How Long Should You Wait To Swim After Getting A New Tattoo

This is one of the common questions that many people ask after they get a new tattoo. After you have got a new tattoo, you have to follow the proper tattoo aftercare steps so that your tattoo properly heals. We recommend H2Ocean’s Extreme Tattoo Care kit. It completely defeats the purpose of getting a tattoo if you hit the water after you get your tattoo for the following reasons.

Why You Should Avoid Swimming After Getting a New Tattoo

After you get a brand new tattoo, your skin area is a completely open wound which has no protection against bacteria and harmful germs. It’s important that you try your best in making sure that your tattoo is kept away from these potentially damaging germs. This means that you must stay out of any water apart from when you are cleaning your tattoo or showering.

Risk of Infection from Water

Before your tattoo has healed completely it will be exposed to various types of infections which are caused by various types bacteria many of which are found in water. Even though the water in the swimming pool may be treated and free from bacteria and germs, its surrounding areas such as towels, sunbeds and swimming pool changing areas may not be clean.

Effects of Chlorine on a New Tattoo

Many of the outdoor and indoor swimming pools have some bacteria-killing chemicals such as chlorine which is continuously filtering the water. You should stay away from chlorine since it is an enemy to the new tattoo. Chlorine is prone to irritate your tattoo by making it extremely flaky and dry. It may also make you tattoo area to itch thereby causing some conditions such as red bumps and skins rushes. In addition to this when you expose your tattoo area to chlorine for a long period of time it may leach the ink thereby causing patch ink or fading.

Other Types of Water to Avoid

In case the swimming pool does not use any chemicals, you should also stay away from it. This is because the swimming pool may not have preventive methods to protect your tattoo from germs and bacteria. It’s also not good to swim in a river or lake since they may have some feces, urine, fish excrement and any other nasty elements.

How Long Should You Wait Before Swimming?

Tattoo experts recommended that proper care of any tattoo should be done for at least one month before you start in swim in water. We suggest using H2Ocean’s Extreme Tattoo Care kit which has everything you need to heal your tattoo. By exercising some patience, this will allow your skin to recover, at the same time be able to guard your tattoo against water saturation or bacteria infection. You MUST wait until your tattoo has finished peeling or scrubbing. In case your tattoo takes longer than one month for it to heal, you must wait for a long period of time before you start to swim.

What to Do If You Swim Before Your Tattoo Heals

In case you find yourself swimming before you tattoo heals, then you should make a step of washing it and drying it immediately so that you can minimize bacteria infection. Taking care of your tattoo may seem to be very difficult, but if you are to master the above guidelines, then you will find it to be very easy.