Don't Expose to Direct Sunlight! After 2-3 weeks, you can apply a tattoo specific SPF 30+ every time you are outside and the tattoo is uncovered. But avoid sunscreen when the tattoo is still fresh as some ingredients in sunscreen can damage a newly healing tattoo.
You should keep a new tattoo completely protected from the sun for at least three to four weeks. If your new tattoo has not completely healed yet, exposing the tattoo area to sunlight could result in blistering. One should apply sunscreen everytime they step out in the sun to avoid tattoo fading.
After getting a tattoo, it's generally recommended to avoid direct sunlight on the tattooed area for at least 2 to 4 weeks. This waiting period allows the skin to heal properly and helps prevent fading or damage to the tattoo.
Sweating: Excessive sweating can cause the ink to blur or distort as the tattoo heals. It's best to avoid activities that cause heavy sweating for at least a few days.
Is it OK to wear clothes over a new tattoo? Yes, but try not to after the few initial days after application. If you do, make sure you change your clothes frequently. In our experience, tattoos can weep onto the clothes and if you don't change them, it can cause infection.
Most people are advised to wait at least two full days before resuming exercise after a tattoo. However, many athletes choose to wait for two weeks or even a month before attempting to work out. The amount of time you should wait will depend on your unique circumstances.
Tattoos typically take two to four weeks to heal on the surface, but it can take three to six months to fully heal. The tattoo healing process typically involves a week of redness and oozing, followed by two to three weeks of itchiness and peeling. After about a month, the skin still internally heals.
You should never submerge a new tattoo in water for any length of time directly following a tattoo. If you're wondering just how long after getting your tattoo you can take a bath: the answer is only after your tattoo has healed completely which typically takes 3 to 4 weeks, and in some cases longer.
By day six or seven, scabs should start to cover and thicken on the freshly tattooed area. During this week of your healing journey, the skin will be flaky and may start feeling a bit itchy. This is completely normal as the dry skin is getting ready to exfoliate itself away as the top layer of the skin heals.
Until your tattoo is fully healed, you cannot apply any type of sunscreen, and it's really best to just avoid exposing the area to any direct sunlight whatsoever. If you plan to be outside in the sun with a new tattoo, then your best and safest protection is to keep the area covered with loose clothing.
Sun Protection for New Tattoos
New tattoos fade very quickly when exposed to sunlight. In addition, if your tattoo has not completely healed yet, exposing the area to sunlight could result in blistering. In general, you should keep a new tattoo completely protected from the sun for at least three to four weeks.
Apply a mild moisturizer to the tattooed skin several times a day. Avoid sun exposure. Keep the tattooed area out of the sun until it heals. Don't go swimming.
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.
Apply the Aquaphor or Bacitracin 2-3 times a day (Remember, keep it light!) for the first 5-7 days or until your tattoo starts to flake/peel like a sunburn. When the peeling begins, switch to a regular FRAGRANCE FREE lotion such as Lubriderm, or any other fragrance free brand for an additional 2 weeks.
Unfortunately, there's no way to control what your body does while you sleep, but keeping your new tattoo covered during the night will help mitigate the risk of causing any injuries by scratching it.
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.
Use the Aquaphor for the first 2-3 days then switch to a regular FRAGRANCE-FREE lotion such as Lubriderm, or any other fragrance-free brand. 5. Fresh tattoos sometimes “weep” during the first couple of days, meaning that plasma and ink form a thin moist coating on the skin. This can be DABBED with a clean paper towel.
Days 5 Through 7
Avoid wearing tight clothing that can create friction against your bare tattoo. Avoid direct sunlight and keep applying an artist approved ointment or balm to keep your tattoo from drying out. You might notice some scabs or flaking patches, and this is normal. Don't touch them.
Tattoos tend to peel without any ink underneath as they heal normally. In rare cases, they can have missing ink due to an artist's error. Peeling tattoos with missing ink aren't usually anything to worry about. It's normal for a tattoo to peel and lose a little bit of ink as your skin heals.
Heat, sweat, and sunlight can irritate or damage your tattoo. It's better to get tattoos during the winter to avoid these issues.
"[Exercise] is probably okay a day after getting a tattoo if it's not going to be in contact with the floor or equipment," Arseneau says. You'll be fully in the clear once your skin seems to be back to normal, according to Törőcsik.