After getting inked, take it seriously and do as the experts say. Wait at least two weeks before submerging the area in water (that means holding off on trying your fancy new bath bomb, too) and keep the area clean.
Avoid swimming—whether in a pool, lake, or the ocean—and submerging your tattoo in a bath or hot tub for two to three weeks, as doing so may cause serious damage. "With hot tubs, pools, or the ocean, it's important to wait until the tattoo is completely healed," Dr. Mikailov points out.
Use Waterproofing Ointment
Before going swimming, apply a thin layer of a waterproofing ointment or aftercare product to your tattoo. This will help protect it from the water and prevent skin irritation. Some effective products for this include petroleum jelly, coconut oil, and aftercare creams.
Keep it brief: Limit your showers to 5-10 minutes to avoid prolonged exposure to water, which can soften scabs and damage the healing tattoo. Lukewarm water: Use lukewarm water instead of hot water, as hot water can increase blood flow to the tattooed area and cause bleeding.
After getting inked, take it seriously and do as the experts say. Wait at least two weeks before submerging the area in water (that means holding off on trying your fancy new bath bomb, too) and keep the area clean.
Once the bandage has been removed after 3-5 days, you can shower at any time you want, following some precautions. Some old-school bandages or cling wrap as is traditionally used will require a waiting period of up to 12 hours until you can get in the shower. Be sure to make note of this with your tattoo artist.
You'll want to keep the tattoo wrapped for at least the first night because it will take a while for it to settle down and stop leaking. You don't want an open wound like that touching your bed sheets, getting blood everywhere, or dirt and dust getting into the wound itself.
Stay hydrated! Be sure to drink water during the 48 hours before your tattoo. Staying properly hydrated helps the healing progress and greatly increase your comfort level DURING the the tattoo process.
Drunken behaviour could ruin your new tattoo
You need to be aware of keeping your tattoo clean and dry while it is fresh, so a night out might not be the best option. It's generally recommended that you wait at least 48 hours after your new tattoo before you start drinking alcohol again.
Take 2 rest days after getting the tattoo and then start transitioning into running by slower forms of movement and exercise. You can also walk every day. Light stretching is also a good option. Finally, after day 7, your tattoo can be ready to a light run.
It is advisable that you refrain from drinking for at least 48-72 hours after getting a tattoo. It is normal for plasma and blood to ooze 48 hours after getting a tattoo. However, alcohol consumption will increase the bleeding rate due to blood thinning. Excessive bleeding may lead to bigger problems.
Specific tattoo ointments are required. Change your bedsheets and use old sheets for sleeping. It's not unusual for some seeping to take place. If your tattoo comes in touch with the sheets then you can ruin your bedsheets, ink is not designed to wash out.
The body's natural response to pain is to release endorphins, which can provide temporary pain relief. However, endorphins can also cause feelings of tiredness and drowsiness, which can make you feel even more fatigued after the tattoo process.
If using plastic foil/cling-wrap:
Some artists will recommend that your tattoo remain wrapped for more than just one day after completion. Depending on the size of your tattoo, an artist may recommend that you keep it wrapped for a day or two for simple, small line-work pieces.
So what product should you use? You may have heard some rumours that Bepanthen shouldn't be used on new tattoos, but this absolutely isn't the case. Bepanthen is by far one of the most highly recommended tattoo aftercare products and is the go-to ointment for most tattoo artists and studios.
"During the healing process, you should moisturize your tattoo three to six times a day," Ladna says. "Keeping your tattoo hydrated during the initial days is especially critical. If your tattoo becomes too dry, the healing may actually take longer, and you may risk losing color saturation."
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.
Skin that has properly healed over the tattoo will protect against chemical irritation, eater saturation and infection. Definitely wait until your tattoo has finished scabbing and peeling for having a swim. If your ink takes longer than three weeks for this process to finish, it's best to give it a little while longer.
A general guideline is to tip between 15-20% of the total cost of your tattoo, but you can adjust this amount based on your personal budget and satisfaction with the service.
Too much alcohol weakens your immune system and your body needs every reserve and healing power for your new tattoo. The many micro-injuries to the skin need to heal as well as possible to achieve a beautiful result. During the healing phase, it's best to hold back on the partying.
The outer layers of your skin will heal in about two to four weeks, while the deeper layers where the ink sits will take about 4 months to heal.