Tattoo aftercare: how to heal your tattoo well

The first hours: wrap and first wash

Good tattoo aftercare starts in the first few hours. After tattooing, the artist covers your tattoo with a wrap. That might be classic cling film or a transparent adhesive film that sticks directly to the skin, often called second skin. You remove cling film after a few hours; a second-skin film can usually stay on for several days. Your artist will tell you exactly how long – stick to that. It's best to peel the film off slowly under lukewarm water and then wash the tattoo for the first time.

Tattoo aftercare for the first two weeks

• Wash your hands: only touch your new tattoo with clean hands.
• Clean gently: two to three times a day with lukewarm water and a mild, fragrance-free soap. Use your hands – no sponge, no flannel.
• Pat dry: with a clean paper towel – don't rub.
• Moisturise thinly: apply a very thin layer of fragrance-free tattoo cream. Too much cream softens the skin and slows healing.
• Wear loose clothing: tight clothes rub against the area and irritate the skin.

What to avoid in the first weeks

Tattoo aftercare is also about what you don't do. Until your skin has fully healed – usually two to four weeks – avoid swimming pools, the sea, baths, saunas and sunbeds. Showering is fine, as long as you don't soak the tattoo for long. Ideally, keep it out of direct sun completely during this time. The same goes for sport: avoid heavy sweating and friction on the area for a few days. And most importantly, don't scratch or pick at scabs or flakes, even when it itches.

Travelling with a new tattoo

Getting tattooed while visiting Berlin? Then schedule your beach and pool days for the start of your trip. On a flight, keep the tattoo clean and covered with loose clothing, and pack a small tube of fragrance-free cream and mild soap in your hand luggage, in containers of 100 ml or less. If you're heading somewhere sunny afterwards, cover the tattoo with clothing until it has healed.

How healing progresses

Days 1–3: the area is red, slightly swollen and may weep a little fluid and excess ink. That's normal.
Days 4–14: the skin starts to peel, it may itch, and thin scabs sometimes form.
Weeks 2–4: the tattoo often looks slightly cloudy or matte because a new layer of skin is forming on top.
After that: the surface has healed; deeper layers of skin take a few more weeks. Only then will you see the final result.

Warning signs: when to get medical advice

Redness, warmth and swelling are normal in the first few days. If they get worse instead of better after day three, pay attention. Even with good tattoo aftercare, an infection can occasionally develop. See a doctor if pus appears, red streaks form, you develop a fever or the pain increases. A persistent, itchy rash – for example only in one particular colour – can also point to an allergic reaction, and a doctor should take a look at it. Either way, let us know so we can support you.

Long term: sun protection

Even after healing, sun protection remains the most important part of tattoo aftercare. UV light fades colours and fine lines over time. So before every session in the sun, apply a high-factor sunscreen to your tattoo – ideally SPF 50.

This guide does not replace medical advice. If you're unsure, ask us or get medical advice.