Almost every client we tattoo asks us the same thing a week or two later: why is it so itchy? Itching and dryness are a normal part of how skin recovers after a tattoo, and dryness keeps coming back on healed pieces too, especially in dry weather. Here's what we tell our clients.
| Situation | When | What helps |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh tattoo | Days 1-3 | Keep it clean and let it dry heal; follow your artist's instructions |
| Peeling and flaking | Days 4-7 | Don't pick; moisturize as your artist advises |
| Itchy stage | Weeks 2-3 | Don't scratch; moisturize dry skin |
| Healed but dry | After healing | Moisturize when it feels dry or tight |
| Hives, swelling, pus or fever | Any time | Contact a health professional |
Why a Healing Tattoo Itches
A tattoo is a series of tiny wounds that carry ink into the skin, and the skin goes through stages as it recovers. In the first few days the tattoo is fresh and may ooze a little. Around days 4 to 7 it starts to flake and peel, and over weeks 2 to 3 new skin forms. That new, drier skin is often when the itch is strongest.
Dry skin is a common cause of itch in general, and very dry skin can be intensely itchy. On a healing tattoo, scratching can pull at peeling skin and damage the ink underneath, so the goal is to deal with the dryness instead of scratching.
Why Healed Tattoos Can Still Feel Dry
Once a tattoo has healed, it is regular skin again, and it can dry out like the rest of your skin. Cold, dry weather, long hot showers and time in the sun can all leave tattooed skin feeling tight or itchy. Moisturizing dry skin can help with itch caused by dryness.
What Helps When the Itch Comes From Dryness
- Don't scratch or pick. If it itches, gently pat the area instead.
- Keep showers short and lukewarm, then pat the tattoo dry with a clean paper towel.
- Apply a thin layer of moisturizer when the skin feels dry or tight.
- Wear loose, soft clothing over the tattoo so it doesn't rub.
- Check the label and patch test any new product on a small area first.
Where Lucky Paw Fits
Lucky Paw Tattoo Cooling Balm is tattoo aftercare for tattooed skin that feels dry and tight. Menthol gives a minty cooling sensation, and oils and butters moisturize dry tattooed skin. Moisturizing dry skin can help with itch caused by dryness.
When to use it: Let a new tattoo dry heal for the first few days. Start once the skin has closed, with no open, weeping or raw spots, and keep using it through the rest of healing and on healed tattoos. Do not use on open, weeping or raw skin, near the eyes, or on sensitive areas.
How to use it: Patch test on a small area before first use. Apply a thin, even layer morning and night, and whenever your tattoo feels dry or tight. Stop using it if your skin reacts.
See the full ingredients and directions
When Itching Is Not Just Dryness
Not every itch comes from dryness. Contact a health professional if itching comes with hives, swelling that lasts more than two days or gets worse quickly, red streaks spreading from the tattoo, pus, or a fever. A raised, itchy rash on the tattoo can be a skin reaction or an allergic reaction to the ink. Stop using aftercare products on that area until you have been checked. In B.C., you can call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1 for advice.
Itchy Tattoo FAQ
Yes. Some itching is a normal part of recovery, especially during the peeling and itchy stages (roughly days 4 to 7 and weeks 2 to 3). Don't scratch; gently pat the area instead.
For most people, the itchiest stretch is weeks 2 to 3, and it settles as the surface finishes healing around weeks 3 to 4. Healed tattoos can still feel dry and itchy in dry weather.
Yes, once the skin has closed. Let a new tattoo dry heal for the first few days, and never put a balm on open skin. Lucky Paw Tattoo Cooling Balm is for tattoos whose skin has closed, with no open, weeping or raw spots, and for healed tattoos.
If the itch comes with hives, swelling that lasts more than two days, red streaks, pus or a fever, contact a health professional. In B.C., call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1.
Sources
Lucky Paw Tattoo Cooling Balm
Menthol gives a minty cooling sensation, and oils and butters moisturize dry tattooed skin. Let a new tattoo dry heal for the first few days, then start once the skin has closed. Never on open skin.
See Ingredients and Directions
