Tattoo Aftercare & Tips
Expert guides on tattoo aftercare, healing, touch-ups, sunscreen, and long-term skin health.
Sunscreen on Tattoos: When to Start and How to Stop Fading
UV light fades tattoo ink, but sunscreen should not go on a healing tattoo. When you can start using sunscreen on a new tattoo, the SPF dermatologists recommend, and how to protect your ink in the sun for life.
Drinking Alcohol Before a Tattoo: Why It Is a Bad Idea
A drink to calm your nerves can mean more bleeding, a patchier tattoo and a studio that refuses to work on you. Why you should not drink before a tattoo, how long to wait, and whether you can drink afterwards.
Working Out After a Tattoo: How Long to Wait Before the Gym
Sweat, friction and stretching can all harm a new tattoo. How long to wait before going back to the gym, which exercises to avoid for arm, leg, back and rib tattoos, and how to protect your ink while you train.
Tattoo Blowout: Causes, How to Tell It From Healing, and How to Fix It
Blurry lines with a blue haze could be a tattoo blowout, or just healing. What causes blowouts, how to tell them from a healing smudge or bruise, and the options to fix one, from reworks to laser.
Infected Tattoo Signs: How to Tell Normal Healing From Infection
Redness and soreness are normal after a tattoo, but spreading redness, pus and fever are not. How to tell normal healing from an infected tattoo, how an ink allergy differs, and when to see a doctor.
How to Sleep With a New Tattoo: Positions and Bedding Tips
A fresh tattoo can stick to your sheets and get rubbed while you sleep. How to prepare your tattoo and bed, the best sleeping positions for arm, leg, back and rib tattoos, and what to do if it sticks.
Tattoo Scabbing Phase: What Is Normal and How to Care for It
Scabs on a new tattoo are usually a normal part of healing. What the scabbing phase looks like day by day, light vs heavy scabbing, how to care for scabs, and the signs that mean you should see a doctor.
Can You Swim After a Tattoo? How Long to Wait for Pools, Sea and Hot Tubs
A new tattoo is an open wound, so pools, the sea and hot tubs can wait. How long to wait for each type of water, how to tell your tattoo is ready, and what to do if you cannot avoid getting wet.
Why Does My Tattoo Look Faded After Peeling? The Cloudy Stage Explained
A dull, cloudy or patchy tattoo after peeling is usually a normal healing stage, not lost ink. Why it happens, how long the cloudy stage lasts, and when a patchy tattoo actually needs a touch up.
Getting a Tattoo Before a Holiday: Sun, Swimming and Flights
How long to wait between a new tattoo and a beach holiday, what sun, swimming, sweat and flights do to healing skin, and how to protect a fresh tattoo if you are already booked.
Why Does My Old Tattoo Itch Years Later? Causes and Relief
An old tattoo that suddenly itches is common and usually harmless. Dry skin, heat, delayed ink allergies, sun sensitivity and skin conditions explained, plus how to calm it and when to see a doctor.
Tattoos and MRI Scans: Is It Safe? What the Research Says
Can you have an MRI with tattoos? A study of 330 people with 933 tattoos found a low risk. Why rare burning sensations happen, which tattoos are more likely to react, and what to do before your scan.