An itchy tattoo is a common occurrence, especially with new tattoos. The skin will naturally heal itself after injury, and a tattoo is no different. This healing process will usually cause itching. Aside from the normal healing process, other possible causes for an itchy tattoo include eczema and an allergic reaction.
Itching is a normal part of the healing process; it generally starts at around day four, as the skin starts to peel, and can take around two weeks to subside. If the itching is accompanied by swelling, pain, spots or heat that is getting worse not better, your tattoo could be infected.
One of the most common problems associated with tattooing is allergic reactions to the tattoo pigments. Itching, bumps, or rashes can occur days, months, or even years after the initial tattoo. These reactions need to be treated with a topical steroid ointment.
In most cases, tattoos will be itchy for one to two weeks. Once the skin heals over and the scabs fall off, you shouldn't experience itchiness any longer. Although rare, some people experience itching months or even years after they get a tattoo.
It's just healing
If the ink's fresh, here's the deal: Your tattoo is a wound. Yep, just like an itchy scab or dry skin, sometimes tattoos itch while they heal. Your new body art should heal up within a week or two. While it's healing, use only gentle moisturizers recommended by your tattoo artist.
You should start moisturizing your new tattoo right away and not stop for some time. Love says there's an immediate need to keep a new tattoo moisturized: Moisturizing helps to prevent scabbing and promote healing. "During the healing process, you should moisturize your tattoo three to six times a day," Ladna says.
An itchy tattoo is nothing unusual. Many people experience some sort of itching to go along with the pain, but if it is particularly bad or you find that you have other symptoms such as a fever or pus, or bad swelling or a smell in the area, then you might need treatment for an infection.
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.
"Tattoos create thousands of microscopic holes in the skin in order to deposit the tattoo pigment; in doing so, the skin is now open and is predisposed to various infections, including with bacteria such as Staph Aureus." As Palm points out, an allergy to certain inks is another common reason for itchy tattoos.
If you're having an allergic reaction to your tattoo, you might get a rash that's red, bumpy, or itchy. These symptoms can crop up in the days after you first get your tattoo or can appear months or years later. You can most likely treat the area with a steroid ointment.
A great way to get relief from tattoo itchiness is by applying a cold compress to the area. This helps reduce swelling, inflammation, and itchiness that occur days after you get inked. But make sure you're using materials that won't damage your tattoos, like a soft cloth or cold compress.
Don't peel, pick, or scratch the skin: Ugh, it's so tempting, but everyone has to resist scratching or rubbing their tattooed areas. Hibler suggests using a soothing lotion, such as Sarna Anti-Itch Lotion and CeraVe Itch Relief Moisturizing Lotion, or applying ice packs to reduce the itching sensation.
Tattoos technically start healing right away but it takes about four months for your tattoo to fully heal. 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.
The simple answer is NO. You should never scratch a brand-new tattoo. Scratching could easily introduce bacteria into the fresh wound leading to an infection. It could also prevent the ink in your new tattoo from properly settling in place.
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.
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.
Signs of a tattoo infection may appear across the entire tattoo or only within specific colors. They can include: Bumps on your skin (papules) that sometimes contain pus (pustules). Nodules, bumps on or below your skin that are larger than papules.
Tattoos are a lot of fun, but since they're also permanently part of the skin, it's important to take care of them every single day just as one would the rest of the body. Using a daily moisturizer will ensure skin stays hydrated, elastic and prevents the signs of aging ink.
If after the healing process has come to an end, the lines are blurry or the various colors of ink have bled into each other, you most likely have a tattoo blowout.
Many people have ruined tattoos and caused slow healing by over hydrating them. The tattoo should peel like a sunburn and will begin to itch as the skin repairs itself. If you experience severe itching you can use hydrocortisone 1% anti-itch cream (available at any drug store or supermarket) to help control the itch.
A lot of tattoo artists recommend sleeping with the wrap that was put on. Others recommend re-wrapping, or just applying healing ointment and keeping the tattoo clean. The important thing is avoiding infection.
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.