How Long Can You Not Swim After a Tattoo?

Swimming with a new tattoo

When will you be able to swim again after getting some new tattoos? What if you get some new tattoos while swimming? If you can’t get the tattoo moist, is there any way to make it waterproof when swimming?

I can sum up my answer to the question: Don’t swim with a new tattoo. The skin needs time to recover. Why you should swim and what you can do if you absolutely must. 

How long can you not swim after a tattoo?

Well, you can only swim when the tattoo is fully recuperated. Time of healing depends upon person to person. However, tattoo artists prescribe you to stay away from water for 2-4 weeks. When you get a tattoo, a tattoo artist covers your skin with a bandage. After 2-4 hours, you have to remove that bandage from your skin and clean that area. Clean the extra ink and extra blood by washing it gently.

Wash your skin with lukewarm water and antibacterial soap. Then, please leave it in the clear and clean air and apply a cream, body lotion, or moisturizer after some time. When the tattoo is fixed, flaky skin and scabs will form. After some time, these flaky skin and scabs will fall off. Under these flaky skin and sloughs, a new layer of skin will create, and this is when your tattoo is healed. Now you can paddle with your new tattoo. 

Why can’t I swim with a tattoo?

Initially, a new tattoo is like an injury. That is why you are recommended not to get in touch with swimming pools, hot tubes, and water. You will never like to swim with a fresh wound because there are chances of infections and getting in touch with water-prone disorders. Even though it’s uncommon, there are documented cases of men who encountered germs after getting their new tattoo in the Gulf of Mexico. It would be best if you did not swim until your tattoo was fully healed. If you swim with a new tattoo, you will get infected and also demolish your tattoo design.

It may cause several skin-related problems when you build a connection between your new tattoo and pool. The elements present in water, like chlorine, will cause massive harm to your tattoo as well as your skin. You will get redness and itching on that area where you got a tattoo. A new tattoo requires being in the open air to set. If you do not provide open-air to your new tattoo, then your tattoo will be ruined completely. In case it scabs and peels, you also risk-taking with it some of the ink and detracting from the color. 

How can I swim with a new tattoo?

First of all, you should avoid swimming with a new tattoo; nevertheless, if you want to swim with your new and fresh tattoo, you must apply waterproof covering on your skin, where you get the tattoo. You cannot cover your tattoo entirely with a waterproof covering. But you can use the techniques which swimmers use to defend their fresh and new tattoos. You can use a waterproof bandage or heavy layers of Vaseline. Moreover, swimmers also use plastic press n’ seal wrap.

After applying this, you will be able to swim with your new tattoo. But after swimming, you need to take some care of your skin and tattoo. You have to cleanse your skin smoothly with mild water and antibacterial soap. Rember, do not separate the waterproof covering in a hurry after swimming. Allow it to be in the open air to condense and heal. During the healing process, proceed to apply the aftercare lotion. 

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