Tips for healing your fine line tattoo

Fine line tattoos are delicate works of art that require special care to heal properly. Whether it’s your first tattoo or you’re adding to your collection, understanding the healing process and following proper aftercare is essential for preserving the detail and clarity of your fine line design. In this blog post, we’ll break down everything you need to know about healing your fine line tattoo.

The Healing Process & caring for your tattoo

The healing process of a tattoo is essentially your body’s natural response to injury. Fine line tattoos are less invasive than bold or intensely shaded designs, but they still go through the same healing phases.

The phases of healing

Initial Healing (Days 1–4)

Right after getting your tattoo, your body treats the area as a wound. You may notice redness, swelling, and slight oozing of plasma or ink. This is normal and part of the inflammatory phase. Your tattoo will be covered with a second skin and will be completely protected from the elements.

Scabbing and Peeling (Days 5–14)

By the end of the first week, your tattoo will begin to form a thin layer of scabs. As these scabs dry out, peeling starts, and you may experience itching. Fine line tattoos often have smaller or thinner scabs compared to bold tattoos, but it’s still important not to pick at them.

Final Stages (Days 15–30)

During this phase, the tattoo begins to settle into your skin, and the outer layers look healed. However, the deeper layers of skin are still regenerating, which means you should continue aftercare for a few more weeks.

Aftercare Instructions phase by phase

Caring for your fine line tattoo during every stage of healing ensures the best results. Here’s what to do:

Days 1–4: Immediate Care

• Your tattoo will be covered with a second skin bandage such as Tegaderm. This film will remain on for 4-5 days. 5 days is ideal but sometimes it begins to peel off early. During this time you do not have to do anything but wait until it is time to remove the film on day 5.

• You can continue to shower as normal, but take care not to scrub on or directly around the bandage to prevent it from lifting early.

Days 5–14: Scabbing and Peeling

• Gently remove the second skin film.

• Wash your tattoo with lukewarm water and an unscented, antibacterial soap. Pat dry with a clean, soft towel.

• Apply a thin layer of tattoo-specific ointment or fragrance-free moisturizer.

• Avoid soaking your tattoo or exposing it to direct sunlight.

• Each day thereafter, continue washing your tattoo twice daily with gentle soap.

• Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! Products like After Inked, Mad Rabbit tattoo balm & Hustle Butter are our favorites.

• Let scabs and flakes fall off naturally—never pick or scratch at them.

Days 15–30: Long-Term Healing

• Keep moisturizing your tattoo daily to prevent dryness.

• Avoid excessive sun exposure and wear sunscreen on your tattoo when outdoors.

• Be patient—the tattoo may look slightly dull until fully healed.

What to Avoid During Healing

To protect your fine line tattoo and prevent complications, steer clear of the following for the first 2 weeks:

• Submerging Your Tattoo: Avoid baths, pools, hot tubs, and oceans until your tattoo is fully healed.

• Exposure to steam: Steam softens the outer layers of skin and can cause premature flaking and thus ink loss. Take quick, cool showers and take a break from the sauna.

• Picking or Scratching: Let scabs and flakes fall off naturally. Picking can cause scarring or ink loss.

• Over-Moisturizing: Too much ointment can suffocate the skin and delay healing. Apply a thin layer.

• Intense Exercise: Avoid activities that cause excessive sweating or friction on the tattooed area.

• Harsh Products: Stay away from scented lotions, alcohol-based products, and exfoliants.

Tips for the Best-Healed Tattoo

Choose the Right Artist: Healing starts with a quality tattoo. Work with an artist experienced in fine line designs.

Follow Aftercare Religiously: Your aftercare routine is just as important as the artist’s skill. Consistency matters!

Stay Hydrated and Eat Well: Healthy skin heals faster. Drink plenty of water and eat a balanced diet to support your body’s healing process.

Wear Loose Clothing: Tight fabrics can rub against your tattoo and disrupt healing. Stick to breathable, loose-fitting clothes.

Protect Your Tattoo from Sun: UV rays can cause fading and damage during and after healing.

Signs Something May Be Amiss

While most tattoos heal without issues, here are some signs that your tattoo may need extra attention or professional help:

• Excessive Redness or Swelling: Some redness is normal, but if it spreads or worsens after a few days, it could indicate an infection.

• Persistent Pain or Heat: A healing tattoo shouldn’t feel hot to the touch after the first few days.

• Yellow or Green Discharge: Clear or slightly cloudy plasma is normal, but colored discharge could be a sign of infection.

• Foul Odor: Any unpleasant smell warrants a visit to your artist or a healthcare provider.

• Allergic Reaction: Red, itchy bumps around the tattoo may signal an allergic reaction to the ink.

If you notice any of these symptoms, contact your tattoo artist or a medical professional promptly.

Fine line tattoos are timeless and elegant, but proper healing is key to preserving their beauty. By understanding the healing process, following detailed aftercare instructions, and avoiding common mistakes, you’ll enjoy a stunning tattoo for years to come.

For more tips or to book your next tattoo, get in touch with us at Alillian Tattoo!

Tattooed freckles? All the rage.

“Did I read that right?”, you may be wondering. Oh yes, why yes you did.

Freckle tattoos have taken over, but these aren’t your grandma’s old brow tattoo, deep blue and cockeyed, but in freckle form — oh no. These are hyperrealistic, trending, and the cutest thing you ever did see.

PMU freckles, as they’re often called (PMU- permanent makeup) are fully customized and completely natural micro tattoos, now taking up a sizable share of the cosmetic tattooing world. And as controversial as they may be to some (some people just can’t wrap their mind around tattooing freckles), these semi permanent sprinkles of sun kissed goodness aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Just like any other cosmetic enhancement, made to enhance your natural beauty and boost confidence. If done by a skilled practitioner adept in the art of cosmetic freckle tattoos, they are just as beautiful as any other modality of cosmetic tattooing.

Choose your artist wisely.

Tattooed freckles can be done right, or conversely, quite blackhead like. And that is exactly what you don’t want your tattooed freckles to be akin to. Research your area for artists that offer the service and look for specialists. It’s common practice nowadays for permanent makeup artists, and even traditional tattoo artists, to add freckles as an add on service, essentially “giving it a whirl”, while being completely untrained and uneducated in the technique. It seems that the misconception of freckles being merely dots haphazardly plastered on the face, has rampantly spread. But what they actually are are multi dimensional and layered, made up of various colors of numerous depths and saturations. It is an art in and of itself

Have old freckles you aren’t fond of? At Alillian Tattoo we specialize in the correction and reworking of old freckle tattoos that you wish looked a bit different.

Bold and bright.

It’s completely normal for your new freckles to start out bold and bright, slightly warmer than they’ll be once fully healed. After the initial healing process of about a week, your freckles will soften significantly and will have you looking gorgeously sun kissed and youthful, no matter the time of year.

The fine print.

If done correctly, these fun tattoos will fade slowly overtime without turning into any undesirable tones. Just make sure to follow all aftercare instructions carefully and use SPF once healed for the best results. Expect your fresh freckles to last anywhere from 1-3+ years depending upon lifestyle, health and genetic disposition.

To learn more visit our freckle FAQ and services page. Or email us at hello@alillianbrows.com

All about Nano Brows! And why we made the switch from microblading.

UPDATED FOR 2024

So why did Alillian Tattoo make the switch from the manual method of microblading to the machine method of Nano hairstroke brows? (in early 2020, we’re almost to 2025 now!) Keep reading to learn a bit about why we love it and believe it to be a superior modality of cosmetic tattooing compared to microblading.

Hyper realistic nano brows

what is nano? what is it not?

Firstly, what is nano not? Nano is not a form of microblading, which we will go into detail further in a bit. It is also not to be confused with “nanoblading”. Nano blading is actually microblading, the only distinction being that the blade is comprised of smaller diameter “nano” needles. “Nanoblading” and microblading are actually the same method.

Continuing on — nano is also not a form of traditional tattooing and is not a “regular tattoo”. Nano brows are a specialized form of micropigmentation performed by machine.

So, WHAT is nano?

Nano is a method of cosmetic tattooing that uses a tattoo machine, and a fine (where the term nano comes into play) single needle, or grouping of needles, to “draw” each and every hairstroke by means of connective dots that form each hairstroke. Conversely, microblading is done with a handtool made up of micro pins that cut the skin. With microblading, pigment is implanted into the little cuts to create each stroke. Although a shallow cut, if the technician is performing the procedure correctly, (and that’s an entirely different topic for another day) it is still a cut. Cuts vs. micro dots that form a line, how the ink is put into the skin is one of the most important distinctions between the two techniques. Both Nano and microblading implant the pigment into the papillary dermis of the skin, a more shallow layer of the upper dermal region — compared to the deeper layers that ink is implanted for a traditional tattoo.

Nano is akin to traditional tattooing in a way, but is done with smaller needle configurations. Another difference is the more superficial layer of skin that pigment is implanted into. Cosmetic tattooing is done at the dermal epidermal junction, the uppermost layer the dermis, whereas traditional tattooing is done by working in deeper dermal tissue. Those deeper layers of skin is where ink is implanted for those old school style brow tattoos that are blue, gray or even purple that we’ve all seen. This is due to the layer of skin at which the color was implanted, and the deeper you go the more off the color becomes (although poor pigment/ink choice - among other things - can also contribute to this). On the contrary, the more shallow layer of skin that is worked in when performing the nano or powder brow technique allows for beautiful and predictable healed pigment color. This also allows for thin crisp hairstrokes and the pigment to fade over time.

But WHY nano?

Creative freedom

for one. Nano does not carry the same artistic and technical limitation that microblading does. For example, with microblading the strokes absolutely cannot cross nor can they touch much at all. If they do they will “blow out” and create a blotchy dark spot at the point at which the strokes cross. With nano, however, there is no such restriction. This means more realistic results and mores realism in one session vs. two. (It is important to note that Nano is still a two part process, just like microblading.) The Nano technique can do everything microblading can do and a whole lot more. The overal goal of nano is not to replicate each and every single hair but to create the overall look of a hyper realistic brow. This is done by replicating light and shadow, manipulating hairstroke saturation levels and by understanding and respecting facial, brow, and skeletal anatomy.

Drawing “European nano” styles in 2018

Inclusivity.

Nano in itself is a more inclusive style of cosmetic tattooing. For example, Nano can give people with oilier skin types hairstroke style brows, something you typically cannot do with microblading (at least not consistently or predictably). Nano means I can give a broader range of people hairstroke style brows and natural never goes out of style.

With microblading, about 20%, or less, of the clients I see are actual candidates for the service. Yes. Only 20%. And an ideal healed result on this small demographic is still only possible IF aftercare is followed to a T and their genetic disposition agrees. As mentioned above, oily and combo skin can now get hairstroke style brows with better success, along with more mature/thin skin, darker skin tones (Fitzpatrick 5 & 6), and other skin types/tones that do not heal as well with microblading due to their skin type or individual chemistry. This is very important to me, and I think it should be important to all cosmetic tattooists.

Skin integrity.

Most importantly, Nano is less traumatic for the skin. Less trauma = less damage which equates to better healed results and preservation of the integrity of YOUR skin. Which is number one. Microblading carries the risk of creating scar tissue over a period of time after multiple touchups, even when performed correctly. Scar tissue can even occur after a single microblading session. This is not to say this cannot happen with machine methods, only that the risk is greater with the manual method of microblading. Aside from being healthier for the skin, of all the hairstroke methodologies, nano maintains its beauty most readily over longer periods of time.

The longterm.

Now that I have been doing nano exclusively for over three years, I have had a chance to see long termed healed nano work compared to long term microblading work. There is no comparison. The structure and technique itself allows for machine hairstrokes (nano) to heal softer and more beautiful over time wheras microblading, even on the most ideal of skin types, tends to blur, merge and become unrecognizable to what it once was.

The power of correction.

Something amazing about nano is that in the right scenario it can actually correct old cosmetic tattooing. This means that many people can get brand new refreshed brows without undergoing the oftentimes long and arduous tattoo removal process. About half of our new client volume is now corrective work and it is something we specialize in and have become known for. *Microblading should never be performed over old work or over skin that has undergone removal services like laser or saline removal.

Supernatural nano brows

Put plainly, nano is a better service for more people, and it is important to me that I offer only the the best services to my clients, even if it is more work and takes extra skill and ability, as Nano is significantly more difficult to learn, let alone master. If I can do something that is better for the skin then I believe I should. This is by no means a knock on microblading, microblading is how I got started in the industry, and can garner beautiful results if done well and on the correct skin. BUT, I’ve grown as an artist and that means change! And this is a good change. Nano is IT for me.

Added bonus, Nano is less painful, involves zero bleeding and is all around a better time for all!

As I had predicted in early 2020, nano indeed has proven to be the future of brow tattooing. It is now the most coveted and sought after technique in cosmetic tattooing and has grown exponentially industry wide. I am so happy artists and clients alike are educating themselves on these services and are desiring to make the switch from microblading to nano. We have opened an academy teaching other artists, and those eager to enter this rapidly growing industry, everything we know about nano brows and freckle tattooing. Click here to learn more.

As we grow and learn I believe it is important to evolve our methods. This evolution and growth is what has led me here.

Machine hairstroke techniques, the future of cosmetic tattooing.