If some swelling/redness is present the day after your tattoo, and it is uncomfortable or bothering you, it is appropriate to use ice (20 minutes) and/or an NSAID (ibuprofen, Advil, aleve, naproxen) to help bring the swelling down.
Icing your tattoo is an excellent way to speed up the healing process. If your tattooed area is swollen, applying a bag of ice can work wonders. Make sure to wrap it with a clean cloth and apply it to the skin for 30 minutes. After the 30 minutes, apply a warm washcloth to allow the blood to flow normally again.
ICE- ELEVATION- ADVIL… Try laying down for a few hours, elevate the tattoo above your heart (if possible), take an anti-inflammatory such as Advil, cover the tattoo bandage with something like a CLEAN t-shirt or hand towel, and apply an ice-pack.
It is undoubtedly way more challenging to maintain a tattoo during the summer months due to direct sun exposure and intensive sweating, making the tattoo heal much slower. In the winter season, you are all covered, and thus your tattoo will heal much faster.
To help lessen any discomfort or reduce redness, apply soothing, pain-relieving gels and creams to help provide additional comfort. You can also use topical anesthetic spray on new tattoos to soothe excessive discomfort.
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.
If you're wondering which is the best way to care for your new tattoo, we strongly recommend wet healing over dry healing.
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.
Fresh air is ultimately necessary to heal a brand new tattoo, but it is very common to have your tattoo wrapped just as a preliminary measure to protect from bacteria and other antibodies. When you go home, take off the bandage and run lukewarm water over the tattoo along with antibacterial soap, such as Dial Gold.
If your tattoo is itchy you can lightly slap it or apply an ice pack.
Here's what someone should avoid when it comes to tattoo aftercare: Soaps and moisturizers with any fragrances or harsh chemicals. Even if a product does not normally irritate the skin, it may irritate the tattooed area. Picking at scabs, as this can cause scar tissue to form.
Pressure can cause irritation and disrupt the healing process. Instead, try sleeping on your back or on the side opposite the tattoo!
Place the homemade cold compress on your tattoo for 15 to 20 minutes at a time, and reapply in two hours if needed. Always dry the area when you are done by patting it dry with a fresh towel or paper towel.
You may also see redness, swelling, and some mild bleeding. DAYS 3-14 (or until healed): After the first 2-3 days, your tattoo should begin to feel dry and tight.
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.
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.
The fresh ink needs to stay moisturized to protect it from cracking and bleeding. So how often should you be moisturizing your new tattoo? As a general rule, it is recommended that you moisturize your tattoo 2-3 times a day, which is every 8 - 12 hours a day.
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.
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.
Tattoo flu explained
So while you might be super chill mentally, your immune system might charge in like there's a four alarm fire. When the needle hits your skin, your pain receptors go into overdrive, giving you a nice jolt of adrenaline which then makes your ticker beat a bit faster.
You can have swelling and warmth even without infection, says Tonkovic-Capin. But if it persists for more than three days or gets worse, then it is an infection. And you guessed it: See a doctor.