1. The First 24 Hours
After getting an open wound tattoo, it is normal to feel discomfort and irritation for 24-48 hours post-inking. Your body responds by secreting fluids that cause swelling or inflammation around its new tattoo site, producing fluid leakage or oozing juices into your wound site. However, if your swelling persists or worsens without relief or worsens further than expected, this could be a telltale sign of infection. Picking at your scab may cause it to shed prematurely or lead to scarring, both of which could worsen its condition. tattoos should be washed twice daily with mild fragrance-free soap to maintain proper hydration of the area and hasten healing. Doing this helps expedite the appropriate healing process as it keeps the skin hydrated while preventing over-drying and can speed up healing time.
2. The First Week
After getting your tattoo, the first week is essential for properly caring for it. Be sure to clean and moisturize your new body art at least twice daily without scratching, touching, or scratching in any way that might irritate it further. Wash your tattoo and the surrounding skin twice daily with lukewarm water and antibacterial, fragrance-free soap to eliminate excess fluids and bacteria buildup. For additional care and faster wound-healing results, try Aquaphor Healing Ointment or Zensa Healing Cream, made explicitly for maintenance to keep the skin hydrated while speeding the wound nd-healing process. As your tattoo heals, its appearance will gradually transition from wound-like to more tattoo-y. This is part of its natural progression as a wound heals; however, the full resolution could take up to one month and cover all layers of skin to recover fully.
3. The Second Week
Redness and scabbing should disappear within a week after receiving an open wound tattoo, signaling an essential step in its healing process. By ridding itself of dead and dry skin layers, your skin can produce new layers to form healthy layers. Clean your tattoo twice daily with warm water and antibacterial soap to maintain optimal conditions for healing, making sure that you pat it dry after each wash. During this phase, your tattooed skin may feel itchy and flaky – perfectly normal. Apply a non-scented, non-irritating moisturizer such as Mad Rabbit’s Tattoo Gel to keep the tattoo hydrated without irritating its delicate skin. Its lightweight formula contains aloe vera and argan oil that won’t clog up pores or congest its design.
4. The Third Week
After an open wound tattoo is applied to the body, natural healing begins. These may include bleeding, swelling, redness, and weeping. A balanced diet, quality sleep, and regular physical activity are also helpful in speeding healing timeframes. Keep showers short (lukewarm) and avoid swimming or tanning until the scabs have peeled, as chlorine and other chemicals may lead to skin infections. Furthermore, it’s best not to pick at flaking skin as this will further delay the healing time for your tattoo and even lead to scarring.
5. The Fourth Week
After four weeks since an open wound tattoo was performed, your skin should appear more or less healed. While excess ink and plasma may still ooze from the area, the redness should subside, and new, light skin may form over the fresh tattoo. Use gentle soap, warm water, and fragrance-free moisturizer twice daily during this healing phase to keep the tattoo clean and prevent infection. Be careful not to rub or scratch your newly inked skin, as doing so could cause infections, scarring, and more severe consequences. At first, feeling general weakness as your body adjusts to receiving its tattoo is also normal.
