Tattoo Aftercare and Healing: How to Look After a New Pet Portrait Tattoo From Day One
Updated: Oct 31
A tattoo is a small wound that you wear for life, and how it heals shapes how it looks for years. This is how I ask my clients to look after theirs.
It takes about 1 to 1.5 months for a tattoo to fully settle, so please do not judge it too early. It will look different throughout the first couple of weeks, and that is normal.
The first 24 hours: your second skin
After the session I will cover your tattoo with a second skin, a thin clear film. Keep it on for about 24 hours. You will probably see fluid and smudges of ink under it. That is just excess ink and plasma, and it is completely normal. Do not panic and do not peel it early.
To take it off, peel it slowly under running water, then rinse the tattoo gently.
If the second skin starts leaking or water gets in, take it off straight away, let the tattoo dry heal, and do not put on another one.
The next few weeks
Moisturise when it feels dry
Use an unscented lotion whenever the skin looks or feels dry. Avoid thick products like Vaseline, which can smother the skin.
Do not scratch or pick
The tattoo will itch and flake. Picking at scabs can pull ink out and leave gaps, which is the main thing that turns a good portrait patchy. If it itches, a light tap or a little lotion is much safer than scratching.
Keep it out of water for two weeks
No swimming, no soaking in the bath and no long sessions in the sea. Quick showers are fine.
Exercise is fine, within reason
Light exercise is okay, but avoid stretching the tattooed area more than you need to. There are no dietary restrictions.
Do not judge it too early
As the tattoo heals it will flake, and it may look cloudy, dull or patchy for a few weeks, especially fine tonal work like a pet portrait. This is the skin healing over the ink, and it settles. Give it the full 1 to 1.5 months before deciding how it looks.
Long-term care
Once it has healed, protect it from the sun. Sunscreen on a healed tattoo is the best thing you can do to keep the contrast and the fine detail looking good over the years. Colour tends to fade faster than black and grey, so it matters even more for colour pieces.
Touch-ups and when to get help
If something does not look right once it has fully healed, message me. A complimentary touch-up is included if needed, and touch-ups on tonal work are normal rather than a sign that anything went wrong.
If the area becomes increasingly red, hot, swollen or painful after the first few days, or you notice pus, or you feel unwell with a fever, see a doctor, and let me know too.
You can reach me on WhatsApp, Telegram or Instagram (@onubyink) with any questions during healing.
Comments