Typically, the peeling starts 3 or 4 days after you get your body art. The skin might crack and get dry as well as peel. Your tattoo artist should have given you instructions for how to clean and treat the tattoo.

Importantly, you shouldn’t pick at the skin when it starts to peel. Just let it naturally slough off.

Fading

You might be worried that the peeling is removing the beautiful colors and lines of your tattoo. While the peeling phase can make the tattoo look mottled and hazy, it’s not actually impacting the tattoo itself.

The tattoo needle deposits ink into the dermis layer of your skin, which your body cannot and will not shed.

You’ll find that once the peeling stage is over and your skin is almost healed, the tattoo will look even brighter, sharper and clearer than before. Like a snake shedding its skin, this is just a process that you need to go through, and you’ll feel (and look) much better afterwards.

Also Read: 

• How Do I Keep My Tattoo(s) From Fading?
• The 10 Best Tattoo Sunscreens for 2022: Protect Your Tattoos From Fading

The Tattoo Peeling Stages Guide

Okay, so now that we know tattoo peeling is a normal response, here’s exactly how it goes down. We’ve separated this process into days, and then weeks, so you know when the peeling will start and what happens before/after the peeling stage.

Day 1

Your tattoo will be red, swollen and oozing. It’s going to be quite painful – like a sunburn. But ultimately, you’re unlikely to see much skin peeling or flaking at this stage.

Day 2

The next day, you should be a bit more prepared about what to expect! The swelling should be significantly going down at this stage, and you should find oozing and redness starting to reduce too.

Day 3

When the oozing stops, which is usually days 2 to 3, the skin will begin to dry out. Scabs will start to form (slowly) and the itching will begin. You may also see your skin start to crack.