Summer is officially here (at press) and you’ve got endless days at the beach in mind. However, you’ve also just received a tattoo, or plan on getting one very soon. You certainly know that you can’t go in the ocean (until this point in time) but does this mean you have to stay away from the sand too? Are those delightful little grains an enemy to your work of body art? Find the answer below.
What You Need to Know About Going to a Sandy Beach After Getting a Fresh Tattoo
You Can Go to the Beach, But…
Keep sand off of your new tattoo for at least two weeks. More for larger ones, or those that have not healed properly. It acts as an exfoliant, which is not good for a fresh tattoo. Sand may also carry bacteria, especially if near a questionable body of water or litter, which can lead to infection of exposed skin cells. Until the surface layer has healed (after following after care instructions) keep the tattoo covered up when sunbathing, which you need to do anyways seeing as the sun’s harmful rays are also a no-no. Those semi-adhesive wraps for muscle and joint sprains are great options once the tattoo has stopped releasing moisture/exudate. Moreover, let everyone know that they must sideline the hijinks around you for the time being.
Will You Partake in Beach Activities?
Even if you have covered up the new tattoo at the beach, shoreline activities can allow sand to get into the nooks and crevices of your covering. Stay away from beach volleyball and move that ridiculous roundnet/spikeball game over to the grass until two or three weeks have passed.
What if You Already Got Sand on It?
Did a bully walk up, kick sand on you, and take your girl/guy? That sucks. It sucks even more if they got sand in your new tattoo. What should you do? Don’t rub it off! Doing so can make matters worse as the coarse sand will scrape across your sensitive skin. Calmly walk over to the beach shower, and rinse it off thoroughly. If there is no beach shower, try to find a hose which is typically located near the Parks & Rec shack. If none, buy a large bottle of water from the concession, open the nozzle, and squeeze firmly to apply enough pressure so that it jettisons out and washes away the sand from your tattoo. After that, let the air dry it, but not in the sun. You don’t have to rush home right after, but don’t let your tattoo get near the sand again. You can spend the rest of your time at the beach plotting how to get your gal/guy back from the bully.
Written By:
Adrenaline Tattoo
Tattoos, not attitudes. Piercings, not pricks. From the beginning, Adrenaline’s focus has been on delivering the best customer service possible within the body modification industry.
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