BEAUTY
Exfoliating Over A Tattoo: Skincare Or Skin Nightmare?
By CHRISTIANA MAIMONE
It can be easy to make mistakes in the aftercare of a new tattoo, especially at the first sight of peeling skin as it starts to heal. You may be tempted to exfoliate it off, but doing so in the early stages of healing can have unintended consequences — and can ruin the appearance of your new tattoo.
In the days and weeks after getting a tattoo, you might feel inclined to exfoliate, but since the tattoo is inked in the skin's topmost layers, doing so can be painful and result in losing some of the tattoo's protective outer layer of skin. You should only start exfoliating if you are certain that your tattoo has fully healed.
To keep your ink vibrant and looking new, don’t exfoliate daily — a simple scrub once or twice a week will do the trick. Your tattoo artist is going to have the best, expert advice for healing and skin care, so don't gloss over the instructions you get from them, no matter how badly you want to speed up the healing process.