Scab on tattoo years later

Scabbing is the cocoon in which a caterpillar turns into a butterfly. (Yeah, we used the butterfly transformation metaphor on you.)

Tattoo scabbing can feel ugly, but if you let it work its magic, it’s going to make for a beautiful, healthy tattoo.

Scabbing is an important part of the tattoo healing process.

Normal tattoo scabbing vs infection

Scabs keep bacteria out of your wound, protecting you from an infected tattoo and aiding the skin and nutrients underneath to heal properly.

Here’s everything you need to know, and stop picking at that thing will you!

What Are Scabs?

When you have a wound, it bleeds, and there are platelets in that blood.

Platelets are little disc-shaped pieces of cells that help form blood clots.

What is a blood clot? It’s a formation of blood platelets, proteins, and cells that slow the flow of blood. When platelets come into contact with air, they churn out what looks like tiny threads, and catch a bunch of blood cells in the webs.

These web-catching and blood-clotting processes form scabs.

So, scabs are basically a bunch of blood

when will a tattoo scab

why does a tattoo scab up