Ink & Sweat: Here’s Your Guide to How Long to Wait to Workout After Tattoo
Nowadays, in the gym, it’s not new to see people wearing modern outfits to look confident in themselves. Similarly, you’ll also see many people have tattoos designed on their skin. According to the 2023s survey by Pew Research Center, mostly 2 out of 10 adults under the age of 30 think about getting a tattoo. Hence, if you’re one of those fitness freaks who can’t stay without a workout and are looking to get a tattoo but also have a question like how long to wait to workout after tattoo, then this article is for you.
Further, your concern should also be to look at how long the tattoo will take to heal properly. For example, there’s a high chance that you’ll need to hold on to exercise or, at the least, opt for low-intensity exercises if you’ve newly got your tattoo. Still, the good thumb rule is to wait at least 48 hours to workout after getting a tattoo because there’s a chance that you won’t be able to heal properly and can get an infection or skin irritation due to sweat and friction of clothing if you don’t take proper care.
Let’s get into detail and find out why you should be waiting to start working out for a few days, how to start exercising when to workout, and some other tips on how to workout safely after getting a tattoo.
Here’s Why You Should Be Waiting to Start Exercise After Getting Your Tattoo
After getting a tattoo you should give a pause to your regular workout to help your skin heal properly and keep your new ink safe. The process of tattoo involves small needles that puncture wounds into your skin for depositing ink. Tattoo creates an open wound on the skin, which can get infected, if not taken care of properly.
Resuming exercise too soon after getting a tattoo can increase the risk of irritation, premature fading of your tattoo, and, at worse, infection. For instance, bacteria on unclean gym bench mats can enter the wound created by tattoos, causing bacterial infections. Stretching or extending your body can even pull your skin while derailing the healing. Similarly, sweating in an excessive manner after a heavy workout can fade or break down the tattoo while potentially leading to infection and irritation.
Put simply, after getting your tattoo, your first week is very crucial and you should take proper recovery of your skin. The healing may entail peeling or scabbing old skin, leading to grow a newer one. However, like any wound, you’ll be required to give enough time and take care of the occurring change and reconstruct. An intense workout needs to be avoided as it can interfere with the healing phases, leading to unnecessary complications and damage to your freshly done tattoo.
In addition, even your tattoo artist recommends treatment protocol after getting a tattoo, like keeping your workout on hold for a certain time will be the best step for faster healing skin safety and ensuring the ink looks exactly like you wanted.
How to Workout After Getting a Tattoo – Here’s the 7 Best Things to Keep in Mind
How long to wait to workout after tattoo is one of the common questions that is asked by many. However, another interesting question that is often not asked is, after waiting for a few days, how to workout after you get a tattoo. Similarly, it also becomes important to know how to workout safely after getting a tattoo.
So, let’s get straight to the point and understand about it. Here, we’ll cover certain essential points about it.
1) Look at Your Tattoo as an Open Wound
A tattoo is an image that’s imprinted permanently on your skin. However, when you get it done, it’s an open wound. For getting a tattoo, thousands of microscopic punctures are made to your skin. Those punctures bleed and ooze, which works as an invitation for bacteria, fungi, and viruses.
Initially, your main focus should be on the healing process, and keeping your tattoo clean, and limiting exposure to anything that can cause infection.
2) Initially Prevent High-Intensity Workout
After getting a tattoo for at least a week, prevent doing a high-intensity workout. Your skin requires time to heal, and it won’t be healed overnight, right after getting the tattoo. Progress gradually to your workout routine for a few days. Usually, it takes several weeks and even months till all three layers of your skin fully heal, but the body is resilient and you won’t damage the tattoo if you start exercising like you did earlier after a week.
3) Avoid Going Into the Pool
Apart from taking a shower and cleaning your tattoo, it’s best to avoid anything related to water, like going into the pool, saunas, hot tubs, lakes, oceans, and even an ice bath. It poses a risk of infection. Hence, it’s best to wait for some weeks.
4) Protect Yourself From Prolong Exposure to Sun
Avoid prolonged exposure to the sun as it has UV rays, which can cause cracking, fading, and infection. If you’re going for a long walk or run outdoors, it’s best to cover your tattoo with loose-fitted clothes, or you can even apply sunscreen for protection.
5) Wear Breathable Loose Fitted Clothes
Wearing tight clothes is quite popular, such as leggings, compression tops, and sports bras are quite usual. However, for 2 weeks after getting a tattoo, it’s best to wear loose-fitted clothes. Tight clothes create friction and keep heat in between your clothes and tattoo, which will irritate your skin and damage the tattoo design.
Though it doesn’t mean that you always need to wear pants and shirts that are bigger than your actual clothes size, but make sure it’s loose-fitted like a baggy t-shirt and shorts. Similarly, if you’ve got a calf or an ankle tattoo, be sure to wear low-rise shoes & ankle socks, and if your tattoo is on your thighs, then shorts will do the best.
6) Wipe Gym Equipment Before Using
Gyms take good care of hygiene and take good care of gym equipment by regularly cleaning it. However, equipment is used by several members on a daily basis. Hence, it’s best to clean the gym equipment you’re using with a paper towel, sanitary napkin, or spray bottle, whichever you’ve got access to in your gym premises.
In other words, it’s best to avoid contact with your bare skin tattoo and the gym equipment, even after sanitizing the equipment. You should also limit touching it to make sure it’s okay, as your hands may be covered in germs after using gym equipment.
7) Clean & Moisturize Tattoo Immediately
To clean the bacteria and prevent any chances of infection, it’s best that you clean and moisturize your tattoo immediately once you complete your workout.
Take a quick, cool shower to clean that area and the rest of your body. Wash your hand thoroughly with soap before you touch the tattoo, and then gently scrub that specific area with any antibacterial soap. Similarly, after the shower, you should also apply tattoo moisturizer or any unscented body lotion to prevent your skin from getting dry or cracking.
Here’s When You Should Start Workout After Getting a Tattoo
Knowing how long to wait to workout after tattoo is crucial. However, it’s equally important you also take care of when you should start workout after your tattoo. Yes, you can start workout after 48 hours, but you should also take care about progressing into it instead of jumping right into it like you used to workout before getting tattooed.
The Day After
On the day you get a tattoo, on that day you need to avoid any physical activity completely. If you can’t wait, then the next day, you can start slowly, like walking or a low-intensity bodyweight workout at your home or extreme beginner-level yoga. You’ll burn around 200 to 300 calories without worrying about sweating.
Similarly, another benefit you get by working out at home is that you can wear loose-fitted clothes with any funky designs that you may avoid wearing outdoors or at the gym. Similarly, make sure you avoid excessive stretch or contact with the body area where the tattoo is designed.
After 2 to 3 Days
Usually, after 48 to 72 hours, people can get back to the gym and start their fitness routines with low intensity. However, don’t walk into the gym and go heavy or try to set your new PR (Personal Record) at least for the coming 3 to 4 days.
After 1 Week
After 1 week, you can start your regular workout routine as you used to do usually. But make sure you’re wearing loose-fitted clothes and sanitizing, cleaning, and keeping your tattooed area moisturized.
After 1 Month
Good news for swimmers. You can get back to water after the completion of 4th week, assuming you haven’t got any infection or any delay in your healing process. Your wait to show your tattoo publicly is finally over. Now, you can show your tattoo at the pool, sauna, and even ice baths too.
How Long Tattoo Takes to Heal Fully
To completely heal, a tattoo takes months, but it has certain phases of healing. Similarly, the healing process varies depending on how you take care of it.
Usually, the tattoo healing process is divided into 4 phases, and the length of time to recover from the wound of the tattoo also depends upon the size of the tattoo, which part of your body you’ve got, and your habits as well.
After you get a tattoo, the skin’s outer layer takes 2 to 3 weeks to heal. It’ll even look like your tattoo is healed, and you may even be tempted to lessen your aftercare routine. But sometimes, the healing process can even take up to 6 months, especially for the skin below your tattoo to heal completely. Let’s take a closer look at the different stages of tattoo healing.
First Week
The first stage will last for 1 to 6 days. Your tattoo will be bandaged for a few hours, and after that, you are allowed to open your wound. Your body will start responding to it and you may find redness, slight inflammation, swelling, or burning sensation.
Second Week
You will start getting itching and flaking. Flaky skin doesn’t need any special care as it’s a natural response. Your ink will stay intact, and it may even look like some of it is coming off. However, it’s not to worry about.
Avoid scratching. It’s best to use moisturizer recommended by your tattoo artist or doctor to keep your skin around the tattoo hydrated, so it gives ease to itching.
Three to Four Weeks
Your tattoo will begin drying out and itchiness will also go away. However, if you still have itchy skin and the redness is persistent, then it’s a starting sign of an infected tattoo. Your tattoo may look less vibrant than it has to be, but mostly, it’s because of the dry skin formed on it.
Two to Six Months
The tattoo may appear fully healed; your itching and redness should have been lessened. However, it’s best to continue with your aftercare. Taking care of tattoos for the long term is beneficial, and it should include keeping yourself well hydrated, wearing sun-protecting clothes, and keeping tattoos clean.
7 Tips to Reduce Healing Process After Getting a Tattoo
Those who’ve read till here, we assume they’ve got answers to their question, like how long to wait to workout after tattoo or how long it takes your tattoo to heal. Now, let’s know how you can reduce your healing time.
1) Cover Your Tattoo
Prevent applying sunscreen till your tattoo is fully healed. Also, make sure that you’re not exposing your tattoo directly under sunlight, especially if it’s new. Similarly, it’s also recommended that you prevent direct sunlight on a tattoo, even if it’s old because the tattoo will fade. Lastly, cover your tattoo with loose clothes such as pants or sleeves when you’re going out in sunlight.
2) Prevent Re-Bandaging Tattoo
Once you remove the original bandage that a tattoo artist usually does, it’s recommended you don’t cover it again. Wrapping your tattoo again will result in extra moisture and prevent oxygen, which can slow your healing process.
3) Keep It Clean
Make sure you clean your tattoo twice or thrice a day using sterile water or lukewarm water.
Further, also ensure you’ve cleaned your hands thoroughly using antibacterial soap. Then, splash water onto your tattoo and clean it using alcohol- and fragrance-free soap. Also, let it air dry or dry it using a clean paper towel gently onto your tattoo.
4) Use Ointment
Unless your tattoo artist recommends you to use heavy items like Vaseline, prevent using it. Your tattoo requires air to heal and such products will hinder the progress.
Instead, your tattoo artist may advise you to take vitamins A & D. After some days pass, you can switch to lighter and fragrance-free moisturizer, or you can even use pure coconut oil.
5) Avoid Scratching or Picking
Scabbing is a good part of the healing process. However, scratching at the scab is not good as it can delay your healing progress and may even affect the tattoo integrity, which can result in a scar.
6) Keep It Dry
It’s okay if your tattoo gets wet at the time of shower. However, prevent it from submerging or soaking it in the shower or bath. Similarly, stay completely away from swimming for at least the first 2 weeks.
7) Prevent Scented Products
When fragrances used within products meet, tattoo ink can cause a reaction. Hence, it’s best to avoid using scented soaps and lotions on the tattoo. Also, depending on where you’ve got the tattoo, you may even need to avoid using scented shampoo, bodywash, and conditioner.
6 Signs Tattoo Isn’t Healing Properly
You’ve got the answer to how long to wait to workout after tattoo. Now, let’s know what some signs say: your tattoo isn’t healing properly, and instead of thinking about working out, you should be looking more into how it heals as the signs here we cover may even signify that your tattoo hasn’t healed properly but got infected.
1) Fever
You should visit a doctor if you get a fever because your tattoo may have been infected, and you’re getting a fever because of that.
2) Redness for Prolonged Period
After getting a tattoo, everyone faces redness for a few days. However, if the redness isn’t reduced, then it’s a sign that your tattoo isn’t healing properly.
3) Fluid Coming Out of Tattoo
If pus or fluid is coming out of the tattoo after 2 to 3 days, then it’s a sign it’s infected, and you should see a doctor.
4) Puffy or Swollen Skin
Usually, your tattoo stays raised for a few days. However, the skin surrounding it shouldn’t look puffy. If it’s happening, then it indicates an allergic reaction to ink.
5) Severe Itching
Allergic reactions to tattoos can happen right after getting a tattoo or even after years. Similarly, an itchy tattoo is a clear sign that the body is allergic to the ink.
6) Tattoo Looks Like a Scar
The properly healed tattoo shouldn’t look like a scar. Hence, if it looks like a scar on your body along with puffy skin, redness that doesn’t fade away with distorted colors or pitted skin indicates the tattoo hasn’t healed properly.
Wrapping Up
A tattoo is a piece of art, and often, emotions are also attached to it. But that’s also true that it’s a procedure that results in open skin. Similarly, open skin is vulnerable to infection. Hence, it’s one of the main reasons why many ask questions like how long to wait to workout after tattoo.
Nonetheless, we’ve covered how much time you’ll need to avoid a workout. In addition to it, we’ve also covered other important points like when to start the workout, how to start the workout, how long the tattoo takes to heal fully, how to reduce the healing process after the tattoo, and even certain points to know whether your tattoo is infected. We hope it’ll give you an answer to all your questions and this piece of article proves helpful.
