When Can You Swim In Chlorine After A Tattoo?
2 to 4 weeks Frolicking on the beach or at your local pool may seem like the perfect opp to show of some fresh ink, but don’t bust out the swimwear just yet. You should wait for your tattoo to fully heal — which can take at least 2 to 4 weeks — before swimming in any kind of water.
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What happens if you swim in chlorine with a new tattoo?
Photographed by Rockie Nolan. Some people might assume that summer is the perfect time to get a tattoo. After ditching wool sweaters for one-piece bathing suits that double as a top and swim attire, you’re suddenly given ample opportunities to show off your existing body art, potentially inspiring you to add even more.
But there are a few things you should know before you call your tattoo artist. To start, just-tattooed skin is extra sensitive because the needle — or needles — creates micro-injuries in the skin, leaving the barrier compromised and more susceptible to burning and scarring , says dermatologist Matthew Lin , MD, FAAD.
Essentially, your new tattoo is an open wound, which is why it’s best to avoid extended sun exposure. Unfortunately, this is one circumstance when sunscreen can’t help you. In fact, putting sunscreen on a healing tattoo is a big no-no. The only products your tattoo needs to heal are Aquaphor and fragrance-free lotion.
Other than that, the rule of thumb is to leave it alone — and keep it out of the sun at all costs. If you don’t, the ink could fade and become patchy. “The risk of fading is greater when the tattoo is fresh, but fading can also occur with sunburns on older tattoos ,” Dr.
Lin adds. Photographed by Caroline Tompkins. Chlorine isn’t your friend either. Tattoo infections may not be common, but exposing your new tattoo to chlorinated water could introduce one. “It can also cause a rash known as irritant contact dermatitis,” says Dr.
Lin. Even worse, chlorine leaches ink from the tattoo, reducing the longevity of the design and the vibrancy of the ink. Salt and ocean water is just as harmful to new tattoos. Just like chlorine, the water can increase the risk of infection and fading, while the salt will dry out the skin and prolong the healing process.
You’ll know your tattoo is healed after the ink fully settles into the skin and there’s no sign of scabbing or peeling. According to dermatologist Robert Finney , MD, this could take a few weeks for tiny tattoos , but a little longer for anything large, like a sizable thigh or back tattoo.
- Once it’s done healing, it’s safe to put sunscreen on your tattoo and soak up the sun, just don’t forget to reapply every two hours;
- If your tattoo doesn’t heal within four weeks, or you notice it beginning to swell or ooze, call your doctor — this could be an infection;
Moral of the story? If you plan on spending most of your summer by the pool, consider moving your next tattoo appointment until after your sun-soaking days are behind you. If not, invest in a really big umbrella..
Can I swim 3 weeks after tattoo?
Proper tattoo aftercare should be performed for at least three weeks before bathing or swimming in any type of water so the skin can recover and close properly, in turn guarding the tattoo/wound against chemical irritation, risk of infection, and the chance of water saturation.
Can I swim 10 days after tattoo?
Frolicking on the beach or at your local pool may seem like the perfect opp to show of some fresh ink, but don’t bust out the swimwear just yet. You should wait for your tattoo to fully heal — which can take at least 2 to 4 weeks — before swimming in any kind of water.
How do I protect my tattoo from chlorine?
How do you tell if a tattoo is healed?
What your tattoo will look like when its completely 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. Once your tattoo is healed, you will be able to enjoy everything you did before you got it, without fear of infection or damage to the tattoo. –> 
Brian Cornwell founded Next Luxury in 2007 as a magazine for modern gentlemen. Brian Cornwell founded Next Luxury in 2007 as a magazine for modern gentlemen..
How do you know when your tattoo is fully healed?
Stages of the tattoo healing process – One of the biggest decisions in getting a tattoo is settling on a design and the right artist to bring your vision to reality. But the time you spend in the tattoo parlor is just a small part of the entire process.
Once you leave the shop with your new tattoo, it’s important to turn your focus to the tattoo healing phase. So, how long does it take a tattoo to heal? As you might expect, the answer is ‘it depends. ‘ Depending on how the inking process went and where your tattoo is located, it can take anywhere from four weeks to a couple of months for it to fully heal.
Before we get into the nitty-gritty of how you can speed up this healing process, let’s first take a look at the various stages of it: 1. Week 1: open wound Immediately after the tattooist is done with the art piece, your body begins the process of healing.
- Though it might not look like it, your tattoo is actually an open wound on your skin;
- Your body begins to repair the damage right there and then;
- In this stage, your body mobilizes its first responders to injury, and you might notice a slight stinging or burning sensation resulting from inflammation at the site of the tattoo;
That sensation, which lasts a week, on average, is your body working hard to patch things up and prevent infection. It’s therefore recommended that you treat your fresh tattoo as an open wound. By doing this, you can avoid infections and other complications that can occur when you leave an open wound unattended.
- Your tattoo artist will go over the things you need to do to keep your new tattoo clean, and it can feel overwhelming at first;
- Add to this some stinging pain, and it’s not hard to see how your stress levels might increase a bit during this time;
A good tattooist can recommend some ways to alleviate this stress so that your skin can heal properly. Week 2: itching and peeling In the second week of the tattoo healing stages, the inflammation around your tattoo will subside a little. As you might have experienced with other healing wounds, an itching feeling — which replaces the burning and stinging sensation from stage one — is normal during this part of the healing process.
- A new top layer of skin has formed over the tattoo, which means the old skin will form scabs and flake off;
- The dryness is what causes you to feel the itchy sensation on and around the wound — the tattooed area;
The incessant itching might make you wonder, “How long do tattoos take to heal?” In such a situation, try to resist the urge to scratch the skin or peel off the flakes. Your tattooist can likely recommend some lotion to keep your skin moisturized, which can reduce the itchy feeling.
- Weeks 3 and 4: drying out When the topical healing is done, you will stop feeling itchy at the site of the tattoo;
- At this point, the skin dries out;
- In many instances, there’s a layer of dry skin that covers the tattoo after the scabs fall off;
While this often causes the tattoo to appear slightly duller in color, it will naturally slough off to reveal the vibrant piece of art you went in to get. Weeks 5 and 6: completely healed This is the last part in the four stages of tattoo healing. You’ll know you’re in this phase — and that your tattoo is fully healed — because all the dry skin and scabs have sloughed off to reveal new, smooth skin with a vibrant tattoo and you no longer feel the burning and itchiness because the body has repaired itself. Take a quiz. Find out what you can do with our Health Assistant.
Is it OK to swim with a week old tattoo?
How Long Before You Can Swim With a New Tattoo? – Most of the time, a tattoo needs to fully heal before you can safely swim. How long that takes varies from person to person, but many tattoo artists recommend anywhere from two to four weeks. When you get a tattoo, you’ll be sent home with a bandage over it.
- After a few hours, you can likely remove the bandage and wash off the excess blood and ink;
- Use your hands to gently wash it with light warm water and antibacterial soap, then let it air dry in a clean environment and apply the aftercare cream;
As the tattoo heals, flaky skin and scabs will form. As the scabs flake and fall off naturally, a new layer of skin will heal underneath. When there’s a new layer of skin, that’s when you know you can safely swim. Throughout the healing process, you’ll also want to avoid baths for many of the same reasons, but continue to gently clean the area, air dry, and use the aftercare cream.
Is it OK to swim 2 weeks after a tattoo?
Despite how pervasive tattoos are these days, they’re still kind of a big deal. At the risk of sounding like your grandma, getting inked with that work of art is a procedure that can actually be quite risky, which is why it’s so important to follow tattoo guidelines to a T.
As a report published earlier this month details, ignoring them can be fatal. In a definite worst case scenario, an unidentified 31-year-old Hispanic man died after ignoring tattoo artists’ warnings not to go swimming with fresh ink, reports the Daily Mail.
Five days after getting a cross tattoo on his calf, the man reportedly went for a dip in the Gulf of Mexico, where he contracted a bacterial infection. A day after exposing his ink to the ocean, he developed a fever, chills and a nasty rash near his tattoo.
- Despite treatment, the infection ultimately killed him;
- Warning: the images are graphic;
- According to tattoo guidelines, you’re supposed to wait two weeks before swimming in the pool or ocean to allow the ink to heal — up until that point, your tattoo is still an open wound and needs to be cared for like one;
Submerging your wound in water, which is often swimming with all different types of bacteria, can lead to some serious infections. The bacteria in this case, was a particularly nasty flesh-eating strain called Vibrio vulnificus, according to the official report published in BMJ Case Reports , which affects the immune system and can be contracted by exposing an open wound to seawater or by eating raw shellfish.
- Even with aggressive treatment from doctors, a pre-existing liver condition made the man more susceptible to developing sepsis from the infection and he ultimately died two months after entering the hospital;
Daily Mail.
Can I cover my tattoo to swim?
Swimming With a New Tattoo – When it comes to swimming with a new tattoo, we have a few things to say. First and foremost, don’t even think about covering your tattoo with Vaseline or Aquaphor so you can go take a dip when the tattoo is not healed. Unless you really crave a bacterial infection, visit a doctor and a messed up tattoo design, stay away from the water (and the petroleum jelly products) until the tattoo is fully healed.
Now, if it’s been more than 4 weeks, and your tattoo is all closed and scab-free, you can try to go for a swim. Technically, there shouldn’t be any issues, and we still do advise you to wait for a few extra weeks.
But, if you really can’t wait to take a dip, we strongly recommend you use a waterproof bandage. This may prevent a tattoo infection caused by exposure to bacteria in the water. Now, you may think; hey, swimming pools are cleaned than open bodies of water; they’re less dirty, and there are fewer bacteria, I can go swimming there.
- Well, sure, there might be fewer bacteria, but swimming pools contain chlorine;
- And, this chemical can cause its own set of issues for your new tattoo;
- It can irritate your skin, cause a rashing of the tattoo area, and of course, the pools aren’t bacteria-free, so the tattoo could also get infected;
Just because you change the swimming area, doesn’t mean the tattoo will react differently to the water. 
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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.
Can chlorine infect a tattoo?
‘You should avoid chlorine— the chemical can cause peeling or red itchy bumps on your tattoo,’ says Sherber, which can make it more susceptible to infection and cause issues with healing, altering the appearance.
Will a pool fade my tattoo?
Color Fading – If you’ve spent a lot of time and money on your body art, whether it’s got vivid hues or a simple, muted design, chances are you’re not going to want the colors to fade right after getting it. If you go for a dip in the pool, though, that’s exactly what might happen.
- Pool water containing chlorine can essentially drain the ink from your tattoo;
- Not only will your ink fade, but it won’t last as long overall as it would if you avoided chlorine exposure;
- This chemical can dry out and irritate newly tattooed skin, causing even further damage to an already-injured area;
Don’t think you’re safe by avoiding non-chlorinated water alone. Saltwater has the same effect. In other words, consider avoiding both pools and ocean beaches until your tattoo has had time to fully heal – roughly two to four weeks depending on your specific circumstances.
