Why does my tattoo itch, and what can I do about it?

What to do instead of scratching

All of these work, and all of them are easier than resisting with willpower alone.

• Slap it lightly with a clean hand. Sounds odd, works immediately.
• A thin layer of moisturiser. Most itching is dryness.
• Something cool held near it, not on it. No ice directly on a healing tattoo.
• Loose clothing over the area · friction makes it worse and you stop noticing the fabric after a while.
• Keep your nails short for a fortnight. You will scratch in your sleep and this is the only defence against that.

When itching is telling you something

Itching on its own is healing. Itching with other things happening is worth a look.

• A raised, bumpy rash across the tattoo, especially in one colour only, can be a reaction to a pigment. Send us a photograph.
• Itching with spreading redness, heat or swelling after day three is a GP question, not a website question.
• Itching months later on a healed tattoo, particularly in raised patches, is worth showing to a doctor.

How long it lasts

The worst of it is the second week and it fades with the peeling. Occasional itching for a month or two afterwards is common and harmless, usually just dry skin over a healed piece.