Banger Tattoo Care

Antibacterial soap, Dove, Dr. Bronner's — most common picks are actually wrong. Here's the dermatologist-reviewed recommendation used by 1,250+ tattoo artists.

Most people are told two to three weeks and sent home. That answer is technically correct for the surface and completely wrong about what is actually happening inside the skin for months afterward. Here is what tattoo healing actually looks like stage by stage, what is normal at each point, and what your aftercare decisions are doing to the timeline.