Tattoo Aftercare – How to heal tattoos faster – Digital Clinic for Skin & Hair Care That Works!

Tattoo Aftercare – How to heal tattoos faster

Getting a new tattoo is an exciting experience, but the tattoo aftercare that follows can be tedious. You may have left the tattoo parlor with limited instructions on how to keep it safe. The weeks that follow will require diligence to allow your fresh ink to heal properly. However, there are some safe ways to speed up the healing process without jeopardizing your new body art.

In this post, we’ll explore some best practices and products for tattoo aftercare that can accelerate healing and reduce discomfort, getting you to your fully healed tattoo faster.

While patience is key in the healing of any new tattoo, using the right aftercare methods can protect the integrity of your fresh ink while speeding things along. By following these tattoo aftercare tips, you can enjoy your new artwork sooner while avoiding discomfort or loss of color.

How long does it take for a tattoo to heal?

The time it takes a tattoo to heal will vary based on the size of the tattoo, the colors used, and how quickly your specific skin heals. (3) The typical timeframe I see in my dermatology practice is about 2-4 weeks of scabbing, redness, and peeling before the area is mostly normal. It can take a few months for the skin to heal completely. (4)

A small tattoo should heal faster than a large tattoo.

Because of the itchiness, scabbing, and peeling, there are some skin care products that can simplify the experience of tattoo aftercare.

Tattoo healing process

First, it is important to understand what is happening to your skin as it adapts to a new tattoo.

Your body is essentially reacting to repeated puncture wounds and the injection of foreign particles into your skin. (4)

The little holes made by the tattoo needle on your skin will bleed, scab, and heal like normal wounds. Meanwhile, the area encompassing your tattoo will peel and be red with inflammation as your body tries to remove dead skin cells through desquamation.

When your skin peels, there is an increased chance of barrier damage and dryness on the skin. (1,2)

If the area under and around your tattoo gets too dry or peels too much, the colors and borders of your tattoo can fade. Other causes of fading tattoo colors can be sun exposure and oxidation from exposure to oxygen without protective antioxidants.

Until it stops peeling and scabbing, your tattooed skin is very sensitive to sunlight. (4)

Similarly, new tattoos are sensitive to irritation from physical touch, which is why covering a tattoo with plastic wrap or stretchy bandages is so common.

Until your tattoos are completely healed, you need to take good care of them; this can mean getting good ointments, learning to treat scabs, and knowing what not to do.

Tattoo ointments

The most common products for tattoo aftercare are tattoo ointments. Ointments designed for wound healing, as is the case for tattoo aftercare, contain ingredients like growth factors. Growth factors and other similar ingredients stimulate healing and are often combined with moisturizing ingredients that help damaged skin tissues regenerate properly and quickly. (11,12)

Typically, you want an ointment that is antimicrobial, antioxidant, moisturizing, and/or pigment regulating. (5) Mineral oils are also very common for tattoo aftercare.

Here are just a few of our favorite ointments for tattoo healing:

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Tattoo scabbing

One of the most frustrating parts of tattoo aftercare is the scabbing on and around the tattoo. Scabs can be so itchy and hard to leave alone, and when they get scratched, they can leave a scar behind. This is not even to mention that they can take on the same colors as the ink beneath them. Tattoo aftercare can be a strange process. Fortunately, there are things you can do to shed your black or blue scabs safer and better than scratching them.

Check out this blog on acne scabs where we take a deeper dive into the science of scabs.

When your tattoos are scabbing, it becomes extra important to keep them protected with some kind of cover like a bandage, a polyurethane wound dressing like Tegaderm, or plastic wrap. It is just as important to keep them clean with a good cleanser. Scabs are very likely to get infected.

Keep in mind that any random instance of increased friction can cause scabs to start bleeding- so be gentle! Wherever your new tattoo is located on your body, wear something to protect it.

When scabs are opened, they are more likely to catch infections which can lead to a variety of future annoyances and complications. (13)

Fortunately, there are some great cleansers great for the scabbing period of tattoo aftercare.

Products for Tattoo Scabs

The best products for tattoo scab healing are gentle cleansers with hydrating properties. Products like these below keep the skin moisturized while eliminating any potential causes of infection. The best gentle cleansers also soothe inflammation and redness associated with acne scabs.

Here are some of our favorite products for healing tattoo scabs:

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what to avoid while your tattoo heals

What to avoid while your tattoo heals

While your tattoo is healing, there are a few basic things to avoid in order to make sure you get the best final result; for starters, avoid these ingredients and ingredient types: (1)

Ascorbic acid

Exfoliants

Glycolic acid

Low pH ingredients

Retinoids

Salicylic acid

Besides those ingredients, it is also important to avoid direct sunlight onto your new tattoo, because newly tattooed areas are photosensitive and can burn easily. (4)

You also want to avoid leaving the tattoo out in the open if it isn’t just black and white. Many pigments oxidize and change color in open air. This is a big reason to keep tattoos covered while they heal.

Additionally, try not to rub anything rough on your tattoos either, even if they’re itchy, until they’re fully healed.

If your skin is extremely sensitive, dry, or peeling, then avoid shaving the area if that is a concern.

Possible side-effects of tattoos

Tattoos are generally a safe practice. That being said, there are a few common notable concerns associated with getting tattoos.

New tattoos are susceptible to various bacterial and viral infections such as staphylococcus aureus and some kinds of hepatitis. (4) These microbes can come from needles at some tattoo parlors, or from general exposure to the environment.

It is important to mention that the FDA does not currently regulate pigments put into the skin for cosmetic purposes. Toxic compounds such as mercury and cinnabar have been found in commercially available tattoo ink. (14)

If you have an allergy to the components of your tattoo ink, or a sensitivity to toxins such as those two named above, getting a tattoo can lead to serious allergic reactions or toxification.

Be sure to ask your tattoo artist if they know the ingredients in their ink, and cross-check those with your allergies or level of risk aversion.

A new tattoo is a lot like an open wound from a dermatology perspective; you’re exposed to many of the same risks as a regular lesion. It’s important to use products that keep the damaged skin clean, moisturized, and to repair the skin barrier.

Exfoliants can mess up your tattoos

Exfoliants, or ingredients that speed up the desquamation of skin, should be avoided on new tattoos for at least a month after acquiring the tattoo (depending on the size and whether you’re still peeling). Exfoliants remove the outer layer of skin from the surface, which can interfere with pigments and even line structure in severe cases.

This means if you regularly use a retinoid on the same area where your new tattoo currently exists, you must avoid using that retinoid until the tattoo heals completely.

To find a new product to use while your tattoo heals, take our quiz for a custom recommendation!

Tattoo aftercare instructions

Even though the process might be tedious and sluggish, tattoo aftercare is actually a relatively simple ordeal.

There are a few simple steps you can take to keep your new tattoo from pestering you with inflammation, peeling, and scabbing. If you follow these steps, your tattoo will heal much faster and more painlessly.

Apply a gentle cleanser to the area

Use a healing, moisturizing ointment

Cover the affected area from direct sunlight

Avoid scratching or other random friction

Enjoy your day

After your evening shower, use another gentle cleanser

Use either evening moisturizer or ointment, depending on the ointment’s printed directions

Cover the area before going to sleep

As you can see, it is simple to speed up tattoo aftercare with just a few products and the right routine. Practicing these steps during your tattoo aftercare will help you heal quicker without messing with the pigments on your new body art.

The best tattoo aftercare products

As discussed above, the best way to speed up tattoo aftercare is with some protective practices and the right skin care products. These are some overall great product picks for tattoo aftercare that you can continue to use long after your body art has healed:

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Shop by your Baumann Skin Type

Not every product is right for every person. Each of us has a specific skin type that can help us figure out which products to use if we know what our type is. If you are looking for the perfect regimen to get you through tattoo aftercare, take our quiz so you can look for your skin type octagon on every product page.

DQH Knowledge drop: In your 20s, your skin cell turnover decreases. (Cell turnover is a key component in keeping your skin youthful.) You know what else slows down? Your collagen production. Starting in your 20s, collagen decreases by about 1 percent per year. Should you want to prevent fine lines and wrinkles, start by eliminating behaviors that contribute to premature aging. “If it’s bad for you, it’s bad for your skin,” says dermatologist Michel Somenek. “Cigarette smoking reduces blood flow to the skin and causes premature wrinkling and a dull skin texture. Making the repeated pursed motion to inhale can also cause smoker’s lines. Alcohol and recreational drugs are toxins for the skin that damage its cellular structure and DNA,” Somenek tells us. “The faster you eliminate vices while you are young, the better chance your skin and body have to recuperate.” Also, adopting an anti-aging routine in your 20s is key. After all, the best offense is a good defense. We spoke to Somenek and experts Joshua Ross and Audrey Kunin to find out more. Keep reading for the best anti-aging products for your 20s, according to skincare professionals. Sunscreen “We all know that the sun is the number one cause of skin aging and starting the prevention in your 20s is very important,” Ross says. “The majority of your sun damage won’t start to appear until you’re in your 30s, so don’t wait until you see it surface or you’ll be behind the curve. Stay ahead of it with a good-quality zinc-based sunscreen worn daily.” Farmacy Green Defense Daily Mineral Sunscreen An invisible sunscreen with SPF 30, plus botanical extracts meant to protect skin with tons of antioxidants. Bonus: It’s clean and fine to use under makeup. Bareminerals Complexion Rescue™ Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Although we recommend you use your SPF and moisturizer separately, we also understand moments when you don’t have time or energy for that extra step. For those times, this bareMinerals moisturizer is a great thing to have on hand. Vitamin C Serum “A great introduction to anti-aging is to start with a vitamin C serum in your morning skincare routine,” Ross says. “It’s a powerful antioxidant that will neutralize free radicals and brighten the skin.” He adds that it’s a great way to counteract the effects of the sun’s harmful rays, which, as previously mentioned, are among the biggest causes of premature aging. Drunk Elephant C-Firma™ Vitamin C Day Serum The Drunk Elephant C-Firma is a lightweight serum that promises to give skin a glow by combining the brightening powers of vitamin C with ferulic acid, l-ascorbic acid, and vitamin E. The included sodium hyaluronate is meant to replace hydration loss, so you shouldn’t have to deal with any irritation. Sunday Riley C.E.O. Rapid Flash Brightening Serum This potent serum is jam-packed with vitamin C (15 percent, to be exact), which means it’s a potential superstar at both brightening skin and dousing it in antioxidants. Peptides Using peptides on your skin has many benefits, says Somenek. “The skin barrier is what defends the body against pollution, UV rays, bacteria, and toxins. It can be damaged by several everyday factors. Using topical peptides aids in building a stronger barrier,” he says. “Peptides comprise elastic fibers, which are a type of protein. These fibers help to make skin appear taut and firm. Peptides can also help repair damaged skin, relieve inflammation, and even out skin tone. Some peptides can kill acne-causing bacteria that is common in 20-somethings.” Kunin agrees, saying, “Peptides are an excellent entry point for supporting collagen.” She recommends looking for face and eye treatments that contain these collagen-boosting powerhouses. Charlotte Tilbury Magic Eye Rescue Cream This Charlotte Tilbury super-emollient eye cream has a base of coconut oil and shea butter (read: it’s incredibly hydrating). Botanicals plus peptides are meant to help reduce dark circles and boost collagen, respectively. This creamy moisturizer serves up potent collagen-boosting peptides and pycnogenol, and antioxidant-rich vitamin C. “Instead of sitting on top of the skin, peptides penetrate the outer layer so they go deep. The ‘signals’ they send tell the cells to produce elastin and collagen, which are needed for youthful-looking skin,” explains Somenek. At-Home Peel Pads Remember that skin cell turnover fiasco we talked about earlier? One way to help support it is by exfoliating. “Exfoliation is important to help keep skin fresh and luminous,” Kunin says. She recommends using at-home peel pads as an easy and effective way to exfoliate. “The goal in your 20s is to fight the slowing pace of cell turnover. It is wise to use products that gently exfoliate, yet still remove oil and other impurities. Products that have Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) or Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHA) are a good choice.” According to Somenek, you should only exfoliate two to three times a week. “People of all ages are guilty of over-exfoliating and that can be too much of a good thing,” he says. Dermadoctor Kakadu C Intensive Vitamin C Peel Pad A few swipes of this Derma Doctor powerful peel pad promise to leave your skin glowing and smooth, thanks to the seven (yes, seven) types of chemical exfoliants, including AHA and BHA. It also contains vitamin C via Kakadu plum extract for added brightening and antioxidant protection. KEY INGREDIENTS Kakadu plum extract is sourced from the Kakadu plum, a fruit grown in northern Australia. It contains vitamin C, which restores the skin’s natural barrier, increases collagen production, and soothes irritation. Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Universal Daily Peel Pads These are the gold standard of peel pads, with a cult following and over 900 five-star reviews on Sephora. They’re easy to use and contain a blend of anti-aging exfoliating acids. Emollient Night Cream “In your 20s, you need to start upping the hydration in your skincare routine. You may have been cautious of over-moisturizing because of acne in your teens, but as you enter your 20s, your skin transitions and becomes drier,” Ross says. “I recommend an emollient night cream added into your evening skincare regimen.” “Twenty-somethings need to make sure that they are not using creams that will clog their pores and cause excess oil production,” says Somenek. Opt for non-comedogenic products. Cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream One great choice is the CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream, which is a non-comedogenic night cream that leaves skin soft and glowy. It combines the moisturizing powers of ceramides and hyaluronic acid. RoC Retinol Correxion Max Hydration Creme “The best night cream ingredients contain retinol, benzoyl peroxide, and/or salicylic acid or hyaluronic acid. The goal is to moisturize, yet remove excess oil,” says Somenek. This Roc Retinol Correxion cream fits the bill as it contains both hyaluronic acid and retinol so it promises to moisturize while also being non-comedogenic.

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