NewIdea
  • Royals
  • Celebrity
  • News
  • Beauty & Style
  • Health & Wellbeing
  • Travel
  • Home & Away
  • Podcasts
  • Win
  • Video
NewIdea
  • Royals
  • Celebrity
  • News
  • Beauty & Style
  • Health & Wellbeing
  • Travel
  • Home & Away
  • Podcasts
  • Win
  • Video
Subscribe
Home and Away opening title
Watch 1:09

Home and Away opening title

{headline}

{headline}

HOT PICS: Brad Pitt shows off mysterious new tattoo in Venice

HOT PICS: Brad Pitt shows off mysterious new tattoo in Venice

Inks For Your Tips: The Best Finger Tattoos You Can Get Today

Inks For Your Tips: The Best Finger Tattoos You Can Get Today

David Beckham shows off two new tattoos

David Beckham shows off two new tattoos

See this dog-lover's HUGE tattoo fail

See this dog-lover's HUGE tattoo fail

{headline}

{headline}

What will your tattoo look like when you're older?

What will your tattoo look like when you're older?

The tattoo trend that's about to be everywhere

The tattoo trend that's about to be everywhere

Tattoo Removal: The Cost, Pain, Before & After Results

{headline}

{headline}

What is a Semicolon Tattoo?

Dad-of-eight dubbed 'walking advert' over logo tattoos

Woolworths obsessed mum gets supermarket logo tattooed on her hand

Married At First Sight's Clare Verrall gets LIPS tattooed

Mother gets 'KMART' tattooed on her ankle because she's 'addicted' to the retailer

Lady Gaga's fiancé Christian Carino has her face tattooed onto his arm

Lady Gaga's fiancé Christian Carino has her face tattooed onto his arm

MAFS star Cheryl Maitland reveals extensive laser tattoo removal

MAFS star Cheryl Maitland reveals extensive laser tattoo removal

  1. Home
  2. Beauty & Style

How To Take Care Of Your Skin After A Tattoo

Here’s what you should do after getting a tattoo. - by Rhys McKay
  • 12 Jul 2019
How To Take Care Of Your Skin After A Tattoo

While you might want to prance around in your fresh inks after you’ve gotten out of the parlour, there are some things that you need to keep in mind if you want that new tattoo looking fresh and fly. Post-tattoo care is extremely important for anyone who wants to avoid complications with their new ink.

Luckily for you, we’ve compiled a handy little guide on what to do after getting a tattoo – the things you should or should not do, the products you can get (like tattoo cream), and the best way to care for yourself at all stages in the tattoo healing process.

RELATED: The tattoo trend that's about to be everywhere

How Long Does A Tattoo Take To Heal?

There are plenty of factors that can affect how long a tattooed spot needs to heal. The general rule of thumb is that coloured tattoos and bigger tattoos need longer – because they take more of a toll on your skin – but where you get the tattoo on your body also plays a role.

There are some areas of your body that are more sensitive than the others. For example, a tattoo on your arm would take faster to recover than an eyebrow tattoo on the account of all the nerve endings around your eyes.

Female tattoo artist working on man's arm
Getty

One thing is for certain: it’ll always take longer than you think it will. Even after the tattoo has healed on the surface level, the skin beneath needs more time to recover. It will take more than three months for a tattoo and the skin below to heal completely, and that’s what makes tattoo aftercare so important.

Male tattoo artist working on woman's arm
Getty

And while it can be tempting to just let the tattoo dry on its own without doing anything else aside from cleaning it (also known as dry healing) remember that your skin is far more sensitive than it looks. It needs to be moisturised and treated with antiseptics, especially if the tattoo is fresh.

Tattoo Care Products In Australia

Luckily, there’s no end to the lotions, balms, ointments, moisturisers, and creams that you can use to help you in tattoo recovery. We’ve chosen our five personal favourites here:

Aquaphor

thiswasagoodbuy View Profile
44 likes - View Post on Instagram
This stuff is my dry skin secret weapon. Bear with me because I know it sounds a little weird. On nights where my face feels like it needs serious moisture, I finish my normal skincare routine (including moisturizers) and then cover my entire face with a thin layer of Aquaphor. Yes, it feels goopy and weird. But when I wake up my skin feels soft and happy. I swear it even calms down any irritation or breakouts. The Aquaphor acts as an occlusive to lock all of the moisture in that you might otherwise lose over night. It's also great on cuts and scrapes - my doctor recommends it to prevent scarring and speed up wound healing. Magic stuff! Available on @amazon, link in bio. . . . . . #amazonshopping #amazonfinds #amazonshopper #amazondeals #amazonprime #amazonreview #amazonreviewer #bestofamazon #reviewblogger #favoritethings #theseareafewofmyfavoritethings #discoverunder2k #discoverunder1k #aquaphor #skincareaddiction #skincareproducts #bestskincare #dryskinproblems #productrecommendation

You may have already heard of this over-the-counter drug (or more likely, already have a tub of it somewhere in the house). This moisturiser is probably the bare minimum that you’ll need in order to kick-start your body’s healing process.

Get yours here.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Lotion with Vitamin E

authentic_cosme View Profile
1 likes - View Post on Instagram
Palmer's cocoa Butter Rosehip Skin Therapy Oil 60ml. . ตัวนี้เป็นออยล์รักษาผิวที่มีคุณสมบัติช่วยเรื่อง รอยแผลเป็น ผิวแห้ง ริ้วรอย และรอยแตกลายจากการยืดขึ้นหรือหดลงอย่างรวดเร็วของผิวหนัง ไม่ว่าจะเป็นเพราะน้ำหนักขึ้น น้ำหนักลด และตั้งครรภ์ค่ะ #Palmer's #cocoaButter #PalmercocoaButter . . #พร้อมส่ง #ราคาเพียง @450.-

A sweet-scented favourite, this cocoa butter-based moisturiser is also another favourite ointment for many tattoo enthusiasts. Not only does it smell good, but it does a pretty decent job at making sure your skin doesn’t flake off after the ink has dried.

Buy yours here.

Savlon Antiseptic Cream

minitoku View Profile
6 likes - View Post on Instagram
コンバースのハイカットを履いて歩き回ってたら、縁で肌が擦れてかぶれました。気持ち悪いぐらいブツブツです。かゆいし痛いしで、イギリス盤オロナイン軟膏savlonを買ってみた。もう一つは持って来た鎮痛剤が残り1回分で心細かったから、カロナール系の弱い鎮痛剤を買ってみた。安すぎて大人買いしたくなった笑 #イギリス旅行 #ロンドン #海外で初の薬購入#bootsさんお世話になりました#イギリス盤オロナイン軟膏#savlon#鎮痛剤#カロナール系の弱い鎮痛剤っても日本の倍以上の成分だからね笑 #ただ安くて大人買いしたくなった#1回2カプセルだけど1カプセルでも十分な成分

Another important consideration to tattoo aftercare is antibacterial ointments – it’s easy for the little nasties to get under your skin through the micro-cuts made during the tattooing process. Savlon’s antibacterial properties (combined with a mild formulation) can keep your skin healthy and free of germs.

Get yours here.

Bepanthen Ointment

tristaxtanya View Profile
426 likes - View Post on Instagram
Долго откладывала, но не зря, тк увидела эффект! 🤫 Представляю вашему вниманию мой новый лосьон для тела #Bepanthen #Derma для сухой кожи. После родов у меня дико высохла кожа всего тела и конечно же на животе если еще учесть что там кожа вообще полностью разорвалась! С Мишей у меня потрескалась кожа на боках и ногах. Вообщем мне в роддоме среди подарков положили образцы этой серии. Мне понравилось❤️! Я им пользуюсь один раз в день, иногда и не каждый день, но определенно кожа стала более эластичная и это действительно чувствуется. Так что если у вас сухая кожа и крема вам не помогают, попробуйте это средство. Гарантирую что понравится! 😅Если вы можете посоветовать еще какие то средства для сухой кожи напишите, а то я случайно все узнаю. 😃 . #средствапоуходузакожец #сухаякожа #лосьондлятела #бипантен #сepeдинаянваря

Okay, before you protest: we know that this is normally used for babies’ bums. But it turns out, there’s a reason why most people swear by Bepanthen. Tattoo artists regularly prescribe these to people who’ve been inked in areas suspect to chafing, and the vitamin content helps with accelerating the healing process.

Buy yours here.

Lidocaine (or lignocaine)

jayheavenstone View Profile
1 likes - View Post on Instagram
This is a wonderful way to not want to stab myself in the eye, with a titanium screw bit.#lidocaine#5%

Getting inked isn’t necessarily the most painful part – the recovery process can sting a fair bit due to your skin being moved around. While getting painkillers may seem like the most obvious choice, getting a topical numbing cream like Lidocaine is far better.

Get yours here.

Emla

aikz86 View Profile
2 likes - View Post on Instagram
May savior last night... #TamasiHeart #paramakarampangmatagal #emlacream

You may have used this product right before you got your ink – it’s one of the most effective numbing creams on the market and is really good as a pain reliever. It’s especially good if you’ve got the tattoo in a sensitive part of your body or for people with low pain tolerance.

Buy yours here.

Yin yang neck tattoo on woman
Getty

Conclusion

If you’re particularly concerned about your tattoo healing (especially if it’s your first time getting one) there are two people you should definitely consult: your tattoo artist and your physician. They may offer their own advice on how to look after a tattoo, so make sure to listen to what they have to say.

But regardless, keeping some of those bottles in your medicine cabinet and following some of the tips we’ve given above will definitely keep you and your tattoo protected during the lengthy healing process!

RELATED: What will your tattoo look like when you're older?

Rhys McKay

Just $6 for 6 issues delivered!-SAVE 79%

Subscribe to New Idea today

Subscribe Now
Just $6 for 6 issues delivered!

Just $6 for 6 issues delivered!-SAVE 79%

Subscribe to New Idea today

Subscribe Now
Just $6 for 6 issues delivered!

Recommended to you

Home and Away opening title
Watch 1:09

Home and Away opening title

{headline}

{headline}

HOT PICS: Brad Pitt shows off mysterious new tattoo in Venice

HOT PICS: Brad Pitt shows off mysterious new tattoo in Venice

Inks For Your Tips: The Best Finger Tattoos You Can Get Today

Inks For Your Tips: The Best Finger Tattoos You Can Get Today

David Beckham shows off two new tattoos

David Beckham shows off two new tattoos

See this dog-lover's HUGE tattoo fail

See this dog-lover's HUGE tattoo fail

{headline}

{headline}

What will your tattoo look like when you're older?

What will your tattoo look like when you're older?

The tattoo trend that's about to be everywhere

The tattoo trend that's about to be everywhere

Tattoo Removal: The Cost, Pain, Before & After Results

{headline}

{headline}

What is a Semicolon Tattoo?

Dad-of-eight dubbed 'walking advert' over logo tattoos

Woolworths obsessed mum gets supermarket logo tattooed on her hand

Married At First Sight's Clare Verrall gets LIPS tattooed

Mother gets 'KMART' tattooed on her ankle because she's 'addicted' to the retailer

Lady Gaga's fiancé Christian Carino has her face tattooed onto his arm

Lady Gaga's fiancé Christian Carino has her face tattooed onto his arm

MAFS star Cheryl Maitland reveals extensive laser tattoo removal

MAFS star Cheryl Maitland reveals extensive laser tattoo removal

NewIdea
  • About Us
  • Subscribe Today
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Competitions
NewIdea Magazine Subscribe
  • About Us
  • Subscribe Today
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Competitions

Brands

  • Girlfriend
  • New Idea food
  • Practical Parenting
  • That’s Life
  • Who

Our Network

  • Better Homes and Gardens
  • BHG Shop
  • marie claire
  • Instyle
  • Beauty Crew
  • Women's Weekly Food
  • Bounty Parents
  • Home Beautiful
  • All Recipes
  • Perth Now
  • The West Australian
  • 7Plus
  • Airtasker
  • 7NEWS
  • SocietyOne
  • Health Engine
  • Starts at 60
© 2021 Are Media PTY LTD
Get more from New Idea

Magazine Subscription Offer

Just $6 for 6 issues delivered!-SAVE 79%

Shop This Offer
Just $6 for 6 issues delivered!