Aftercare and healing
A step-by-step guide from the first hours after your session to full healing and getting back to your usual routine.
OlyaGuide author · Tattoo artist · 7+ years of experience
How your tattoo heals depends on both the artist’s work and what you do in the weeks afterwards. A lot is up to you. These articles take you through each stage, from the first hours to getting back to your usual routine.
Start with the first hours and protective film: when to take it off and what to do if fluid has collected underneath. Then read about daily aftercare, healing week by week, and when you can return to the gym, go swimming and spend time in the sun again.
The last article covers common aftercare mistakes. Many healing problems start with them, not with the artist’s work.
All articles on this topic
5 articles
7.1Tattoo film and the first few hoursRight after your session: how long to keep the film on, how to take it off, how to wash the tattoo for the first time and what's normal that evening.
7.2Daily tattoo aftercareHow to wash it, what to put on it and how to protect your tattoo every day while it heals: a simple routine without a shelf full of products.
7.3Tattoo healing timelineWhat happens to your tattoo day by day: from redness on the first day to peeling, cloudy skin and full healing.
7.4Back to normal after a tattooWhen you can shower, exercise, swim, use a sauna or go out in the sun after a tattoo, and how to get back to your usual routine safely.
7.5Tattoo aftercare mistakesWhat most often ruins a fresh tattoo: too much cream, scratching, the sun, the pool, and friends' advice instead of your artist's aftercare instructions.