The first 48 hours decide how your tattoo heals. Keep the second-skin wrap on, sleep clean, and skip the gym — sweat and friction are the enemy of fresh lines.
Days three to seven bring light peeling. Wash twice daily with fragrance-free soap, pat dry, and apply a rice-grain layer of balm. Never pick a flake; let it lift on its own.
By week two the surface looks settled, but the deeper skin is still finishing. Keep it out of direct sun and pools for a full month, then switch to SPF 30 whenever the piece is exposed.
Book your free check-in: send a healed photo two weeks after your appointment and your artist confirms everything settled — or books a complimentary touch-up inside 90 days if it needs one.
