How Long To Avoid Water After Tattoo?
2 to 4 weeks 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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How long after a tattoo can you swim?
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.
What happens if you put your tattoo in water?
Submerging your tattoo in water for long periods can cause significant damage to your new tattoo by affecting the ink underneath your skin before it’s had a chance to heal.
Should you let your tattoo get wet before cleaning?
What It really means to get your tattoo wet – To clarify from the start, dermatologist Heather Richmond , MD, tells us that there’s a difference between cleaning your tattoo, letting it get a little wet, and completely submerging it in water. Of course, you’ll eventually be able to do all three of these things without worry — but you have to give your tattoo time to heal first.
Within the first few hours following your tattoo appointment, your artist will likely tell you to remove the bandage they applied at the shop and clean it. Doing so will remove any remaining fluid or blood from the area.
Richmond says the amount time that you should wait before this initial cleaning may vary, so just listen to your artist and follow their instructions.
Can you shower after getting a tattoo?
– Yep. It’s fine if your tattoo gets a little wet, but it shouldn’t be submerged in water or left under running water for long periods of time. Keep time in the shower to a minimum, and be gentle to avoid irritating your newly tattooed skin. This means skipping the loofah or washcloth — at least over the inked area, anyway.
Getting your rub-a-dub on elsewhere is totally fine. In addition to being abrasive on freshly inked skin, loofahs, sponges, and washcloths can harbor bacteria and increase your chance of an infection. Wash the area gently using only a mild, fragrance-free soap.
Products with alcohol and certain chemicals can irritate and dry out the skin. This can lead to scarring and slower healing. If you have strong water pressure, try not to focus the spray directly on the inked area. Standing under a shower and letting the water run over you or using your clean hands to rinse the tattoo is fine as long as you don’t linger longer than you need to.
