The only way to ‘fix’ tattoo peeling is to go through it. Don’t try to speed up the process by pulling off the skin, as this could be painful, cause damage, and maybe even lead to an infection. Instead, let the skin flake away naturally.

You may need to vacuum your home frequently as you shed skin!

Here are some other tips to help you get through the peeling process as comfortably as possible:

• Apply small amounts of lotion and pat them onto the tattoo – don’t rub or scrub. The gently patting motion will naturally dislodge some of the peeling skin. Furthermore, the lotion will keep your skin soft and supple rather than brittle, thus making the peeling a little more comfortable.
• Keep the tattoo open to the air, but also clean. Don’t be tempted to bandage up the tattoo again. The only way to get through the peeling process is to let the skin come off, not bandage it tightly back on.
• Don’t expose the tattoo to sunlight during this stage. Instead, wear light and moisture-wicking clothes. Sports clothes, bamboo, and breathable cotton are all good, so long as they aren’t tightly pressed to the tattoo. No skinny jeans, for example.

Keep the tattoo clean, moisturized, and protected from sunlight when you are out and about is the best way to go. You can’t really avoid the skin peeling, so just be prepared to clean up lots of dead skin throughout this week of your tattoo healing!

Troubleshooting

If your tattoo peeling experience isn’t quite what you expected, try these troubleshooting topics.

Tattoo Faded After Peeling

Some inks look brighter after the peeling stage, and some look slightly duller. You can see this for yourself in our ‘before and after’ section above. But is there anything you can do about this?

Well, perhaps.

While you can’t make the ink look as fresh as it did the day it was needled into your skin, there are still ways to keep your tattoo bright and vibrant.