Tattoo Touch-Ups in Las Vegas: Keep Your Ink Looking Fresh

What's Covered on This Page

• What Happens During a Tattoo Touch-Up at Love Bite Tattoo?
• How is a tattoo touch-up different from getting a new tattoo?
• How do I know if I need a touch-up or a full cover-up?
• Why does Las Vegas climate make tattoo aftercare harder?
• How long does a tattoo touch-up session take?
• What should I do to prepare for my touch-up appointment at your Las Vegas studio?
• What happens after my touch-up is done?

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What Happens During a Tattoo Touch-Up at Love Bite Tattoo?

When you walk into our tattoo studio it will feel different than other tattoo studios. Music will be playing from a record player, and furniture will be retro-styled. Maybe a rescue cat from our shelter will be in the room and check you out. This is done by design. We want to make sure you are relaxed before we even consider your tattoo.

Our first action is to examine your tattoo with you. We don’t look quickly. Instead we look closely at how the ink was applied and where fading might have occurred. Whether any lines moved during the healing process will determine if you need a touch-up. Some tattoos may require a touch-up that will take minutes. Others might require a whole new tattoo session. We will not know until we look at the tattoo, in good lighting, with no filters.

Most people don’t realize that a tattoo touch-up isn’t just a repeat of a tattoo. You are now matching the color density of the existing healed ink. This requires a different approach than a new tattoo. After your initial tattoo session, your skin has scarred slightly. The texture of that scar has changed the way your skin now absorbs and holds ink. So, your touch-up tattoo artist might have to change their needle depth, application speed and ink density.

We have performed thousands of these.

After we’ve identified where the problem areas are we then begin the tattooing process. It’ll be identical to if it were your first tattooing session. We’ll wash and clean the skin, we’ll have a brand new equipment setup and we won’t use anything twice. Our Las Vegas tattoo studio follows every health code to a tee. All our tattoo artists are licensed. All equipment and ink is used once and never again. That’s a boring topic and we don’t really talk about it, but it’s important.

We get to work. And for most touch-up tattoo sessions, they are easier than the first tattoo. Because we have less area to tattoo, you’ll spend less time in our tattoo chairs. If you only need a touch-up of the skin that has fallen out during the healing process, like on your forearm, a basic touch-up session could take under an hour. We see many customers every week that just needed a touch up of that ink that fell out during the healing process with color tattoos.

But there are some touch-up tattoos that need more effort. Maybe you had a tattoo done in another city, years ago while you were visiting the Fremont East area, and now the black ink is turning grey and your borders are starting to blur and soften. It’s not a simple swipe of the needle; we need to recolor and recrisp the edges, and sometimes even redo the shading all the way down into the dermis. It’s still a touch-up. It’s just that it’s a bit of a harder touch-up. Do you know if you should get a touch-up or a full cover-up on your old tattoo? That’s a pretty common scenario. Many of the people who think they need a cover-up, they can actually bring their tattoo back to life with a tattoo refresh. We go through with you what we think needs to be done and why. You’ll see exactly what we feel needs to be fixed. If you want a small tattoo design added to it at the same time as your touch-up, we can talk about that. But we won’t try to sell you a change. When we’re finished, we’ll wash up and go through aftercare again. Yes, again. You heard it before, you’re hearing it again. Tattoo aftercare for a touch-up is as important as first-time tattoo aftercare. How you care for your tattoo in those first couple of weeks will determine whether you’re coming back or not. It’s like the whole experience of being here in your chair, in this real tattoo room, with a real person who really cares about what your tattoo looks like five years from now when the tattoo touchup. Here’s one thing nobody tells you about the process. A tattoo refresh or a cover-up is only as good as the aftercare. We have done thousands of tattoo touchups and tattoos that turned out great were because the person who got them followed the aftercare. Those who don’t are often disappointed with the end result. If their colors start to fade, if the edges look fuzzy, and the ink doesn’t look like you expected, that’s typically because of bad aftercare. We don’t just want you to know this. We want to teach you how to do it. Here are the tattoo aftercare tips to remember for your tattoo touchup in Las Vegas. For the first couple of hours, it’s very simple. You’ve got a bandage on your tattoo for the length of time your artist gave you. Not more. Not less. When it’s time to take it off, wash your new touch-up gently with cool or lukewarm water and a mild, fragrance-free soap. Be very gentle with it. It’s still fresh. Don’t rub it. After that, you start moisturizing. Use a fragrance-free lotion or the one your artist has suggested. A thin layer. We emphasize 'thin' for a good reason. Some people tend to be heavy-handed, thinking the more lotion the better. They aren't. An excessively thick layer can hold heat and moisture against the skin, which can lead to irritation or even an infection. Imagine applying a thin coating, almost as if it's not even there.

Las Vegas then complicates things. Dry air, sun, and the pool. All of these things are bad for a tattoo that is healing. For the first two weeks after your touch-up, keep it away from the sun. If you are in the Arts District or having lunch downtown, wear loose clothes that cover up the tattoo. Put on the sunscreen after it is completely healed, not during.

Stay out of the pool and the hot tub. Hard to resist, we get it, but immersing your new touch up in chlorine is one of the fastest ways to draw the pigment out of your skin. The same applies to Lake Mead excursions. Wait two to three weeks for sure before you jump into the water.

Your tattoo will flake. It's normal. It's going to itch around day 3 or 4. No scratching and no peeling. When a piece flakes off that's the natural process at work. If it is peeled it can take pigment with it and leave some patchiness; which negates the whole point of getting the tattoo touch up.

We can't stress hydration enough. Drink plenty of water as your body will heal itself a lot better when it’s properly hydrated; not to mention the dry Vegas air will do that in a snap. The American Academy of Dermatology points out that the more hydrated your skin is, the faster your wound will heal. Your tattoo touch up is a wound.

One other thing: we tell every single client. Sleep! If you tattooed your arm, try to sleep on the opposite side for at least a week. Fresh sheets and fresh pillowcases are important as well; try to change every 2 or 3 days as possible. Fabrics are a huge vector for harmful bacteria; and a healing wound is even more of a breeding ground than you think.

Have questions on how your touch up is healing? Send us a picture! That's our job. We'd rather you reach out to us in the beginning before you assume something is wrong.

Once healed you will notice it took you a while to get the color back. A tattoo should heal completely in two to three weeks; this is when the pigment can seem a little milky or cloudy; this is all normal. The top layer of skin is growing back in; once it is healed the pigment shines back in and will be as crisp and vibrant as you wish if you followed all aftercare instructions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about tattoo touch-ups services in NV

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