New Tattoo Scab Shrinking Back?
This also happened with mine when my scabs were getting ready to fall off of my tattoo. The scab is just drying out and is almost ready to fall off. Pieces of scabs will break off when you shower, wash your tattoo, pat it dry, and put lotion on it. But don't panic..they are ready to come off if they do that. They wouldn't fall off if they weren't ready. But don't pick the scabs or peel them off because you will ruin your tattoo. Most of my scabs fell off while I was sleeping because they clung to the back of my pajamas.
First tattoo... healing process?
You tattoo will be raised and scabby for a while and that's ok. It isn't going to "peel" exactly. The scabs will come off in increments, depending on how fast the damaged skin is healing. It's not going to heal all at once, you may notice on area is scabbed while the rest isn't, again that's fine. DO NOT PICK OR RUB THEM OFF!! This can damage your tattoo. I don't know what Aquaphor is but I'm assuming it's akin to Vasoline or A & D ointment?? And I do think you're washing a tad too much. You see - our skin releases oils to protect and moisturize. By continuously washing you're preventing that and therefore seriously drying your skin out, especially if you use soap each time. You want your tattoo to be moisturized 24/7. I have several tattoos and received varying instructions on maintaining it. The best was just "keep it clean and use A & D". LOL I've been told to use non-scented or even alcohol free lotions (like Lubiderm) but personally it was crap. Just make sure you wash with some light soap or a small amount, dab it clean - don't rub, and put some A & D on it. For the next month you should try not to expose it to direct sunlight and no swimming, especially in chlorinated water (swimming pools). Again - I cannot stress the importance of NOT picking at your tattoo. LOL It will fall off on it's own. Yes, it looks yucky and I'm sure your fingers are just itching to help it along but don't. You'll end up exposing skin that is too new to properly deal with the elements and you'll end up either missing some color, having it faded in that area, etc. SO - don't over wash and always have your moisturizer on hand. Don't let it dry out to the point where it feels scaly. It will take a few weeks to completely heal over. The healing process is the fun part for me b/c you won't get to see the "true" color/image until it's done. "The Waiting Game" LOL I thinks that's about it. If you have any questions feel free to contact me
Do all tattoos scab?
Tattoo scabbing depends on two things: placement and depth. Highly sensitive skin (inner forarms, chest, private areas) tend to scab more than skin that is constantly exposed to elements (the sun, harsh clothing, razors, lotions) that toughen the skin up. The depth of the tattoo needle also affects the scabbing. In general, the deeper the needle goes, the more trauma to the skin. The more trauma to the skin, the more scabbing you will have. That's why some tattoos scab only in some places while others scab all over yet others don't scab at all. Depth of the needle also has a hand in how long the ink will stay clear. The deeper the needle goes, the faster it will blur over the years. So if your tattoo didn't scab, consider yourself lucky! Your ink lines will stay cleaner slightly longer than someone who got a tattoo the same day as you who scabbed.
Tattoo scab fell off, raw skin underneath?
I got a tattoo on my foot one week ago. Most of it looks normal and is healing fine, but right in the center is a patch that was really sore and bruised right after I had it done. A huge scab formed and the skin around it was red, so I went to see my doctor and also the tattoo artist. The tattoo artist said I must just have sensitive skin and that it was irritated and it'd heal up on its own, the doctor basically said the same and gave me antibiotics and ointment for it. Today though, as I was washing it, the large scab came off. I didn't pick it off, but I may have pushed it a bit too hard when I was wiping it clean. Now what's exposed looks like an open wound- raw red shiny skin, a completely new layer. It's very painful, just like if you scrape your knee and you pick the scab off yourself. I understand that this may make the tattoo look bad when it's healed, but right now, my priority is making sure it's healthy and not infected. If I just keep using the ointment and keeping it clean, will the raw skin be ok? Or is this a really bad sign? Thanks a lot!
The skin on my tattoo is pink. Any help?
It's pretty normal for a tattoo to be slightly pink, especially after the scab has fallen off. Think of whenever you scrape your knee-- usually a scab will form, and when it dries up and falls off, the new skin underneath is pink. The skin underneath your tattoo scab is new skin, and hasn't had a chance to toughen up yet. As long as you aren't feeling any symptoms of an infection (pus, red streaks coming away from the tattoo site like rays of the sun, heat in the skin) you're probably just fine. Give it a week or two and everything should be A-OK.
Tattoo scab is dark, and skin underneath seems to be lighter?
Hello, I just got my new tat 3 days ago. I have been washing it and caring for it as directed. It started to scab today and I am noticing that the skin underneath seems to be really light in one area. He did a great job of coloring it in. I just want it to be really dark and sharp. Is it normal to have tattoos touched up a couple weeks after they have been done. I have two on my back, and they didn't seem to lose any color at all. This one is on my arm, so maybe the skin there won't hold the color as well as the ones on my back. Thank you so much!!! This tattoo is entirely black.