Active peel · Days 7–14
Day 9: peak itch
Itching usually peaks somewhere between day 6 and day 10, right in the middle of the peel. Thin, soft, light amber scabs over the linework are normal. Thick, raised scabs that crack and pull when you move are not.
What to do today
- Pat, don’t scratch. Scratching pulls flakes before they’re ready
- Check the scabs: flat and thin is fine, thick and raised is worth asking about
- Keep sun off it
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: Is tattoo peeling normal?