Tattoo aftercare, day by day

Aftercare is mostly about doing less, not more. Your artist's instructions always win, but here's a sane default schedule that works for most healthy adults with a fresh tattoo.

Leave the wrap on for the time your artist specified (usually 2–24 hours for plastic wrap, 3–5 days for Saniderm). Do not soak. Do not pet animals on the fresh ink. Sleep on clean sheets.

Wash 2–3 times a day with lukewarm water and a fragrance-free, dye-free soap (Dr. Bronner's Baby, Cetaphil). Use clean hands, no washcloth. Pat dry with a paper towel.

Apply a paper-thin layer of unscented moisturizer (Aquaphor, Hustle Butter, or any plain lotion). 'Paper-thin' is the key — too much smothers the skin and traps bacteria.

Itching is normal. Slap, don't scratch. The flakes will look alarming — colored, leathery, sometimes coming off in sheets. Let them fall off on their own. Picking pulls pigment.

Keep wearing loose, breathable clothing over the area. No swimming, no baths, no saunas, no hot tubs.

The top layer is healed but the deeper layers are still settling. The tattoo will look matte, slightly cloudy, almost dusty. Do not panic. By week four it returns to full saturation.

Start using SPF 30+ on it any time it's exposed to sun, forever. Sun is the single biggest cause of tattoo fading.

Normal: redness for 2–3 days, mild swelling, itching, peeling, dull appearance in week 3.

Not normal: spreading redness after day 4, pus that isn't clear/cloudy lymph, fever, red streaks moving away from the tattoo, or pain that gets worse instead of better. Any of those, contact your artist and a doctor the same day.