Immediately after the tattooing, the skin area is essentially a completely open wound with no protection from harmful germs and bacteria. It is therefore important that you do everything possible to ensure that your new tattoo stays clean and dry for at least three weeks.
Why can't I get my new tattoo wet?
While, in theory, there is nothing wrong with getting your tattoo slightly wet, the main cause for concern is to keep the area clean and to prevent the area from getting wet.
While standing in the shower quickly is very unlikely to cause harm, swimming in a public pool for an hour or two can lead to a variety of problems.
First, a public swimming pool likely contains chlorine, which can be very irritating to a new tattoo. Second, regardless of the chlorine level, the likelihood of bad bacteria in the pool is quite high, which increases the risk of infection. And third, if you keep your unhealed tattoo underwater for long periods of time, the risk of diluting the ink and reducing the sharpness and vibrancy increases.
How long after tattooing before you can go swimming
Proper tattoo aftercare should be done for at least three weeks before bathing or swimming in any type of water to allow the skin to relax and close properly. This protects the tattoo / wound from chemical irritation, the risk of infection and the possibility of water saturation.
You should definitely wait for your tattoo to be done. If your ink is taking more than three weeks to complete this process, wait a while before you go swimming.
A great way to speed up the healing of a new tattoo is to use a specially formalized tattoo aftercare lotion to provide the area with much-needed vitamins and goodness.
The best tattoo lotion I've ever personally used is a vegan-friendly aftercare product called After Inked Tattoo Aftercare Lotion. This stuff works amazingly well during the healing process; Not only by moisturizing your tattoo really well, but also by relieving annoying itching and irritation. When used from the start, this lotion will shorten tattoo healing times and help prevent prolonged dryness and scabbing.
There are a few things that you shouldn't do until your tattoo is fully healed, and soaking your new ink in water is one of them. Swimming after the tattoo has finished healing is absolutely fine and shouldn't cause long-term damage to your tattoo.
Can you swim in pools after getting a new tattoo?
No. Most indoor and outdoor pools (either private or commercial) have strong bactericidal chemicals that continuously filter through the system. The most common chemical used in public swimming pools is chlorine. Chlorine is an enemy for new tattoos and you should stay away from it during the initial healing phase.
This chemical can irritate your tattoo before it is healed by making it extremely dry and flaky. It can also make the area itchy and cause a variety of other conditions, such as rash and red bumps that appear over the area.
If the pool doesn't use chlorine or other chemicals, you still have plenty of reasons to stay away. These pools are unlikely to have any preventative methods to protect swimmers from infection, and hence your tattoo is extremely susceptible to infection.
Can you swim in the sea
No. Not only does the ocean contain millions of types of infection-causing bacteria (many sewer systems around the world drain into the ocean), but the sea salt also has a negative impact on tattoo healing times. Saltwater swimming pools should also be avoided.
Much like chlorine, salt really dries out the area and irritates the skin before it has healed, causing many different types of possible reactions, such as itching, redness, and rashes.
Can you take a bath
What can possibly be worse for your new tattoo than bathing in your own germs and dirty bath water? It doesn't matter whether the germs come from your body, they can still cause infections.
You can bathe safely in time with your beautiful tattoo Not only that, but prolonged bathing in a body of water will flood the recovering tattoo with water, potentially allowing ink to drain and leak, which can lead to possible stains. This advice applies to hot tubs too - stay away from them. You essentially share a bathroom with up to 7 other people.
How about a shower?
Yes! Taking short 5-minute showers once or twice a day is perfectly fine when you have a new tattoo. Just make sure the jets of water are not aimed directly at the tattoo and dry the area carefully but thoroughly when you are done.
