How Long After A Tattoo Can You Swim? That Long!

How long after a tattoo can you swim?

A week after getting a tattoo, water can be gently introduced to the tattoo. Submerging the tattoo is not recommended for at least three weeks.

Four Weeks, approximately 30-40 days after getting a tattoo, is when you can start swimming or submerging in a pool, etc.

The skin will be given enough time to heal from the inside out, and crusting should have already occurred, creating scabbing. It could take up to 6 weeks for the skin to fully recover in rare cases, but 4-5 weeks is standard practice.

To prevent bacterial infection, submerging a tattoo is not recommended until the new skin on top has reached a point where it won’t be affected by water.

This time, a light crust will have formed and should protect the tattoo from minor exposure to water without disrupting the scab. By four weeks, some of the redness should be gone, and most if not all of the pain associated with having a fresh tattoo should be gone.

By 4-5 weeks after getting new ink, your artist would have given you some lotion, antibacterial ointment, or cream that you were told to apply twice daily for at least 2-3 weeks, which helps reduce both bleeding and swelling the healing process. There may still be some mild swelling and bleeding at approximately five weeks, but this is also normal.

At the end of 4-5 weeks, your tattoo should be at a point where it can be submerged. However, long showers are typically delicate, and warm water in a pool or jacuzzi as long as you don’t scrub or agitate the dry skin.

Starting around two months after getting a tattoo, scar tissue begins to form on the skin’s surface, remaining for up to one year. At approximately 12 months after getting your tattoo, all scabs should have fallen off, and the actual color of the tattoo will start to show through.

The remaining pigment left behind during healing will also settle over this time frame, so there may still be some minor lightening of the tattoo and some darkening, depending on your skin type and how even the color was applied during initial tattooing.

What happens if you swim with a new tattoo?

Swimming is considered one of the best sports for health benefits. However, it may not be advisable for people who have just received a tattoo.

Tattoos are essentially open wounds where pigment particles are injected under the skin, so it is essential to keep them protected from elements that may damage the skin or cause infection. One of these elements includes chlorine in pools or open water in oceans, which can cause severe irritation and infections when in contact with fresh wounds.

Additionally, chances of bacterial transfer increases when there are breaks in the skin created by swimming pool filters or swimmers shaving their body hair. If an infection does develop due to these circumstances, it is essential to seek medical attention immediately.

How long after a tattoo can I shower?

You should wait about 24 hours before you take a shower. This will allow the skin to heal from the initial bleeding and plasma oozing, which causes tattoo “weeping.” It’s also important to keep the new tattoo clean while it is healing.

For your tattoo to heal properly, try not to expose it to too much water or other irritants such as soap, swimming, sun exposure with UV rays, etc. However, depending on your lifestyle, you may need to shower sooner than 24 hours.

If this happens, wash with lukewarm water only – do not scrub! When finished bathing, pat dry with a clean paper towel or soft cloth instead of rubbing vigorously, which can cause scabbing and damage your new tattoo.

After the first 24 hours, you may shower, but do not scrub or use any soap. Bathe like you usually would (rinse off with some cleanser and then lukewarm water), and make sure you dry your tattoo off very well before getting dressed again.

Drinking plenty of fluids will help keep the color more vibrant throughout the healing process while also keeping your skin hydrated, reducing scabbing and temporary discoloration. It’s essential to stay out of the sun while it is healing because this can cause fading or abnormally dark pigmentation in places where lines overlap each other. If you have to be in direct sunlight, wear a hat because hats are porous and help the tattoo remain damp.

How do I know my tattoo is healed?

When your tattoo is healed, you should no longer see any redness at the site. The area will be dry and may feel tight or look shiny. If you are not sure, ask your tattoo artist what their aftercare instructions are.

With that being said, it’s best to assume that if there is still visible redness, then the tattoo has not entirely healed. Depending on the situation, you’ll want to wait anywhere from a week to several months before swimming in pools, lakes, oceans, etc.

Obviously, with proper care for your tattoo during the healing process, the less chance of infection, so using moisturizers, etc., can help decrease scarring over time. Other factors such as foot traffic/pressure can further damage your work, so tread lightly throughout the duration.

Can I swim ten days after the tattoo?

The answer is no; you should not swim ten days after tattoo. It’s better to wait for about two weeks before swimming.

The skin around a fresh tattoo is delicate and open from being poked full of holes from the needle that put it there. From now until your skin heals completely, you’ll want to avoid direct contact with both soap and water as much as possible. Avoiding soaking the area will significantly reduce your chances of infection.

A few days after getting my tattoos done, they scab up and darken before finally settling on their final form. For the first few days, I’m pretty much stuck at home with my legs elevated to reduce swelling, making sure not to scrub away the healing skin.

But your tattoo is now healed through its final layers, so you can wash it now without worrying about damaging or unraveling it. The last thing you want to do is put off swimming until your next scheduled shower, so now you have to pick up where you left off!

You should wait at least two weeks before retaking a dip. While this may seem like forever, don’t worry. All that time sitting out of the water will make your tattoos heal even better, thanks to all that negative pressure keeping blood and fluids from pooling around them. You can even go for a quick dip in the pool or flick some water on them to keep them fresh.

Can you put Vaseline on a new tattoo to go swimming?

I would NOT recommend putting Vaseline (petroleum jelly) on a new tattoo. A new tattoo needs to be kept clean, dry, and moisturized by covering it with an airtight bandage or plastic wrap and only taking the bandage/tape off for 1 hour during the first 2-3 days after your appointment. The Vaseline should not be used until fully healed because its oil base will interfere with the healing process.

The healing process of a new tattoo also takes place on the surface, which means it needs to stay dry. It’s best to wait about three weeks before you go swimming or submerge your tattoo into the water. When you enter the water, the chances are high that either some bacteria or pollutants will find their way onto your tattoo, causing an infection.

How do you cover a tattoo when swimming?

You can apply a thin, waterproof bandage over the tattoo when you go in the water. This will help keep it from getting wet and also help to prevent infection.

Covering it is vital because chlorinated water and sunlight can fade or discolor your tattoo. If your tattoo is new, you should not get it wet at all for the first two weeks. Wait until it has healed and any scabbing or flaking has cleared up before exposing the area to water again.

The best time to swim is when your tattoo’s completely healed – around 2-3 weeks after getting it! Our skin regenerates typically itself every 28 days. Your fresh ink will be fully transferred onto your tattooed skin in this time frame, if not earlier. Any delay could result in faded tattoos.

Since you are here…can I ask a favor?

It would be really nice if you could share this image and page on your social media.

It’s just a couple of clicks for you but it means everything to us here at Tattoozz.

Thank you so much!

Read latest posts

Video

Citation

Wikipedia