Is my tattoo almost healed? Everything to know about aftercare and the healing process.

You just got a tattoo, now what?

For some, fresh ink is a way to permanently honor a person or meaningful symbol. For others, it’s an excuse to get a visually striking piece of art on their skin.

According to a new Pew Research study, 32% of Americans have a tattoo. Whether you’re a rookie looking to get inked for the first time or are ready to join the 22% of U.S. adults who have more than one, here’s what to know about tattoo aftercare from a dermatologist and tattoo artist.

How long does it take for a tattoo to heal?

It depends on the size and the placement, but tattoos generally heal completely after two and a half weeks, says Emilio Alonso, a tattooer at Fun City Tattoos in New York City.

How you take care of your tattoo can affect how long it takes to heal. According to Dr. Bruce Katz, a board-certified dermatologist and director of the JUVA Skin and Laser Center, keeping your tattooed skin moisturized can speed the healing process.

“People think that if you let things air out, you don’t put ointment on it, you let it dry out and it heals faster – that’s an old wives tale,” Katz says. “If you keep the area moist so that scab doesn’t get hard … the skin as it heals migrates under the moist scab because there’s nothing blocking it, so it heals a lot faster.”

Here’s how it shakes down, Katz says – when you get a tattoo, the artist injects ink into the dermis, the second layer of the skin below the epidermis but above the fat layer. The needle injecting the ink pierces the epidermis on its way down, creating small holes in the skin that form scabs as they heal.

The healing process, then, is similar to any other scab.

“I think the number one thing is people overthink it,” Alonso says. “At the end of the day, it’s just like a cut, (but) it is a tattoo, so you’re supposed to take care of it.”

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How to take care of a tattoo

After you’re freshly inked, you’ll want to keep on the bandage your tattoo artist gave you. If it’s the traditional plastic wrap, Alonso recommends leaving it on for at least three hours.

“Say I do a tattoo, we finish at 2 o’clock and you’re planning on taking a shower at 8 or 9 that night, I just tell them to leave it on. If it’s on there securely and it doesn’t fall off, (the) longer the better,” Alonso says.

If your artist used Saniderm, also called “second skin,” you can leave it on for three to five days. Saniderm is an adhesive medical wrap that’s waterproof, breathable and “dummy proof,” Alonso says, so it’ll withstand any showering or accidental bumping over the first few days. When it’s time to remove the wrapping, Alonso recommends taking it off in the shower or under running water to wash off any dried blood and then applying lotion.

In general, this is the key to tattoo aftercare – rinse (lotion) and repeat.

Katz recommends cleaning the tattooed area with soapy water and applying an ointment twice a day for the next week or so. Try not to moisturize more than that, which could negatively affect the ink.

Not washing and lotioning your tattoo could leave you at risk of infection. Excessive time in the sun, swimming or intense physical activity directly after getting a tattoo could also lead to infection. If you notice any redness around the area, pain or tenderness or you have a fever, you should seek medical attention.

“That’s always a risk for any open wound that’s not treated properly, it can spread very quickly,” Katz says, noting infected tattoos could leave an unwanted scar.

If you’re spending time in the sun, remember to apply sunscreen to tattooed skin even after the healing process is complete.

But overall, keep it simple. Keep yourself hydrated, your skin hydrated and your new tattoo clean.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How long does it take for a tattoo to heal? Tips for aftercare.