Tattoos tend to appear lighter when they are fresh, and the color will darken as the skin heals. It may take several weeks or even months for the tattoo to reach its full color potential, so it's important to be patient and wait for the healing process to finish before making any decisions.
Why do tattoos fade when healing? Sometime between two to four weeks after getting a new tattoo – when your tattoo scabs and/or peels - your new ink may appear more faded and duller than expected. Don't worry, this is completely natural.
Unfortunately, in most cases the intensely saturated colour you see when you first get a tattoo, won't actually be the finished result. The ink will usually end up looking a tiny bit darker and less vibrant once healed.
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.
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.
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.
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.
After a few days, these effects might start to dim a bit because your skin has started to get used to the ink. It will still look great as long as you take care of it and let it heal properly. Your tattoo will naturally fade over time.
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.
The tattooing process prompts your body to kill off and shed the damaged skin cells, while it regenerates brand new skin over the tattooed area. As this old, damaged layer of skin dies, it sits on the surface for a while, forming a translucent layer over your tattoo, giving it a faded, milky appearance.
Allow all the scabs and flakes to fall off on their own. This can last a few days so you will want to keep the ointment on hand without over applying it. The new skin will be shiny and possibly very dry. At this point, moisturize frequently with an unscented lotion like Aveeno or Curel.
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.
A patchy tattoo could be the result of bad technique; if the artist hasn't made sure the ink is deep enough to stay put. It could also be due to them not 'packing' the ink enough; certain ink colours, or areas of concentrated black, often need to be packed in quite a lot in order to create a solid area of colour.
Black and gray tattoos are low maintenance in this regard as they don't fade easily and do not require you to get periodic touch-ups. A good estimate for a professionally done black and gray tattoo is 15 years without any signs of fading.
Yes, it is definitely possible to overwash your tattoo.
If you overwash your tattoo, this can lead to you accidentally washing away your body's beneficial bacteria, which will then prevent your tattoo from healing properly.
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.
The Next 24 Hours
Your tattoo will likely still be sore. The area often appears swollen and red – similar to a sunburn. Remove the protective tattoo wrap if you didn't let the tattoo air dry. With clean hands, wash your tattoo with the same gentle tattoo cleanser or antibacterial soap and lukewarm water.
After 5 days, a tattoo should be healing well, but it may still look a little red and swollen. The area may also be slightly itchy and flaky as the skin begins to peel. This is a normal part of the healing process and is caused by the top layer of skin sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.
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.
Week two. Around the beginning of the second week, the scabs will start to flake off. It is important to be especially gentle with washing and moisturizing during this week, as it is easy to tear away scabs and damage the tattoo. The skin is likely to feel very itchy during this week.
In general, it takes approximately one month from the time of tattooing for a tattoo to take on its permanent form in a young, healthy individual, though as mentioned above, tattoos are considered fully healed around 3 months. However, there are some factors that can influence healing time.
Days 3-7: Dry, Tight, and Starting to Flake
Swelling should start to subside, though your skin might still feel warm and uncomfortable. By the end of the first week, you will likely see your tattoo flaking. This is also a normal part of the tattoo healing process.
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.
Without moisturiser, there's a risk that healing skin will get very dry, tight and itchy, and itchy skin that you can't scratch - that in fact you shouldn't touch at all - is not much fun! If you do itch then you risk damaging the new tattoo.