You’ve gotten a new tattoo and now it is starting to peel. A peeling tattoo doesn’t feel or look good, but it is a normal, essential part of the healing process.

Fortunately, there are several things you can do to relieve the discomfort of a peeling tattoo and help it heal during the completion of the aftercare process.

In the guide below you’ll find the essential information that you need to know on what to do long after your tattoo artist is finished, when the healing develops to the point your tattooed skin moves past being an open wound and reaches the peeling stage.

When Does the Peeling Stage Begin?

Everyone’s body is unique when healing from getting a tattoo, but peeling skin after is an inevitable and important part of the process. The peeling process can scare many people – particularly those new to getting ink – however it’s important to remember that peeling is a normal part of the tattoo aftercare and healing process.

For some, the peeling stage begins a mere two days after getting a tattoo. Others don’t start peeling until four days have passed. And yet the tattooed area for some collectors won’t start peeling until the week after getting a tattoo.

You shed millions of cells from dead skin buildup every day without you noticing it. When your tattoo begins to peel, you’ll notice it because the dead skin cells you shed come off in larger, colored chunks containing tattoo pigment. 

You may believe that your tattoo is going to fade because you’re seeing colored chunks of tattoo pigment and skin come off of your body. When your tattooed skin peels, your epidermis, the top layer of your skin, is shedding.

Don’t worry, your tattoo will remain intact. Because the tattoo ink is under your dermis, it remains protected from the healing skin of the top layer.

The Tattoo Looks and Feels Bad