After getting freshly tattooed it generally takes three to four weeks for the top layer of skin to heal so that you can start showing it off to friends and family in its finished state. 

After this point, there is still healing to be done underneath the top layer skin so be careful with your tattoo aftercare 

As is the case with most things, the time it takes your tattooed skin to heals and recover may be entirely different to other people, and that’s okay. 

The following article will take you through the healing timeline and offer aftercare tips, tricks, and words of caution that can help you go through the process with less worry. 

A Timeline of Tattoo Healing

There are a variety of factors that can determine the success of your tattoo heal, however the most common timeline is as follows:  

Day 1

Your new piece of body art will be bandaged for at least the first few hours after getting your ink done. If the work is completed very late in the day, your tattoo artist may recommend the bandage stays on until morning. 

Your body will also be hammering with adrenalin from all the excitement and in response to the pain, so make sure you take it easy, especially after a long stretch in the chair. Stay hydrated, and keep your belly full, preferably with something healthy. 

During this first stage of healing your body will be responding to the injury ind recovering from the ordeal. You are likely to notice: 

• Redness 
• oozing of blood, plasma, and excess ink 
• slight inflammation or swelling 
• A possible burning sensation 

Day 2 and 3

During this stage your body has settled into the new tattoo a bit more. Whatever bruising you’ve gotten has appeared – this happens more to the pain wigglers than those that are good at sitting through pain – but other swelling has receded. 

The tattoo itself has yet to peel, and you’ve done your initial cleaning and aftercare that will be daily for the next 2-3 weeks if everything goes smoothly.