Signs of an over-moisturised tattoo include irritated, inflamed skin; scabs may appear on the tattoo, or the skin may look redder on and around the tattooed area. What's more, the ink could appear slightly blurred.
Over-moisturizing can also cause the colors to fade or become dull, which can compromise the quality of the tattoo. Some people may be allergic to certain moisturizers or ingredients in the moisturizer. Over-moisturizing can cause an allergic reaction, which can cause redness, itching, and swelling.
Dry the area by dabbing, without rubbing, using blotting paper or a clean towel. The area must always be moisturized: apply a thin layer of tattoo cream 2 to 4 times a day for at least 10 to 14 days (warning: the product must be specifically designed for tattooed skins and is not a simple moisturizer - read here why).
Conclusion. When it comes to a shiny tattoo, it's an indicator that your skin needs time and care to heal. For the most part, your body knows exactly what to do, but you'll need to give it a hand. You can do this by moisturizing frequently and keeping it away from the sun.
These aftercare products are used to keep the tattoo moisturized and healthy while still allowing the area to breathe. In this case, drying out the tattoo should be avoided, as it could compromise the healing and future quality of the tattoo.
When you over moisturize your tattoo, you can actually delay the healing process. Excess moisture in the skin creates the perfect environment for bacteria and germ growth, so one of the key signs is irritated, inflamed skin. Another key sign of over moisturizing is clogged skin.
If your tattoo becomes too dry, the healing may actually take longer, and you may risk losing color saturation." "Once your tattoo is fully healed after three weeks, any damage to the epidermis will be regenerated and your tattoo will settle into your dermis," Ladna continues.
Signs of an Overworked Tattoo
A Change in Appearance - If the tattoo looks faded, pale, cloudy, blurry, or heavily distorted, this could be a sign of overworked skin. This may also appear as ink distortion and blurring. During a tattoo, ink needs to be deposited in your dermis so the pigment stays put.
2-6 Days After Your New Tattoo
Now you'll start to notice that your tattoo looks a bit dull, perhaps even have a 'cloudy-looking' appearance. It may also look red, swollen and still ooze blood, plasma, lymphatic fluid and ink. Not to worry! This is normal.
After washing, a person should pat the skin with a clean paper towel and allow it to air-dry for up to an hour. When the area is completely dry, they can apply a thin layer of moisturizer to the tattoo, but leave it uncovered to allow the skin to breathe.
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.
Until the surface of the tattoo is healed (at a minimum of two to three weeks), wash the area gently 2-3 times per day. After cleaning the tattoo during this two to three week period, gently apply a thin coat of a lotion-based care product. We recommend After Inked tattoo moisturizer and aftercare lotion.
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.
Your tattoo will go through a number of stages as it heals. In the first few days, redness, oozing fluid and swollen skin is common. If this carries on however for more than a few days this could be a sign of an infection. After two weeks, your skin may begin to peel.
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.
After a week, the redness and swelling should have subsided. At this point, the skin should begin to scab and flake. The itchiness may persist, but the tattoo should gradually appear more vibrant as it continues to heal.
The healing process is different for every person and tattoo. Most sources indicate that tattoos generally take about 2 weeks to heal. However, it may take up to 4 weeks for the skin to fully recover. Some complications may prolong the healing process.
The tattoo healing process is fairly straightforward. 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.
A tattoo should have healed in the outer layers of the skin after about 2-3 weeks to such an extent that there are no more restrictions on your lifestyle. However, the complete tattoo healing process in all skin layers will take about 4-6 months.
The lines of a tattoo must be crisp, straight, and constant throughout the tattoo. Wonky lines are a big indicator of an unskilled artist. How a tattoo heals is a huge sign of a good tattoo vs a bad tattoo. If a tattoo scars, blows out or straight up falls out of the skin, it's a bad tattoo.
While proponents of dry healing profess that it speeds up the healing process, it could also tighten the skin, which makes it more likely that scabs will break. This, of course, will extend the amount of time it takes for your tattoo to heal, and could cause minor blemishes.
Do Tattoos Crack When Healing? The only time that your tattoo should crack is when it is healing. Because the skin's top-most layer is affected by the tattooing process, it usually scabs and causes cracking as it heals. This is typically not a cause for concern and is a result of some moderate to over-active scabbing.
Typically, tattoo cracking isn't a major cause for concern, it's an entirely normal part of the scabbing process, new skin is forming above the ink, turning into a scab and peeling away. As your tattoo is located below the skins surface, in the dermis layer, the ink itself will remain unaffected by this process.