Tattoo Scab Came Off And No Ink Underneath – Don’t Be Shocked

Your new tattoo will be just like an open wound. After being penetrated over 2000 times a minute, your tattoo will start the healing process. It will start to close up as blood leaks from your tattoo, causing scabs to form. The scab size will depend on how big or small the tattoo is. But once it comes off, you find that your tattoo scab came off and no ink was underneath it!

Your immediate reaction might be to question if this is normal or not. You will notice that your tattoo will leak ink, blood, and plasma for the first 48 hours meaning that the scab will also have some ink it takes off. But they are usually dried-up skin that naturally falls off. It is important that you understand all about the peeling and scabbing of tattoo skin so that you don’t get shocked that there is no ink underneath it!

Key Takeaways

  • You might be worried seeing that the scab came off but no ink underneath. It is quite a normal thing to happen.
  • If the tattoo has been overworked or underworked, more of the ink will come off with the scab than usual.
  • Tattoo artists who did not set the ink properly in the dermis can blame a lot of other things instead of their poor technique.
  • Tattoo aftercare is the most important part of the tattooing process. Make sure to follow the tip to get a healthy tattoo!

No Tattoo Ink with Scab: Is It Normal?

No tattoo ink with scab Is it normal
No tattoo ink with scab Is it normal

It is absolutely normal for your scab that came off to contain little to no ink at all! This is provided you followed all the aftercare methods that your tattoo artists have suggested and there were no complications in your tattoo while healing. The scab is there as the blood clots on the open wound of the tattoo and forms a protective layer preventing any infection. Once it dries up, the scab will fall off naturally.

Along with the dried-up scab, you will notice as well as there is no ink underneath it. This is because most of the ink when placed correctly in the dermis, will have dried up and mixed in with the scab. So when it falls, the ink falls off with it.

The skin is made up of 3 layers and the middle layer of the dermis is where you want the ink to be. When it is here, any excess ink from this section will be pushed out by the body naturally and dried up underneath the scab when it forms. This is the reason you won’t see any ink underneath the scab if the tattooing process is done correctly. If the tattoo process is done incorrectly, that is when you will notice the ink coming out when the scab falls off!

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Causes of Tattoo Scab Containing Ink

There are 2 major reasons why the tattoo scab contains ink underneath it when it comes off. As I have mentioned the dermis is the desired place where your tattoo ink will settle. But if the ink is incorrectly placed on the bottom layer of the skin where the fat is (hypodermis) or the top layer of the skin (epidermis), that is when you can expect ink. So let’s look at why this occurs.

Causes of Tattoo Scab Containing Ink
Causes of Tattoo Scab Containing Ink

Overworked tattoo: Ink in the Hypodermis

Overworking a tattoo means that the needle will have entered into the hypodermis layer of the skin. This layer mostly consists of the fat where the ink will not be able to settle at all. If this layer is penetrated, it will instantly start the scabbing process. This will make the ink and the scab be combined without even settling in and the ink will come off with the scab as a result!

The other part is that the fat molecules do not hold the ink at all. Instead, the ink will spread and start bloating here, making your tattoo appear very blurry. This fat layer also acts as the last line of defense, making up the protective layer of the skin. When it is breached, you open up your skin to infection! You will notice that an infected scab will be crusted around the edges and have a yellow color to it. This will no doubt completely ruin your tattoo by taking off the ink and your skin along with it!

Underworked tattoo: Ink in the Epidermis

Peeling is a normal part of tattoo healing, where the old skin is removed to promote new skin cell production. As the skin exfoliates off the epidermis, the excess ink and the skin dries up together and gets removed together.

This is usually normal as your body tries to push out excess skin from the dermis to the epidermis. But, if most of the ink is on the epidermis itself, then a majority of the ink dries up and gets removed with the scab and peeling of the skin. This will result in the tattoo being more faded and not lasting even a month!

Not injecting ink into the dermis layer is all part of a bad technique from the artists. A professional would be more careful when they pack the tattoo ink into your dermis layer and more experienced. If you get a tattoo, try to get it from someone who has years of experience as they would do their best to avoid such problems. Scabbing and peeling is still normal and indicate that your tattoo is healing. But if most of the ink comes off from underneath the scab, then it’s the tattoo artist’s fault.

Tattoo Artists Shifting the Blame

When a majority of the ink falls off the scab, a tattoo artist has a variety of things they can blame.

Tattoo artists shifting the blame
Tattoo artists shifting the blame
  • Wrong aftercare: Usually, they will shift the blame on you for doing poor aftercare and cite that as the main cause of for the ink to come off the scab.
  • Ink rejection: The artist might also blame it on your body rejecting the ink, which could be the case but is more than unlikely to happen.
  • Scratching and rubbing: Oftentimes, you will hear artists blame the tattoo being scratched as a result of the ink underneath the scab, even when there are no signs of scratching or rubbing.
  • Poor equipment: If the artist blames the equipment, then you know you have chosen the wrong artist. People have been getting tattoos for centuries without modern machines and should not be blamed for poor technique.
  • Blurring and fading: Yes, tattoos can blur and fade during the healing process. But it should fix itself when the scab falls off. The actual fading of tattoos takes years if the tattoo was set properly!

If you hear these types of excuses, you should wait until your skin has healed in about 4 to 6 weeks’ time and then go to a professional tattoo artist to get it fixed or covered up. You could also get it laser removed after the skin has healed nicely.

Taking Care of Peeling Tattoo: 10 Aftercare Tips

To help avoid ink from running from your skin and scab, here are some aftercare tips that you should be aware of to help heal your tattoo as properly as possible.

  1. Clean and moisturize regularly; don’t over-moisturize (usually when the moisturizer does not absorb into the skin)
  2. Don’t scratch or pick at scabs; let them fall off in a week or two naturally
  3. Keep away from direct sunlight until it heals
  4. Wear loose-fitted clothing to not constrict the healing tattoo
  5. Don’t soak underwater (avoid beaches and swimming pools)
  6. Only take showers for 10 minutes and in lukewarm water
  7. Use aloe vera gel and ointments to soothe the itching
  8. Use only fragrance-free soap and moisturizer until the tattoo is healed
  9. Avoid sweating on your new tattoo
  10. Use sunscreen whenever you go outside in the sun

FAQs

What are the signs that your tattoo is infected?

Here are some of the signs that your tattoo and the scabs it forms is infected:

  • Inflamed skin around the edges
  • Pain that does not decrease
  • Oozing pus and blood after 48 hours
  • Excessive swelling
  • High fever

Will tattoo peeling ruin my tattoo?

Tattoo peeling is normal and won’t ruin your tattoo if the ink was set properly. However, don’t peel the skin! Instead, wash the area carefully with a gentle cleanser to exfoliate the dead skin.

Can I touch-up areas where the ink has fallen off with the scab?

Absolutely you can! You will have to wait for 4 to 6 weeks to let the tattoo skin heal first before going for a touch-up.

Final Thoughts

Tattoo are something that should remain on your skin for a long time. Yes, tattoos can fade but if it’s done properly it will stay on your skin for years to come. Peeling and scabbing on your tattoo is a normal process, and it shows that your tattoo is actually healing. Make sure to keep an eye out for excessive fading during the healing phase, which is a clear sign that your tattoo was not set in the epidermis. And as always, maintain a good aftercare routine to help set your tattoo and make it look as vibrant as possible when it sets!

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