Avoid excessive sweating and intense workouts for at least one week after receiving the tattoo. You will irritate your new tattoo, increase the risk of infection, and possibly damage the art!
Keep a shirt on and/or have the tattoo covered at all times to keep gym bacteria away. Friction is not your friend: Make sure your movements don't cause your tattoo to rub against your clothing or other areas of your body. Follow your aftercare regimen and wash your tattoo before and after your sweat session!
Working Out After Getting a New Tattoo
As a general rule, it's recommended to wait 2-3 days before any high intensity training. Then, it's recommended to wait slowly with light exercise programs until the new tattoo is completely healed (2-3 weeks after getting the tattoo).
Tight clothes will constantly rub against your tattoo, potentially damaging any new protective layer your skin has grown. This constant rubbing can cause irritation, inflammation, and possible infection if you wear clothes that rub your skin constantly.
You can shower 3-4 hours after getting a tattoo, if you have a Saniderm bandage on, however, if you have a plastic wrap wait 24 hours to unwrap your tattoo and shower. In either case, shower in cold or lukewarm water and avoid prolonged soaking or submerging your tattoo in water for 3-4 weeks.
Tattoo touch-ups can only take place once your tattoo is fully healed (anywhere between 4 weeks to 6 months). Touching up a tattoo before it has had the chance to heal will only aggravate and further implicate the artwork. Touch-ups have the same healing protocol as initial tattoos.
How Soon is Too Soon? Wait at least 48 hours before partaking in any strenuous activity that has you sweating profusely, especially high-octane cardio and weight lifting.
This “tattoo flu” is pretty common and should fade into memory in a few days (unlike your new tattoo). Your body's immune system is making you feel wiped out while it attacks potential threats to your bod. Be on the lookout for a mild fever, chills, fatigue, and some tummy discomfort.
The healing process is different for every person and tattoo. Most sources indicate that tattoos generally take about 2 weeks to heal. However, it may take up to 4 weeks for the skin to fully recover. Some complications may prolong the healing process.
Getting a tattoo involves puncturing the skin multiple times with needles that leave the dye for the tattoo in the dermal layer. This layer happens to contain the sweat glands which is where your sweat is secreted from.
Perspiration On A New Tattoo Is Nothing to Sweat About
Don't worry: in most cases, sweat is nothing that will compromise your new tattoo. It is a natural part of the body's regulation process, and some medical studies have noted that it actually may be beneficial to a healing tattoo!
Until the surface of the tattoo is healed (at a minimum of two to three weeks), wash the area gently 2-3 times per day. After cleaning the tattoo during this two to three week period, gently apply a thin coat of a lotion-based care product. We recommend After Inked tattoo moisturizer and aftercare lotion.
Weeks 5 and 6: completely healed
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.
Don't worry, this is completely natural. It happens because the old skin, damaged during the tattooing process, forms a thin layer over your tattoo and masks its true appearance. In time this old skin will naturally exfoliate itself, revealing your tattoo underneath in all its vibrant glory.
How Much are Touch-Ups? Many reputable artists will guarantee their work and throw in a touch-up free of charge. However, doing without proper aftercare can void your “warranty.” If you're neglecting your tattoo against your artist's recommendation, you'll likely have to shoulder the price of a touch-up yourself.
Despite the fact that it may be tempting to show off your new tattoo right away, you should wait at least 10-14 days until you let it get in contact with direct sunlight.
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.
From 1 to 6 months
After a month, any itching and redness should have completely gone. In fact, your new tattoo may look fully healed! However, the skin under your tattoo can continue to repair itself for up to six months until it's considered healed. During this stage it's important to keep up your aftercare routine.
A tattoo in a hard to heal area can be just that, hard to heal. These areas include the wrist at the bend, the elbow and even areas on the foot. Any skin that is exposed to any friction from clothing or a shoe will prove more difficult to heal.
Tattoo cream: how many days you need to apply it for optimal skin healing. After getting a tattoo, you should moisturize it daily for at least 10 to 14 days. Respecting these timeframes is absolutely crucial because, if your skin dries out, you are likely to get very disappointing results.
Over-moisturising can lead to inflamed tattoos and potentially infection. Excess moisture can clog your skin's pores which prevents it from breathing, something that's important for your skin to heal. This can lead to breakouts on the skin that can damage the tattoo.