Is Aloe Vera Good For Tattoos – Expert Opinion In 2023

You probably have heard from your tattoo artist or tattoo buddies that aftercare can make or break your tattoo. Well, they are not wrong. When you see an old tattoo that has vibrant colors and is in crisp or good shape, that means a lot of strict aftercare was taken. One of the crucial aftercare steps is moisturizing which you cannot overlook. And when it comes to moisturizing or healing a wound such as a tattoo, aloe vera also known as medicinal aloe may come to mind. You may wonder “is aloe vera good for tattoos?”

Using aloe vera on wounds for faster healing is not something new. But a tattoo is not like your regular wound. A tattoo is way more sensitive and applying the wrong stuff can damage your tattoo permanently. That is why many hesitate or have doubts when the matter of applying aloe vera to tattoos comes up. Aftercare of tattoos is complex and so is the aloe vera plant. If it is good or bad for your tattoo requires a detailed understanding of both the aftercare process and the plant. I will elaborate further below.

Key Takeaways

• Aloe vera can reduce the inflammation and pain of your newly done tattoo.
• Aloe vera can soothe the wound, speed up healing, moisturize, and nourish your tattoo.
• It is a vital part of aftercare as it prevents infection, overly dry skin, and scabs.
• Too much use of aloe vera can oversaturate the skin and cause issues such as bubbling and infection.

Aloe Vera: Good or Bad for Tattoos

Aloes vera is good for your tattoos. It contains skin soothing, moisturizing, antibacterial, antioxidant, and healing properties that your newly done tattoo needs. Aloe vera-based products are recommended by many professional tattoo artists because of the speedy healing they provide to a tattoo. Using aloe vera for soothing the tattooed area is nice and all and moisture speeds up the healing but too much moisture can be bad for your tattoo. Too much moisture will not let your skin breathe and may end up causing infection.

The healing process or aftercare is complex. Not to mention the aloe vera herb is a complex herb too. So using it on your tattoo may not be the best option all the time. At times you may do more harm to your tattoo by applying aloe-based products. That is why it is crucial to understand the aftercare process and the herb to know when to use and how to use it. Do not get stressed out, as I have explained all the details below for you to understand.

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Tattoo & Aftercare

Getting a new tattoo is like getting trauma on the skin. It is much more sensitive than any other bruise or wound on your skin. Because slight misjudgment in treating the tattoo can distort or fade it. That is why aftercare is so crucial to prolong the life of your tattoo and its freshness. You do not want to roam with a faded tattoo, no one does. Moisturizing the tattoo is one of the aftercare steps. It speeds up the healing and keeps the tattoo shiny. You can moisturize even when your tattoo becomes old.

After getting a new tattoo the area may release plasma, scabs, and sometimes a little pus, and it is all natural nothing to worry about. Your tattooed area becomes itchy and overly dry. To soothe the skin, avoid overly dryness, and speed up the healing it is recommended to moisturize the skin moderately.

Aloe Vera: Definition & Applicability to Tattoos

Aloe vera is a herb that looks like a cuter version of a cactus. It grows in tropical places. It is well known for its antibacterial, healing, and antioxidant properties. So naturally, people tend to go for this herb after getting a new tattoo. It became a very relevant part of tattoo aftercare over the years. But it is recommended to use aloe vera-based products instead of using raw aloe vera on the tattoo. Because aloe vera can be a bit too thick or gooey.

Putting too much moisture or gooey substance on a tattoo may do more harm than good. It may attract dirt and bacteria, which may lead to infection and many more complications. And trust me when I say that should do anything and everything to avoid any sort of complication regarding your tattoo. A tattoo is a bodily art for life, any distortion of that art may end up upsetting you.

Benefits of Using Aloe Vera For Tattoos

Aloe vera is incredibly beneficial for any sort of healing. It has numerous benefits when it comes to applying for tattoos too.

Soothing

Does not matter what method you use to get your tattoo, how big it is, or where it is placed, you will feel some discomfort during the healing process. A little burning sensation may occur as it is an open wound and not healed. So using aloe vera can soothe the skin and give relief from discomfort.

Aloe vera has anti-inflammatory or cooling properties. Applying it to a tattoo will decrease inflammation and cool the skin.

Moisturizing

Aloe vera has moisturizing properties such as humectants. So applying it to the tattooed area will keep the area moist and farm. The tattooed area getting overly dry and itching is a very common issue. Because a healing tattooed area releases a substance called exudate, which is responsible for creating scabs and crust. Using aloe vera can solve these issues by binding or trapping moisture in the skin. A moist or hydrated tattoo won’t make you feel itchy anymore.

Nourishing

Aloe vera has many vitamins and minerals that nourish the skin and keeps it healthy. Healthy skin is less likely to get infected and healthy skin enhances the beauty of the tattoo.

The crucial vitamins and minerals it has that nourish your tattooed skin are:

Healing

Healing of a newly done tattoo is crucial. The faster it heals the less discomfort you feel and the less likely it is to get infected. And aloe vera has healing properties such as polysaccharides. Polysaccharides repair your damaged skin and help you grow new skin faster. Aloe vera also has antioxidant properties, that increase the healing process by reducing oxidative stress.

So make sure to use aloe vera as it can help you with a speedy recovery after getting a new tattoo.

Reduce Inflammation

Information on a wound is normal. But that does not mean you have to accept the discomfort of inflammation. Simply using aloe vera can reduce inflammation as the herb contains glycoproteins known to reduce inflammation.

Reduce Pain

Aloe vera can also work as a pain reliever. Feeling some paint after getting a new tattoo is normal. Use of aloe vera can get rid of that pain for you. But if the pain is unbearable then aloe vera is not enough and you have to go see a doctor.

Reduce Acne On Tattoo

If you have an acne problem, there is a chance you may face acne issues on your tattoo. Not to mention acne may accrue because of oil and dirt build-up on the tattoo which can happen to anyone. Aloe vera can prevent and cure acne on your tattoo as it has many anti-bacterial properties.

Strengthens Immunity System

Your immune system is responsible for healing your wound. A weak immune system will cause delayed healing and it will also make the wound prone to infection. Applying aloe vera will nourish the skin and make it healthy by providing essential vitamins and minerals. Hence boosting your immune system. The boosted immune system will heal the tattoo faster.

Tattoo Burning After Using Aloe Vera

As I recommended, avoid using raw aloe vera on tattoos, instead, use aloe vera-based products. Because raw aloe vera may be a bit too thick for your tattoo to breathe. If you use aloe-based products, you may feel a burning sensation. It can happen because of the particular product you use and not because of the aloe vera properties.

The first reason behind this could be that you are using a low-quality product. Not all products maintain high quality. You may have used an aloe-based product that uses an excessive amount of chemicals. These chemicals are reacting negatively to your sensitive tattooed area and causing a burning feeling.

The second reason could be that your product contains alcohol. There are many aloe-based products that contain alcohol. This alcohol makes your receptors on the skin feel a hot or burning sensation. Alcohol can cause serious damage to your tattoo by drying the area, causing blisters, and increasing inflammation.

The solution to the burning feeling or to these two issues is simple. All you have to do is read the product description carefully when you buy it. Avoid purchasing any aloe-based product that contains alcohol or chemicals that are harmful to your tattoo.

3 Reasons Why Aloe Vera Can Be Bad for Your Tattoo

Aloe vera is good for you and has no elements that can be harmful to your tattoo. But as you know too much of anything is bad, that same saying goes for aloe vera too. Applying too much of it on the tattoo can over-moisturize the area. Keeping the balance of moisturization is crucial here. Overly dry skin can cause issues like wise overly moisturized skin can also cause issues.

Such as:

1. Scabs Falling Off

Scabs are supposed to stay moderately dry and fall off on their own. But applying too much aloe vera can cause oversaturation of scabs. Scabs absorbing too much moisture and falling off are not good as they will absorb quite a huge amount of ink/ color pigment with the moisture and fall off with it. As a result, you will have a faded or distorted tattoo.

2. Bubbling

Too much moisture can cause bubbling on the tattoo issue. Small bubbles form over the tattoo because of too much moisture. It is not something serious and can go away within a few hours to days. But too much bubbling can attract infection and fade or distort your tattoo. So be careful when you see any sign of bubbling.

3. Infection

Newly done tattoos are prone to get an infection as they are pretty much like an open wound. Now if you keep the area overly moist by applying too much aloe vera, it can attract dirt, oil, and bacteria and cause an infection.

To finish this portion off, I suggest you use aloe vera moderately and not make a gunk by using a filthy amount of it. Let your skin breathe, there is no need for over-moisturization.

Aloe Vera: New Tattoo VS Old Tattoo

Using a moderate amount of aloe vera is good for your tattoo. But how does it affect new tattoos and how does it affect old tattoos? I will shed some light on this topic in this portion.

New tattoo

Any tattoo that is 2-3 months old or younger can be considered a new tattoo. New tattoo requires proper aftercare that includes quality moisturization.

Aloe vera can not only moisturize but also help your new tattoo to heal faster by reducing inflammation and speeding up the recovery of your skin. It also helps strengthen your immunity which speeds up the healing process and prevents any possible infection. Itchiness, dryness, burning feelings, pain, delayed healing all of these issues can be fixed by applying aloe vera to your new tattoo. That is why aloe vera is highly recommended as a part of your aftercare routine.

Old Tattoo

After 2-3 months of getting the tattoo, it can be considered old. Now just because your tattoo is old does not mean you should stop taking care of it. A tattoo stays with you for life and you have to take care of it for life just like you take care of your skin.

One of the steps of taking care of an old tattoo is moisturizing it. You can use aloe vera as a moisturizer for your old tattoo. Moisturizing keep the skin young and it makes the old tattoo shiny and new. Not to mention if you don’t moisturize your skin you may end up with dry skin. Dry skin can make even the coolest tattoo worst by making it appear faded or distorted. So keeping an old tattoo moist is also important.

Allergic Reaction of Aloe Vera For Tattoos

To be fair, people can have an allergic reaction to almost anything. The same logic goes behind the aloe vera allergic reaction. It is extremely rare for someone to face an allergic reaction after applying this herb, but it can happen. When it does you will notice some visible changes around your tattoo, such as redness, and the area getting swollen. You may feel excessive itchiness, fever, shivers, etc. If you notice such a symptom it can be a sign of an allergic reaction, immediately stop applying aloe vera and go see a doctor.

FAQs

Does aloe vera fade tattoos?

No, it does not. Try not to use too much aloe vera on tattoos as too much moisture can cause issues such as bubbling and infection which can fade your tattoos.

Can I use aloe vera on the infected tattoo?

Do not use anything on an infected tattoo without asking your doctor.

Can I use vaseline with aloe vera?

Vaseline is very thick and does not let your tattoo breathe. So it is highly recommended not to use Vaseline for tattoos with or without aloe vera.

Final Thoughts

Aloe vera is good for your tattoos. Don’t let someone say otherwise. You can apply a moderate amount of aloe vera twice or thrice a day for optimum results. Aloe vera can soothe the tattooed area, speed up the healing process and prevent any possible infection.

That said, don’t go overboard with applying aloe vera on the tattoo as overuse can have the opposite effect. Overuse can saturate the skin causing infection, delayed healing, and bubbling and as a result, it can end up fading or distorting your precious tattoo. Err on the side of caution and use aloe vera moderately. If you have an infection or allergic reaction stop using aloe vera and go, see a doctor immediately.

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