Question for anyone with Tattoo's

[everylastbreath]

Hi - Have an appointment for a decent sized piece on my upper arm and I am going on a cruise 3 weeks after, should I postpone until after the cruise or will I be healed enough to go in the pool, beach & use sunscreen? Only tattoo I have was done in the fall so sun and water was not an issue! My husband actually got one once on Vacation and went in the pool the following day! am I being paranoid?

 

[JaxDad]

Hi - Have an appointment for a decent sized piece on my upper arm and I am going on a cruise 3 weeks after, should I postpone until after the cruise or will I be healed enough to go in the pool, beach & use sunscreen? Only tattoo I have was done in the fall so sun and water was not an issue! My husband actually got one once on Vacation and went in the pool the following day! am I being paranoid?

I'd call the tattoo artist...

 

[mousefanmichelle]

I am not sure - my son waited until after our trip because he was going to be in the sun, water, etc. I would call and ask their recommendation.

 

[osopecoso]

I would wait. 3 weeks is not a lot of time.

 

[amberpi]

I think it'd be a matter of how big the piece is.

 

[marlynnp]

You need to wait two weeks before you're swimming - three weeks will be fine. Barring any unusual infection issues, it will be completely healed by then. Use lots of sunscreen to protect your fresh ink!

 

[earfulofmagic]

I would push it back until after the cruise just to be safe; if you are unlucky and experience an infection beforehand, you're definitely going to be disappointed come cruise time. One less thing to worry about. But in the future, yes, slather on that sunscreen and enjoy your new ink!

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

That isn't much time between your appointment and your cruise especially for a bigger piece.

Sunscreen FOR SURE! I'd even keep it covered if it were me to be safe...

I'd also stay out of the pools and hot tubs since they are a breeding ground for bacteria and you could still have a few scabbing/cracking spots.

Eh... I'd swim minimally in the ocean at ports. Less of a risk of infection there than a pool but even so I probably wouldn't.

So it's up to you! If being in the water is important to you I'd probably wait for either the cruise or the tattoo.

 

[Disney_traveler]

I would wait. I was told at least a month before swimming. Recently on the Texas coast there was a problem with that flesh eating bacteria or whatever and they talked to and showed a picture of a guy that it got in his new tattoo. It looked disgusting.

 

[RangerPooh]

I'd probably wait. DH spent one summer working on getting his left arm sleeved and didn't take into account that he'd spend the summer out of the water. He was not a happy camper sitting in the lounge chair or only wading up to his knees when we took the kids to the city pool/water park.

 

[here757]

Make sure completely healed before swimming

 

[Mirielle]

There was a story in the news about a young man not too long ago that died after swimming with a new tattoo. True, it is "supposed" to be safe after a period of 3 weeks, but that's a guideline that may not always apply to every individual. For many reasons you wouldn't even be aware of, some tiny area that may be unseen to the eye may not have completely healed, allowing bacteria to enter.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

You are not being paranoid.
Tattoos can get waterlogged and can get messed up due to the sun while healing.
Personally I'd postpone as my tattoo artist says 4 weeks minimum before pool/hot tub/bath tub... and 5 weeks is ideal.
Also you should not put sunscreen on a healing tattoo and you should not say cover it with a bandage either because you could smother it.

 

[LilyWDW]

With a large piece I would 100% postpone until after the trip. A tattoo can take up to 2-3 weeks for the scabbing process to be done and after that it is very UV sensitive for the rest of the month. On top of that, you do not want to put sunscreen on a still healing tattoo as it is considered an open wound.

So I wouldn't risk it. You pay a lot of money for your ink. Better be safe then sorry.

 

[Southernmiss]

Yea, I'd wait. Vibrio bacteria thrives in warm ocean water this time of year. Those with small cuts and those with immune compromised systems are those who get the bacteria. Nasty stuff. Hate for that to be your vacation souvenir.

 

[MattsPrincess]

I would wait.

I've always been told at least 2-3 weeks before swimming (pool or ocean), hot tubs, direct sun exposure, etc. Plus you aren't supposed to put any scented or anything other than just basic lotion on it for a while either, so you'd have to get special sunblock.

I've always given mine at least a month before swimming or direct sunlight. Even after it's done peeling and all that, I still wait a bit longer. The more risks you take with it early on, the better the chances of it fading faster, etc.

 

[Squirlz]

Once again, ASK YOUR ARTIST!!. None of the random speculation here is doing you any good.

 

[Simba's Mom]

DS had a large tattoo done while he was in port one day.

 

[here757]

There was a story in the news about a young man not too long ago that died after swimming with a new tattoo. True, it is "supposed" to be safe after a period of 3 weeks, but that's a guideline that may not always apply to every individual. For many reasons you wouldn't even be aware of, some tiny area that may be unseen to the eye may not have completely healed, allowing bacteria to enter.

Forgot about that stupid story.
I was referring to wet tattoos , scans come off early before ink settles in skin..
One of mine looks like a big chip has been taken out

 

[BEloveDisney]

Ask your tattoo artist, but I would stay out of the pool and hot tub. Bacteria! I think fresh water is supposed to okay sooner than a pool. Lot and lots of sunscreen that's a high SPF and you'll be okay in the sun.