TATTOO AFTER CARE

Aftercare

What Are The Stages of Tattoo Healing

The first stage is essentially considered the open wound stage. This is the period of time in which your body is still trying to seal its open skin and when you are at the greatest risk of infection and complication. Your body will try to seal its open wound by excreting a substance, called plasma, that will help this process. It is natural for our bodies to produce this healing element, which helps to break down dead tissue and rebuild new tissue. Under normal circumstances, these healing elements would dry up or evaporate quickly, creating a scab. However, in tattoo healing, scabbing is detrimental to the design.

To avoid this, you keep the tattoo well-moisturized and covered with a tattoo bandage throughout the healing process. This keeps the skin from scabbing and allows the body to heal without creating a pesky shell that could potentially pull out the ink.

During the second stage of healing, the skin becomes tight and itchy. During this portion of the healing, the top layers of skin that were traumatized throughout the tattoo loosen and begin to lift off, giving the skin a peeling appearance. It will essentially look like a peeling sunburn. Again, keeping it moisturized during this process can help ease the itching and protect the tattoo from any additional trauma caused from drying out.

The third stage of healing actually takes place below the skin after the open wound portion of the tattoo has closed up. At this point, the ink begins to settle into the layer of skin called the dermis. Your risk of infection has passed at this point in the healing, however, it is vital to keep the area well-moisturized to prevent any early blurring as the tattoo wraps up the final stage of healing.