Tattoo Healing Process: stage by stage

Style, Tattoo
03/05/2021

As we have already mentioned in our previous articles on tattoos, the healing process is essential to properly cure the tattoo and to maintain its good condition over the years. If you have a new tattoo and you want to discover how to heal it correctly, we invite you to continue reading this article as we will mention how the healing process is, step by step.

How to cure a tattoo stage by stage

As we often say, you should always follow the recommendations and the healing processes indicated by your tattoo artist. Even so, we consider it necessary to comment on some of the basic actions of proper care, day by day. We can divide the healing process into four different stages, taking into account that a tattoo needs specific healing times and that therefore, a series of specific care must be carried out.

Stage One: the care of a fresh tattoo

The first stage of healing is one of the most important and begins right when the tattoo is finished. We cannot forget that a tattoo is technically an open wound on the skin and therefore, you should treat it as such.

Typically, the vast majority of tattoo artists recommend covering the tattoo for the first 24 hours to keep it protected. After this first time, you should clean the area around the tattoo very carefully. Depending on the size of your design, you should do it 2 or more times a day.

It is important to mention that during this first stage, you will notice that the area is swollen, with greater sensitivity and you may even notice that the skin is rough. Don’t worry because all these symptoms are totally normal in this first stage of healing.

Second Stage

We can consider that the second stage of this healing process begins approximately 3 days after getting the tattoo because it is at this time that the scab begins to appear. It is important to mention that this type of scab is different from conventional wounds and that you should continue to apply the recommended cream to your tattoo. As the days go by, the scab will fall off little by little, as it is dead skin that will gradually drop as part of the tattooing process. Remember you must be very careful when applying the cream since it is very important that you never pull the scab off.

Third Stage

After a week of healing, the third stage of this process would begin and this is characterized by being the itch week. If you have followed all the recommendations and have done good healing of the tattoo, you will begin to notice that the tattoo area has an itchy sensation. This means that the tattoo is healing properly and that the layers of the skin are beginning to regenerate. In this third stage, it is essential that you do not scratch since you could cause a superficial wound in addition to infecting the tattoo with bacteria from your hands. It is for this reason that it will also be necessary that when you continue to heal the tattoo to keep it hydrated, you always do it with clean hands. Finally, we want to emphasize that this stage is essential to achieve a fully healed tattoo so that you should keep it cleaned and hydrated. These two actions are key for the tattoo to heal in the best possible way.

Final Stage

From the 15th day approximately, it is considered that you have already begun your last stage in the healing process. It is important to mention that the duration of the care of your tattoo will depend on the size, the area, and how the healing has been carried out. Even so, in this last stage, you will begin to see how the scab has completely disappeared and the skin is in the process of regeneration. It is considered that a tattoo takes between 3 and 6 weeks to completely heal, so even if the scab has disappeared and the skin regenerates, it is recommended to continue the cures with more specific cleaning and keeping the area always hydrated.

What should you avoid in the healing process?

Finally, we consider it necessary to also comment on some of the most important points about what actions should be avoided during the healing process so that it is even more optimal. In this way, it is recommended to avoid putting any type of petroleum-based product on the tattoo as it can damage the state of the tattoo. We also recommend choosing fragrance-free products. In addition, it is also recommended to avoid sun exposure and sports such as swimming since chlorine together with the sun can discolor the tattoo. In case you missed it, you should read how to prevent tattoo fading! Good luck with your next ink and keep protecting your tattoo!