Tattoo appointments are booked all year long, and the time when you do isn’t always going to be ideal. If your appointment is booked for the summer, here’s helpful tips and precautions to take before and after you receive one.

Preparing for Appointment

Skin preparation is crucial for tattoos during the summer. Avoid tanning around the area of where you tattoo will be. Cover the area up and wait for your skin tone to return to its natural shade (as much as possible). Getting heavily tanned and slightly burnt skin tattooed can affect the outcome of the tattoo and reduce its quality. It can also make the skin difficult to tattoo and make the process a more painful experience. Chances are, if you go to receive a tattoo with burnt or heavily tanned, peeling skin, the artist will likely turn you down, and you’ll need to reschedule.

After Appointment / Aftercare

Now you’ve received your tattoo. Great! But what now? After your appointment, take precautions against sunlight (listed in the next paragraph.) and avoid tanning. It’s additionally a good idea to moisturize your tattoo with gentle, unscented lotion. Staying hydrated can help too. Similar to lotion, hydration also helps keep your skin moisturized. Lasty, stay away from pools, or bodies of waters like lakes, or oceans.

Sun Exposure

As mentioned previously, sun exposure is something you definitely want to prevent your tattoo from. New tattoos are like open wounds and should be treated the same way. But why? Tattoos exposed to direct sunlight could start to blister and irritate, it could also extend the healing process and even cause permanent damage. Precautions against the sun include wearing UV light protectant clothing to cover your tattoo or wearing tattoo-safe sunscreen for times when it’s only a small amount of time of exposure.

Swimming/Activities That Cause Sweat, and Why You Can’t

Swimming, and fun active activities are one of the most desired things to do during the summer. Unfortunately, during the 2-3 weeks while your tattoo is healing, its best that you avoid it. Stay out of pools (especially public pools) and natural bodies of water. The bacteria in the bodies of water can cause an infection or irritation to your tattoo and can even cause the ink to break down, which are all ways for the tattoo to get damaged. The same goes for chemically treated pools, and excessive sweating.

Sources:

Tips For Getting a Tattoo in the Summer – AuthorityTattoo

Getting a Tattoo in the Summer – How to Prepare (adrenalinestudios.com)

How to Take Care of Tattooed Skin in the Summer (spoonuniversity.com)

Working Out After Tattoo: How Long Should You Wait? (healthline.com)