What is a tattoo?

Straightforward and without fancy words:
A tattoo done by a professional artist is basically a scratch with pigment.

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How long does a tattoo take to heal?

From 7 to 14 days.

Taking care of a fresh tattoo is pretty simple.
And can go one of two ways:

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1. Healing Film

Came into the tattoo industry from burn units in hospitals.
Originally developed as an “artificial skin” to treat burns.

It’s a special self-adhesive material (don’t confuse it with kitchen wrap) applied over the tattoo as a barrier.

No extra care needed. You keep the film on for 5 days, then peel it off — and voilà, the tattoo is healed and

looks great.

Every professional tattooer has this film in the studio.
But it doesn’t work for everyone, so here’s method #2:

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2. The Classic Way

Step-by-step:

1) Tattoo’s just done.
The area might be slightly swollen, with some redness — that usually fades in 5–6 hours.

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2) Right after finishing the piece, the artist covers it with a barrier to protect it from clothes, dust, and general filth.
Within 2–4 hours, you get home, remove the wrap, and wash the tattoo with lukewarm boiled water and soap — preferably antibacterial. (Wash your hands first, then soap them up again to clean the tattoo.)

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3) Let the tattoo air dry. Then apply a very thin layer of healing ointment.

From here on:
Apply ointment every 2–3 hours until fully healed.

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DO NOT:

• Overdo it. You don’t need to cream it 10 times a day.

• Cover it with plastic wrap, pads, or any sticky junk.

• Go full psycho about it. It’s just a scratch — treat it like one.

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Regardless of the healing method, DO NOT:

Use anything other than what your artist recommended.
That means no random balms, miracle salves, or grandma’s DIY crap.
Many products pull ink out, cause breakouts, infections — they just ruin it.

Until it’s fully healed:
No sauna. No steam rooms. No hot baths. No pools. No lakes.
The scab layer can get soggy, infected, or the ink can blur.

Showers are fine, but quick and gentle — 10–15 minutes tops.
Do not scrub the tattoo with loofahs or washcloths.

Avoid rubbing the tattoo with clothes.
If your job requires wearing workwear — wrap the tattoo to avoid dirt and friction.

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“My tattoo itches and peels. Is that normal?”

Yes.
A tattoo heals just like a scratch. Around day 4, it’ll start itching and peeling. Don’t panic.
It may look patchy, uneven, or dry — that’s normal.
It’ll pass in a few days.

It might itch like hell.
Scratch gently with fingertips only — no nails.
Do not pick the peeling skin.
You won’t speed up healing — you’ll just mess it up and leave a spot without ink.

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“What if dirt got into the tattoo? What are the signs, and what should I do?”

Step 1:
Contact your tattoo artist immediately.
Let them know there’s an issue — they’ll tell you what to do.

Signs of contamination:

1. The tattoo doesn’t dry — still weeping after 24 hours.

2. Persistent burning or stinging.

What to do:

• Wash the tattoo thoroughly with boiled water and liquid soap.

• Then wipe it down with chlorhexidine.

• Let it air dry completely.

• Don’t use cream on the first day after this — wait until the skin is dry.

• Then apply a thin layer of healing ointment.