Hey guys, new to the site. Longtime lurker, first time poster. I just booked a date with Paris Pierides out of Charlotte in June. I’m a teacher and have time off during the summer so it seems like good timing. Since this is in the summer, I was wondering about the effects of chlorine since we will be taking my daughter to the pool a bit. I don’t mind to stay in the shallow end and keep it as dry as possible but is this pushing my luck with new work? I also do a bit of work outside in the summer months. The piece on my back will be covered, but do I need to worry about sweating and dirt after the scabbing has gone away? Being on my back, will there be any rubbing issues with a 4 hour car ride back home a day or two after the work is done? I guess I’m just trying to figure out if this summer us really the best time or not. Thanks for your help!
Welcome to the forum. I am sure you will get differing opinions, but here is mine.
I have found it better to get tattoos in the summer vs. winter. My winter ink has always been more of a healing struggle due to dry winter skin and trying to minimize scabbing, and maximize healing time.
If I get one in the summer, it’s easier to keep the ink uncovered and let the skin start to heal. That works best for me.
Once your scabbing is done, sweating and dirt should not affect your tattoo. Do keep sunscreen on it, and do minimize time spent in the pool.
On your ride home, try not to rub or scrape it too much.
Good luck. Post pictures when done.
I would imagine that you will be sitting pretty still on your ride home, especially because the area will be SORE. Like you just sandpapered your back. So I don’t think your issue is going to be rubbing, but I bet that you are going to end up with your shirt stuck to it. Don’t panic and don’t pull it off!! Just wait until you get home and then get into the shower with your shirt on and carefully soak it off. Carefully pat it dry and then let it air dry. Pulling it off can pull the healing skin, and ink, right off. You should only have to worry about this happening for the first day or two, and then it won’t be leaking plasma any more.
Like Dipland says – keeping it uncovered (when not in the sun) will help it heal faster as well. (But not in the first couple of days because you don’t want to get stuck to a couch or something. I might also wear a loose tshirt to sleep in the first couple of nights – you can soak off a shirt but you could stick to a sheet and then roll over in your sleep. OWWWW.
If you are going to be in a hotel do not let your fresh tattoo touch any of the hotel linens (sheets/towels/facecloths) as they can harbor bacteria. Sleep in a loose tshirt and bring your own towel to pat it dry with.
You will not be able to dip it in the pool until after it is healed. The tattoo CANNOT be soaked, especially in the ‘soup’ that is a public pool or a hot tub. I believe I have been told to wait at least 2 months before going into a pool or hot tub.
Keep your shirt on when you are doing yardwork and once healed, sweating and dirt will not be a problem at all. Then sunscreen sunscreen sunscreen any time it is going to be in the daylight for the rest of your life. I would actually keep it covered for the rest of this summer at least. It is more at risk for fading in the first 6 months. SUNSCREEN forever!!
Good luck. And PICS please, when you get it.
And … sunscreen. 😉
Thanks all. That’s incredibly insightful and valuable advice! I’ll be staying at my in-laws’ in Charlotte for a few days after so clean sheets won’t be a problem. I’ll still wear a loose shirt since just reading about having the sheets stick to it made my cringe.
I’ve read no pool for up to three months, until the new layer of skin completely grows back. That’s fine, I’ve never been a big swimmer and the little one is only 1 so she won’t be cannon-balling into the water much. I certainly won’t be going any where near a pool for the first few weeks but after that I won’t be submerging it and I think staying in the shallow end with a shirt on should be fine…
I’ll ask Paris about all of this. I’m supposed to meet with him in late April to iron out the details and get a sketch going. I’m getting a tree of life in the style of a bonsai. It will be in color, the leaves in Fall colors of deep reds and oranges with a hint of green still on the leaves. Something in the same vein of the picture below but with a different structure to the tree. I enjoy gardening and dabble in bonsai (although I’ve killed many more than I’ve kept!) so this is something I’ve been looking forward to planning for some time now. I can’t wait to post pics when it’s done!
Thanks again for all of the advice and I’d love to hear some other opinions!
@gnarfo14 125434 wrote:
Thanks, buttwheat. What do you consider healed? 2 weeks-ish or 2 months-ish?
I’m not butt, but, completely healed is three or more months.
Sounds good. I think I can handle all that. It won’t be ideal, but I’ve learned that nothing ever is. Anything good comes with sacrifices. This all made me curious, what about the chlorine in normal tap water? Not enough to do anything? We actually have a water softener installed in our house but what if we didn’t?
Thanks again for all of the suggestions. I’m getting more excited by the day. This is going to be a long couple of months!
@gnarfo14 125456 wrote:
This all made me curious, what about the chlorine in normal tap water? Not enough to do anything? We actually have a water softener installed in our house but what if we didn’t?
Chlorine disapates very rapidly and there is not enough in tap water to be an issue. Swimming pools are another matter. When adding chlorine to pool water people tend to go over the recommended amount needed and this can cause issues. Chlorine is bleach and bleach takes out stains and COLOR nicely. A friends pool water is treated with salt to keep bacteria under control. I think that would be tattoo friendly.
Swim in moderation. Don’t stay in too long. Wait at least THREE weeks since last tattoo work.
Good luck. Keep us posted.
I’m glad you broke your silence. A late welcome to you.
I’m a nurse, not a tattoo artist, but I have three and I do have wound care experience. 🙂 Generally, the healing of a tattoo takes three weeks. You don’t want to submerge it, even in sterile water, before then. After that, sunscreen when you’re outside that’s waterproof, and in my experience, a healed tattoo isn’t too affected by pool water.
(Nursing opinion. Not a tattoo artist’s, not a doc’s. I’m just sayin’.)
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