Tattoo aftercare: a sourced day-by-day routine
Aftercare advice online contradicts itself because artists, products and dermatologists differ in the details. Here is what the medical sources agree on, where they differ, and the one rule that settles disagreements: follow the routine your artist gave you, and see a doctor about anything that looks like infection.
What the medical sources agree on
- Clean hands every time before touching the tattoo.
- Gentle washing with lukewarm water and a mild, fragrance-free soap, then pat dry with a clean paper towel. Don't rub. Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic both describe washing about twice a day.
- A thin layer of a mild, fragrance-free moisturiser or ointment. Thin means the skin can still breathe; a thick coat is a common mistake.
- No soaking (swimming pools, the sea, baths, hot tubs, saunas) until it has fully healed. Short showers are generally fine, but Mayo Clinic advises avoiding direct streams of water on newly tattooed skin, so let water run over it rather than spraying it.
- No sun on the healing tattoo. Cover it with loose clothing.
- Don't pick or scratch scabs or flakes.
- Loose, clean clothing over the area.
Where the sources differ, shown openly
| Topic | What the sources say | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| How long to keep the first dressing on | Cleveland Clinic: at least a few hours for a standard bandage, as your artist directs. EADV: adhesive film dressings can stay on from 24 hours to several days unless they leak or lift. | Follow your artist. Take a film off early if it fills with fluid or lifts, then wash. |
| Ointment vs lotion | EADV: an ointment in the first days. Cleveland Clinic: moisturise with a fragrance-free product and avoid heavy petroleum jelly. | Use whatever your artist recommends, applied thinly. Stop and see a doctor if a product causes a rash. |
| Antibacterial soap | Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic describe a mild soap; neither says an antibacterial soap is needed. Strongly scented or harsh soaps can irritate healing skin. | A plain, mild, fragrance-free soap is enough unless your artist or a clinician advises something else. |
| Re-wrapping after the first dressing | None of the three sources tells you to re-wrap a tattoo at home once the first dressing is off; they describe gentle washing and a thin layer of product with loose clothing. | Don't re-cover it with cling film or a new bandage unless your artist gives you that instruction (some artists supply a second film). If your skin reacts to an adhesive film, with itching, a rash or blisters under the adhesive, remove it, wash gently and ask your artist or a pharmacist. |
| How often to moisturise | Mayo Clinic: a mild moisturiser several times a day. EADV: a light film of ointment 2–3 times a day in the first days. | Thin layers, a few times a day, using the product your artist recommends. More is not better. |
| Antibiotic creams | EADV: don't use them unless a clinician has assessed an infection. | Don't use them "just in case". |
| Sunscreen | Cleveland Clinic: don't put sunscreen on healing skin; cover with clothing instead. Once healed, sun protection preserves the tattoo. | Clothing while healing; sunscreen after it has fully healed. |
A day-by-day routine (when your artist hasn't given one)
Day 0: the evening of the tattoo
Leave the dressing on for the time your artist said. Remove it with clean hands, wash gently with lukewarm water and mild soap to remove plasma and ink residue, pat dry, let it air for a few minutes, then apply a thin layer of your product. Sleep on clean sheets and wear loose clothing.
Days 1–3: open-wound phase
Wash gently about twice a day and apply a thin layer afterwards. If you are still wearing an adhesive film your artist applied, leave it in place as instructed and start this routine once it comes off. Some oozing of clear or ink-tinted fluid, warmth and tenderness are expected (Cleveland Clinic). Keep it out of the sun and out of water.
Roughly weeks 1–4: flaking and itching
The surface flakes like a peeling sunburn and can itch intensely. Cleveland Clinic describes itching and flaking around weeks two to four as normal. Keep washing gently and moisturising thinly. Don't scratch: tapping lightly or a cool compress over clean clothing is gentler. Light scabs fall off on their own.
After the surface has closed
Once there are no scabs or flaking and the skin no longer looks shiny, you can usually go back to swimming and start using sunscreen. The deeper skin keeps settling for months (Cleveland Clinic), so keep protecting it from sun and friction. Most artists check fine-line or colour work after full healing to decide about a touch-up.
Things to avoid while it heals
- Swimming, baths, hot tubs, saunas and soaking (Mayo Clinic; EADV; Cleveland Clinic)
- Direct sun and tanning beds
- Thick layers of any product, and scented or coloured products
- Exfoliating, shaving over the tattoo, or tight clothes that rub
- Pets on the bed or near the fresh wound; unwashed hands
- Antibiotic creams unless a clinician prescribes them (EADV)
When to stop following a routine and get help
Some redness, warmth and tenderness in the first days are expected. Spreading or worsening redness, increasing pain, pus or a bad smell, red streaks, fever, or a rash that spreads are not. Contact a doctor promptly. EADV advises urgent care for red lines spreading from the tattoo with a high fever. The full "normal vs not" table is on the healing page.
Sources
Read in full on 11 October 2026. The jurisdiction tag shows where each source applies.
- Mayo Clinic Staff. Tattoos: Understand risks and precautions. Mayo Clinic, 2024-03-02. US
- Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials, with dermatologist Shilpi Khetarpal, MD. Tattoo Aftercare Tips From a Dermatologist. Cleveland Clinic, 2026-03-20. US
- European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. Tattoo aftercare (patient leaflet). EADV, 2021. EU
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Think Before You Ink: Tattoo Safety. FDA Consumer Update, 2025-02-07. US