Active peel · Days 7–14
Day 11: flakes thinning out
Peeling often slows down around now on smaller pieces, while large or dense work can keep going for a few more days. Linework may still feel slightly raised. The itch should be tailing off.
What to do today
- Keep moisturizing thinly
- Leave any stubborn flakes alone
- Still no swimming
Normal in the active peel stage
Thin flakes come off, often tinted with ink, and the tattoo looks patchy and dull. Itching usually peaks. The pigment sits below the peeling layer and is intact.
- Thin, translucent flakes like a sunburn peel, tinted with your ink color
- Patchy, dull or "missing" looking spots
- Thin, soft, light amber scabs over linework or dense color
- Peak itch, often somewhere around days 6–10
Care for this stage
- Do not pick or pull flakes. Let them come off in the shower or under moisturizer
- Keep moisturizing thinly
- No swimming, no shaving the area
Go deeper: Can you swim after a tattoo?