How to Care for a Tattoo During Removal

Getting a tattoo removed may be an arduous process, but caring for your skin afterwards does not need to be. Adequate skin-care isn’t difficult, it just requires focus. To keep your body healthy, all you need to do is monitor your skin after the procedure, give it gentle treatment, and maintain good habits.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Treating Your Skin Well

1
Cleanse your skin. To keep your skin from becoming infected, you can use soap and warm water to clear dirt from your skin.When you dry the area, you should gently pat it with a cloth. Be careful though! You don’t want to completely soak this area in the first few days after treatment.
- Keep your skin dry. You can take a shower, but don’t let water flood your formerly tattooed area. If it gets too wet, then you might get an infection.
If the area feels inflamed or hot, put an ice pack wrapped in a cloth on it. The ice should not be directly touching the area. The cloth should completely cover the ice pack.
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3
Cover up. Loosely place a dressing over the area to minimize the amount of contact between your skin and the outside environment. Change the dressing regularly. If the dressing is not fitting well or if it looks dirty, get rid of it and replace it with a new dressing.
- You should try to use non-stick gauze or band-aids to cover the area.
- Wash your hands before you do this. You don’t want to get the dressing dirty.
- For the first three days after treatment, you should change your dressing once a day.
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Monitoring Your Skin

You might see that the area has become very white. Quite a few people have this experience. The skin may be a different color than it once was. This is temporary. If you have dark skin, your skin might appear lighter, and the opposite can occur to those with lighter skin. This happens because the pigment has been damaged.
Blisters are likely to occur after a tattoo removal. They create a difficult to penetrate barrier that will guard your skin. Do not attempt to pierce them. It is natural for blisters to pop, do not be alarmed when they do. If this happens, just put antibiotic ointment on them.
You may not get blisters, but find that scabs have formed in the place where your tattoo was removed. It is possible to get scabs without blisters. When the scabs fall off, you are likely to see pink under where the scabs were.
4
Care for swollen areas. It is common to have swelling in the area your tattoo used to be. Generally, swelling should go down a day or so after the tattoo was removed.
- Elevate swollen arms or legs. If you experience swelling on your arms or legs, find a place where you can keep these body parts elevated. Your arms should stay above your chest, and your legs should be raised up.
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Maintaining Good Habits

Find sunscreen that is at least SPF 25 and use it on the area of your skin that has been affected by tattoo removal. You should do this for about three months after your tattoo removal. You do not want this area to be burnt by the sun.^{[1]XExpert SourceGrant Lubbock
Tattoo Artist & Co-Owner, Red Baron InkExpert Interview. 22 October 2019.}
Try not to pick your scabs or blisters. If you do this, then you risk the chance of permanently scarring your skin. Remember scabs and blisters protect your skin. They might irritate you, but they are keeping your body safe.
You don’t want to itch at your skin for the reasons mentioned above. A good way to make sure that your skin doesn’t irritate you is to put cream on it. You can try using Aquaphor, Vitamin E ointment, or hydrocortisone.^{[2]XExpert SourceGrant Lubbock
Tattoo Artist & Co-Owner, Red Baron InkExpert Interview. 22 October 2019.}
You will probably feel irritation due to the procedure. This irritation might cause you itch and scratch your skin. To avoid succumbing to these urges, use over-the-counter pain relief such as paracetamol to help reduce any temporary pain.
5
Talk to your doctor. Communicate with the laser removal office if you experience any oddities or emergencies. For example, if you think your skin is infected, you should call your doctor. Some signs of infection include:
- Constant yellow or greenish discharge of fluid from tattooed site.
- Rashes on the formerly tattooed area.
- Bleeding that completely drenches your bandaging. ^{[3]XResearch source}
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Expert Q&A

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Question
How long does it take for a laser treatment clinic to remove a tattoo?
Grant Lubbock
Tattoo Artist & Co-Owner, Red Baron Ink
Grant Lubbock is a Tattoo Artist and Co-Owner of Red Baron Ink, a tattoo salon based in New York City. Grant has over 10 years of tattooing experience and he specializes in neo-traditional, black/grey, and color tattoos. Red Baron Ink's main goal is for each tattoo coming out of their studio to be one of a kind custom pieces that will look good throughout a lifetime.
Grant Lubbock
Tattoo Artist & Co-Owner, Red Baron Ink
Expert Answer
It really depends on the size of the tattoo, the pigmentation, and the amount of color in your tattoo. On average, it probably takes 4-6 sessions at the clinic to remove a tattoo. For really large or colorful pieces, it may take up to 10 laser removal sessions.
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Warnings

Seek medical treatment if you suspect an infection at the tattoo removal site or if you are having symptoms following the session such as fevers or chills.
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Infections generally have a dark yellow character.
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If you are in serious pain, call 911.
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Do not go to pools, saunas, or tanning salons for two to four weeks after your tattoo has been removed.
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Do not shave or wax in the formerly tattooed area.
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