When Can You Shower With A Tattoo?
– 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.
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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.
Is it OK to shower with a tattoo?
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.
What happens if a tattoo gets too 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).
How long do tattoos take to heal?
How long does it take for a tattoo to heal? After getting a tattoo, the outer layer of skin (the part you can see) will typically heal within 2 to 3 weeks. While it may look and feel healed, and you may be tempted to slow down on the aftercare, it can take as long as 6 months for the skin below a tattoo to truly heal.
How do I know if my tattoo is healed?
This IS How to Shower With A NEW Tattoo! | Avoid These Things
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.
What can’t you do after getting a tattoo?
What do you do first 24 hours after a tattoo?
Aftercare for Your Tattoo – So, how can you make sure that new tattoo is something you don’t end up regretting? Follow these steps while your new tattoo heals.
- Be sure your artist covers your new tattoo in a thin layer of petroleum jelly and a bandage.
- Remove the bandage after 24 hours. Gently wash the tattoo with antimicrobial soap and water and be sure to pat dry.
- Apply a layer of antibacterial/Vaseline ointment twice a day, but don’t put on another bandage.
- Gently wash your tattoo area twice a day with soap and water and gently pat dry before reapplying the antibacterial/Vaseline ointment.
- Keep applying a moisturizer or ointment after you clean it to keep it moist.
You should repeat this process for 2 to 4 weeks. Also try not to wear clothes that will stick to your tattoo, and avoid swimming and the sun for about 2 weeks. And take cool showers. Scalding hot water will not only hurt, but it can also fade the ink. Wear a physical blocker sunscreen with at least 7% zinc oxide sunscreen during the daylight hours and/or cover it up (with clothing, a bandage).
How do you heal a wet tattoo?
How to Wet Heal a Tattoo? – When a tattoo is wet healed the area is cleaned and then covered with an ointment, like Aquaphor or A&D. This is then wrapped in plastic wrap and secured down. Twice a day the wrap is removed and the process Is repeated (with clean wrap).
- This allows the person to heal the tattoo without the skin drying out enough to form a hard scab and therefore stops the micro tears from happening;
- It also works well for those who have especially dirty jobs and may be at a higher risk for infection;
This should be done for 3-4 days or until the tattoo begins to flake and peel, at which point the wrap is left off and the tattoo heals as normal using the same method as dry healing.
Will soaking a new tattoo fade it?
Damage to your tattoo – Soaking your new tattoo could also cause fading and discoloration. Chlorine and salt water are especially hard on fresh tattoos, because both can leach ink from a tattoo, making the color less vibrant. Swimming can also dry out your skin and prolong healing, leading to more itching, flaking, and scabbing.
How do I know if my tattoo is infected?
