Getting a new tattoo is an exciting process, but it is also a painful one. Simply because, the tiny needle which pokes the ink underneath your skin is basically creating an open wound at the same time.
Every tattoo artist will therefore take you through the process of the dos and don’ts of aftercare instructions, such as what cream to use and to take other precautions in order to assist in the healing process of your new body art.
Some tattoo parlours will go into depth and educate you about which sunscreen to use and for how long not to swim after getting a tattoo, but others might just hand you a little note with the most important instructions and a cream prescription and send you off into the world.
It is therefore important for you to educate yourself on which situations are safe to be in with a fresh tattoo and which aren’t. Therefore, another important question to ask yourself should be: “how long after a tattoo can I sauna?”. A sauna session is one of these situations which are better to be avoided for a while.
Below we will provide you with all the information necessary, from the waiting period to what to do instead of visiting a sauna or steam room, to make your next sauna visit as safe as possible for your new tattoo and you.
HOW LONG AFTER GETTING A TATTOO CAN YOU GO IN A SAUNA?
In general, you should refrain from steam room or sauna use until your new tattoo is fully healed. Simply as the excessive sweating, excessive moisture, and enormous heat can have some negative effects on the healing of your skin cells and, in the worst case, cause infections or scar tissue on new tattoos.
The best way to tell whether your tattoo is completely healed is when the glowing complexion over your tattooed skin has faded and all the scabs have fallen off completely.
Each healing tattoo has to be judged individually, however. There is a significant time difference in how long your body needs to heal after using coloured ink or getting a black and white tattoo. On top of that, the area you got inked as well as the size and extent of the tattoo play an important role.
Therefore it is important to always check in with your tattoo artist, maybe even to pay them an extra visit, and let them tell you how long you should avoid saunas.
WHY YOU SHOULD NOT GO TO THE SAUNA TOO SOON AFTER GETTING A TATTOO
Your tattoo artist and a lot of other sources recommend waiting to expose your tattoo to excessive moisture for too long, as this can have devastating effects on your tattoo’s healing process and its quality.
As mentioned above, the sweat and moisture caused by saunas and steam rooms can cause skin irritations on a fresh tattoo and, in the worst case, cause you to scratch and pick up ink or scabs and thus form a scar.
Even if you protect your new ink under some tight wrap, it will not prevent your tattoo from being exposed to extreme heat and a lot of moisture. In fact, it might even cause more moisture to form on your tattoo underneath the wrap, as it traps the sweat from your pores underneath it.
In a case such as this, your tattoo’s scab can form bubbles from soaking up the moisture and might get infected. The scab on top of your tat is something that should always remain as dry as possible and not be removed, as this can cause scarring or the ink to fade out as it has not yet healed into the right layer of the skin.
IS IT SAFE TO USE THE SAUNA AFTER A LASER TATTOO REMOVAL?
No, it is not safe to use the sauna or steam room after such a procedure. Just as with getting a tattoo, you should wait a few weeks or as long as it takes for your skin to fully heal until you take a sauna bath.
If you are still looking for a relaxation session, however, it has been recommended to combine your tattoo removal therapy with frequent visits to one of our infrared saunas.
This is argued to assist in detoxifying the body and the lymphatic system, over which the ink that is broken down by the laser is “transported out” of your body.
Also, the dry heat and colour therapy effects from infrared have very different positive influences on your body and still assist in increased blood circulation, which might speed up the healing process.
FAQS
DO SAUNAS FADE TATTOOS?
No, saunas do not fade tattoos, as long as you visit them with a healed tattoo. You will only cause your tattoo to have faint spots if you expose it to heat and a lot of moisture before it heals properly so that scabs fall off too early and expose fresh ink.
Exposure to extreme sunlight and not drinking enough water throughout the day, i.e. being slightly dehydrated all the time may cause your tat to fade though. Therefore it is recommended to use extensive amounts of sunscreen when sunbathing and to always stay sufficiently hydrated.
CAN SWEATING RUIN A NEW TATTOO?
Yes, excessive sweat can have negative effects on a new tattoo.
Exposing your new body art to any moisture from water or sweat for too long periods is not recommended, and you might therefore want to avoid extensive exercise along with your sauna sessions for as long as it is not healed.
That does not mean that you cannot enjoy a little workout or a jog; it just means that you should be making sure to keep your tattoo as dry as possible at all times. This will stop it from getting irritated by moisture, or the scab forming very unnecessary bubbles and getting infected.
FINAL THOUGHTS
If you have recently gotten a tattoo, the correct aftercare plays a major role when it comes to getting your skin to heal after it has been exposed to needles and ink.
While you might want to continue your frequent visits to the sauna or steam room, you should definitely wait until your ink wound has completely healed. This will also ensure that you will maintain the quality and beauty of the artwork for longer.
If you don’t want to refrain from any form of body therapy, we would recommend customers visit one of our infrared saunas instead while waiting for your fresh ink to heal.
To book a visit to our infrared saunas, create an online account today. Here you can book appointments to use any of our facilities, like steam rooms, float tanks, and more.
