Getting a tattoo can be a really exciting time in your life and it’s happened to a lot of people in the United States. It’s estimated that at least 45 million Americans have at least one tattoo. No matter where you get a tattoo, it’s very important to take care of the tattooed area as it heals. This is because your skin is pierced anywhere from 50 to 3000 times per minutes by the tattoo machine, something that will require time to heal properly. One thing that might happen while your tattoo is healing is skin peeling. This article will look at the basics of peeling tattoo care and several things you need to know when this starts to happen.
- Peeling is Completely Normal: The first thing you need to know when your tattoo starts peeling is that this is completely 100 percent normal. Your skin is peeling on and around the tattoo because it’s been punctured a lot of times and the skin is trying to heal from what has happened to it. Fortunately, peeling should only last around three to seven days, about the length of an average sunburn.
- You’ll Need Lotion to Take Care of the Peeling: While it is completely normal for your skin to peel a bit after getting a tattoo, you’ll still need to practice proper tattoo care and tattoo aftercare while the skin is peeling. Proper peeling tattoo care includes rubbing the skin with special lotions to keep the skin from drying out too badly. Rubbing in lotion will also make the peeling process less painful (just like when aloe is rubbed into sunburned skin).
- Keep the Skin Clean: A third thing you need to know when your tattoo starts peeling is that it’s vitally important to keep this part of the skin clean while the peeling is occurring. As the skin peels, more sensitive layers of skin will be revealed, and if the area gets dirty before the skin heals, it could lead to complications in the healing process. This is a vital part of peeling tattoo care and can be helped with tattoo antiseptic spray among other materials.
In conclusion, there are several things you need to know and do when your new tattoo begins to peel. First, remember that peeling is completely normal. Then, make sure to keep the area clean while the peeling is ongoing and use special lotions to keep the skin moisturized so the peeling is not more painful than it needs to be.