How To Tell If Your Tattoo Isn't Healing Properly

Today, tattoos are as popular as ever — from nostalgia tattoos to the bow ink trend. However, even when you get a tattoo from an artist you trust, it is still possible for your tattoo to not heal properly. To understand how to recognize whether your tattoo is healing at a normal pace and what to do if you fear it isn't, we've reached out to New Jersey-based tattoo artist Katherine Vargas.

Of course, to ensure your new tattoo is healing, you need to really care for it properly. However, if it isn't healing with proper care and within the expected time frame, consulting a professional is best. "If you see the skin is raised, inflamed, or extremely itchy, we would recommend going to see your primary doctor," she explains exclusively to Glam. "It is quite common to be allergic to red tattoo ink as well," Vargas adds. "It contains mercury sulfide."

Even though you can move on with most activities almost instantly after getting your tattoo, the skin will take some time to heal. "Normally, it takes four to six weeks to properly heal and be safe enough to enter pools and be in direct sunlight," Katherine Vargas tells us exclusively. "Experts say six months is the full final healing of the tattoo," the tattoo artist adds.

However, it's hard to put a strict timeline on the healing process as everybody is different, and Vargas agrees. "There shouldn't be a concern about a long healing process," she explains. "It's very normal that some clients take longer to heal than others depending on the sizing and detailing of the tattoo." The better you take care of it, the quicker it should heal. "Moisturizing daily helps speed up the process," Vargas adds. As long as you follow the instructions your tattoo artist gave you, in about a month and a half, the tattoo should be completely redness and irritation-free.

If you fear that your tattoo isn't healing properly, Katherine Vargas suggests carefully examining the products you're using on it. "First, check your aftercare products and make sure none of the products contain scents or strong ingredients," she shares with us exclusively. "It's safest to use everything without scent to prevent irritation."

Apart from the product, tight clothes can also cause irritation and prevent the tattoo from healing nicely. "Depending on the area of the tattoo, sometimes tight clothes can be another effect on it," Vargas tells us. However, if neither of these two seems to be the reason why your tattoo still isn't as healed as it should be, the tattoo artist suggests getting it checked: "If the area is inflamed and has a color around the tattoo, I highly recommend that you go see your primary doctor."