It may look cloudy, faded, patchy, or even blurred, and this can be concerning when you've just dropped a few hundred on it. At this stage, don't worry. You need to let the tattoo completely heal and settle into your skin, which could take around a month.
“You should also expect the appearance of your tattoo to get worse before it gets better,” he added. “Your tattoo will likely look wrinkly and cloudy for a couple of months before the fresh skin beneath the damaged layers rises to the surface.” But you should also be on the lookout for any potential infections.
Swelling, pain, and oozing typically resolve by day three and are followed by itching and peeling for another week, in our experts' experience. Your tattoo may even look darker and duller than expected for the first month.
It's not uncommon to feel regret after getting a tattoo, especially if you're used to seeing your body in a certain way and find it now looks completely different. It may take some time for you to adjust to or get used to the tattoo.
Tattoos look different during this time because the ink is entering your body. Your skin is a living organ, so when you're getting a tattoo, it's like you're letting your body soak up the ink. For this reason, tattoos may fade dramatically in the first few days.
A great tattoo should have fully saturated black, color and shading. When it recovers, there should not be gaps or shapes in the tattoo that show it wasn't completed properly. The lines of a tattoo must be crisp, straight, and constant throughout the tattoo. Wonky lines are a big indicator of an unskilled artist.
Week 1. After a few days, the tattoo should begin to feel less sore and red. A person may notice their tattoo appears duller than it did initially. This appearance is not a cause for concern but a sign that the tattoo is healing.
Thin lines, shading, small words, and small tattoos all fade much more quickly. Some like the effects age has on their tattoo. However, that tattoo will likely blur together if it's got too much detail. Bolder lines, thicker lines, and larger designs will better stand the test of time.
Around four days after getting your tattoo, the redness and drainage should subside. The tattoo often takes on a cloudy appearance as scabs start to form over the ink.
Days 2 to 3
Over the next couple of days, you may notice that your tattoo looks dull and cloudy. No need to panic or start thinking about a touch-up. This happens as your skin heals and new skin starts to form. Excess ink and plasma may still ooze from your skin during this time.
One way to really test out a look on your body is to book an appointment with the tattoo artist you are considering for a trial tattoo. It may cost you if you are spending a significant amount of time, so check with your artist of choice how they would like to proceed.
The reason being, is that a tattoo “fades” to the naked eye within days of application. This occurs because as the skin heals, the top layer dies and new skin forms to take its place. During this period the epidermis typically has a faded appearance.
While many people think that tattoos are only for millennials, that is not true at all. We've seen celebrities like Eva Longoria who have had their tattoos for years now, proving just how timeless these designs can be. So don't worry if you're thinking about getting a tattoo - it won't go out of style anytime soon!
This “tattoo flu” is pretty common and should fade into memory in a few days (unlike your new tattoo). Your body's immune system is making you feel wiped out while it attacks potential threats to your bod. Be on the lookout for a mild fever, chills, fatigue, and some tummy discomfort.
Weeks 2-3: The tattoo has a shine
“After a week or two, the scabbing will flake away into a shiny or waxy layer of skin,” says Milliron. Any itchiness should subside at this point but your tattooed skin still won't look entirely back to normal. That's because it's not yet fully healed.
You can shower 3-4 hours after getting a tattoo, if you have a Saniderm bandage on, however, if you have a plastic wrap wait 24 hours to unwrap your tattoo and shower. In either case, shower in cold or lukewarm water and avoid prolonged soaking or submerging your tattoo in water for 3-4 weeks.
Is that normal? A tattoo is VERY bright when it is first completed but during the healing process, it starts to look discolored and dull. Don't worry, when the tattoo is finished healing, the color will come back.
If a tattoo scars, blows out or straight up falls out of the skin—it's a bad tattoo. It doesn't take an expert to tell if a tattoo is crooked, but many people outside of the industry may not recognize the rules surrounding placement.
Although peeling may be alarming, it is a natural and normal part of the tattoo healing process and not a cause for concern.
Over-Cleansing or Exfoliating Your Skin
Scrubbing off layers of skin from your tattoo routinely will not keep it looking fresh and can make it fade faster. If you over cleanse, you are removing the protective layer of skin away too much which can cause a lot of irritation.
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.
After getting a tattoo, you should moisturize it daily for at least 10 to 14 days. Respecting these timeframes is absolutely crucial because, if your skin dries out, you are likely to get very disappointing results.