When Can You Get A New Tattoo Wet?
Week one – Some tattoo artists recommend waiting between 24-48 hours before applying moisturizer, though others recommend doing so as soon as the first wash. A person with a fresh tattoo should follow their tattoo artist’s instructions on when to start using moisturizer.
- For the first couple of days, the tattooed skin may feel warm to the touch and have a reddish appearance;
- The colors may also appear very bright against the rest of the skin;
- The tattoo will become less vibrant as the healing process continues;
A person should avoid submerging the tattoo in water or getting the tattoo wet during the first 3–6 weeks, except for when washing it. A person can continue using the washing technique above throughout the first week when needed. How often washing is necessary will vary depending on a person’s activity levels and environment.
- Someone who is sitting in an air-conditioned office all day may only need to wash the tattoo once a day;
- However, someone who is working in a hot or dirty environment and sweating may need to wash the tattoo every few hours;
It is best to wash the tattoo with clean fingers only and not a cloth or towel, which may irritate the skin and prematurely remove any scabs that may have formed. Scabs will often form in the first few days, and ink may still come up through the skin and need to be washed away.
- It is important not to pick the scabs or scratch the skin;
- In general, Scabbing is not a sign of improper wound care;
- Scabs will form anytime the skin is injured, and can be a sign of healthy tissue forming underneath the wound;
Keeping some form of antibiotic ointment or moisturizer under occlusion (as long as there is no known allergy) on the wound can help it heal better and the sooner this is done the better healing will happen with less chances of scarring. Any redness or mild swelling usually goes away near the end of the first week.
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How long after a tattoo can you shower?
How Soon After a Tattoo Can I Shower? – Your first shower after a new tattoo can be the day after you got the tattoo. That could be between 12 and 48 hours. Sometimes, the tattoo becomes messy after a night of oozing blood and ink. In order for the tattoo to start healing properly, you need to give it a light wash with antibacterial soap and lukewarm water.
After 48 hours, your tattoo should be good for water exposure, but only once or twice a day. During the first week, it is essential not to expose the tattoo to the water for longer periods. This will prevent the tattoo from drying and forming a new skin layer.
In such a case, your tattoo could get infected. Note : we also recommend you avoid sweat-inducing activities, like working out, jogging, etc. Sweat carries bacteria that can infect the tattoo. Furthermore, sweating prevents the tattoo from drying out, which could also lead to an infection.
Can I get my tattoo wet after 2 days?
– This depends on the type of covering the artist uses on your tattoo and how long they recommend keeping it on. If the tat is wrapped in plastic or a piece of regular bandage, you’ll need to wait until it’s off to shower. This can be anywhere from 1 to 24 hours, depending on the location and size of your ink.
What happens if you get your tattoo wet?
When you get a fresh tattoo, there is a lot of care involved to preserve the artwork. Your skin is a delicate canvas and your tattoo requires specific treatment. So what happens when a brand new tattoo gets wet ? Well, a lot of things, actually. If it’s kept wet, the softened scab will peel and stick to things, damaging what is essentially a healing but beautiful wound.
All the experts I spoke to for this piece (as well as the artists I’ve gotten my own ink from) agree that a fresh tattoo should never be submerged in a bath or a swimming pool during the critical healing phase.
However, it should be cleaned with soap and water and patted dry. Wash a new tattoo gently and then keep it only slightly moist with a thin layer of lotion during the healing process. It’s a simple rule to follow: Protect it, but don’t saturate it. It should not be drenched or immersed in a body of water for any length of time.
- Joe Klein of Majestik Creations in Mooresville, Indiana tells me over email, “It is actually pretty simple when looked at from a different perspective;
- A tattoo is, in fact, a ‘sore,’ when broken down into simplest terms;
A needle punctures the skin, leaving behind a plasma film. If that film is soaked in water, it is the same as soaking a scab in the tub. It gets soft, comes off, and leaves scarring. Too much aftercare will cause the same effect. ” Yuck. It’s also why swimming should be avoided during the healing phase.
- Klein says, “There are chemicals in pool water that are not good to get under the skin, which can actually lead to blood poisoning;
- ” Rachel Rosenberg, who was a tattoo apprentice in Chicago before she swapped out her needle for a headset as an NYC publicist, also explains via an email interview why keeping new ink dry is essential;
“What happens to a new tattoo when it gets wet? It will stick to things!” she says. “Your fresh tattoo should be kept away from fabric at all costs, especially when wet, so as not to have your clothes attach or stick to your new piece and dry there. ” Having to pull fabric away from the healing artwork can mess with the skin and the piece itself.
- “One should never be making an effort to keep their brand new tattoo ‘wet,'” Rosenberg continues, commenting on how some tattoo newbies tend to over moisturize during the healing process;
- “If anything, a thin layer of Aquaphor is what you want and then your tattoo wants to be left alone, aside from the few times it’s washed gently with Dial soap and patted dry with a clean paper towel;
” Alex Varkatzas , singer of the band Atreyu and a tattoo artist who has plenty of ink of his own, echos Rosenberg’s sentiments when I spoke with him, explaining that a wet tattoo could get infected. “A new tattoo should be kept clean and only slightly moist from unscented lotion,” he said.
“It should be treated just like an open wound. If a new tattoo gets wet, clean it and dry it. Then you’ll be OK. ” To recap: While you need to keep your tattoo clean, do not soak your tattoo or the scab will soften, fall off, and leave a scar.
Stick to a quick rinse in the shower, and you’ll be good to go. Images: Giphy (1); Body Electric Tattoo /Instagram (3).
Do I have to cover my tattoo in the shower?
Bathing, Showering, Hot Tubs, and Swimming – Getting your tattoo wet is OK, but soaking it is not. Yes, you can (and should!) shower with a new tattoo, as long as you don’t completely soak it. Avoid swimming—whether in a pool, lake, or the ocean—and submerging your tattoo in a bath or hot tub for two to three weeks, though; this may cause serious damage.
How long should I keep my tattoo covered?
You’ll need to keep your tattoo wrapped in cling film from one to three days. Depending on the size of your artwork this may be longer and your artist will let you know but a general rule of thumb is: Small line-work pieces – keep the cling film on for one to two days.
How do I know if my tattoo is healed?
You will know that your tattoo is completely healed when there are no scabs, the texture of your skin where the tattoo was placed is the same as a similar surface of skin, and the colors on your tattoo are no longer faded.
Can you put Vaseline on a new tattoo to go swimming?
DON’T apply alcohol, Neosporin, Vaseline, or petroleum jelly (they can trap dirt and germs and cause infection). DON’T apply a heavy coat of lotion (remember the skin must breathe in order to heal). DON’T expose your tattoo to direct sunlight, swim, sauna, steam or tub for 2 weeks.
How can I protect my tattoo from water?
Protect Your Tattoo – If a month or so has passed and your tattoo is healing slowly, you may wrap it up with a waterproof bandage. You may also apply ointments to help repel water from the tattoo. If you have a new tattoo and you have to submerge it, here are some tips to prevent water from getting your tattoo wet:
- Clean and dry your tattoo thoroughly to ensure it is clear of bacteria
- Wrap the tattoo with a waterproof material, such as plastic wrap
- Do your best to seal the plastic tightly with medical adhesive
- Avoid staying in the water for a long time
- Remove the wrap straight away once you’re out of the water
- Wash the tattoo again with lukewarm water and a mild soap
- Let the tattoo completely try before adding a small amount of lotion
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What can’t you do after getting a tattoo?
How can I make my tattoo heal faster?
Can clothes touch my new tattoo?
So, What Kind Of Clothes Should I Wear Over a New Tattoo? – After getting a tattoo, and during the healing process, which can last between 2 weeks and a month in its initial and most important stage, you should be wearing loose-fitting clothes. That is of course if the tattoo is placed on your body apart from the neck, head, and feet.
For those areas, you need to pay special attention, especially in the case of feet tattoo (the issues of wearing socks and shoes). Loose clothes will cover the tattoo so much so that it stays protected. There is a lower chance the fabric will stick to the tattoo and introduce contaminants as well.
There will be minimal or rubbing of the fabrics against the tattoo, which will significantly minimize healing issues or the chance of an infection. Note: After getting a new tattoo, it will be wrapped and well protected. You can wear loose clothes over the wrap and not really worry about it.
Can I wash my tattoo after 48 hours?
A Trick to Help the Healing Process – There is a great technique that can really help the healing of your tattoo. While you are washing your tattoo, you will notice that it feels like a sunburn, so it will be very sensitive to warm water. Let the warm water run over your fresh tattoo until the tattoo gets used to the temperature of the water.
Once the water doesn’t burn, turn up the temperature just a little so it irritates the tattoo again. Repeat this until the temperature of the water is just a little hotter than what you would consider a really hot shower.
This process will open the pores in the skin of your tattoo and wash out all of the dirt and excess ink. It will also get rid of a lot of the irritation your skin will have from getting tattooed. You may find that doing this once after you get tattooed will help your tattoo heal faster and better.
- After you wash your tattoo for the first time, don’t moisturize it with anything;
- Let it dry;
- Then you may want to cover the tattoo with a piece of plastic wrap;
- It isn’t necessary to do so but it will keep the tattoo from getting irritated by anything that could rub up against it like your clothes or a family pet;
Change the wrap. You will want to change the plastic wrap once or twice throughout the day. That is up to your discretion. Wrap your tattoo with plastic wrap before going to bed on the next night. It again will keep the tattoo from sticking to your sheets. Moisturize. After the tattoo has dried, you must moisturize the tattoo with one of the following products before rewrapping it with plastic wrap:
- A&D Ointment
- Bacitracin (Neosporin will work, but due to the many chemicals in it, it may not react well)
- Tattoo Goo or other tattoo-company treatments (these are usually sold in tattoo shops and are great for tattoos but will cost at least double what it costs to buy Bacitracin)
- Bepanthen (found in Europe and works really well)
- Basic perfume-free skin moisturizer (but nothing with aloe or any chemical additives) and topical vitamins (such as vitamin E or D)
The point of moisturizing the tattoo is to keep it from drying out, which will make it hard for your skin to heal. You just want to moisturize the tattoo as if you are moisturizing your hands. You don’t leave globs of moisturizer on your fingers; you rub it in so there is no excess. Too much ointment on your new tattoo will draw the ink out of your skin and the tattoo won’t heal as bright or as dark as it should be.
On the following night, a full 24 hours after you have been tattooed, you will want to wash the tattoo again, just with soap and warm water. Also, after the excess ointment draws the ink out of your skin, it will dry into a thick scab.
If the thick scab is pulled off prematurely, it will leave a blank spot in your tattoo, which will then need a touch-up. So remember to wipe off the excess ointment or it will ruin your tattoo. You will need to moisturize your tattoo with one of the various products three or four times a day for four or five days.
