins to heal and regenerate itself . The regeneration process involves the skin removing dead and damaged cells. As the skin exfoliates itself, a layer of dead skin cells and ink pigment peels off, allowing new cells to grow.
Typically speaking, tattoos can get infected anywhere from a few days to a couple of months after they are finished. This is because healing times vary, and, as long as there is still skin to heal, infection is possible.