im thinking of getting a tattoo but ive heard that if its summer you gotta always have sunscreen on it to make sure it doesnt fade out the color and stuff (which once im tan never happens) so i figured that getting one in the winter would be my best bet. but ive also heard that you shouldnt really go swimming with a new tattoo because the of whatever the reason (like color fading, since its not soaked in fully it can rub out?, and stuff like that). plus wearing a 5 mil suit might not help. so im wondering if anyone here has a tat and what your advice is on when would be the best time to get one. or if if any of the things i said are even true becasue ive heard some very strange things that seems really unlikely to happen.
yea i just got one. The big thing isn't the water its soaking it. Your not suppose to soak it, it causes the scabs to fall off faster. If your going to get one ideally you should wait 10 days to 2 weeks or until all the scabs have fallin off. I just looked for a break from waves n then went n got mine i didn't miss any days. But i would do it now or in the spring the sun in the summer will destroy a new tattoo if you dont take care of it well.
Alright, I have quite a few... here's good low down... It is best to get one during the winter because there is no desire to go out in the sun and for the obvious reason the sun is bad for them. I've had one on my back since 2004 and NEVER put sunscreen on it and I get tan as ****tttt in the summer...and the colors are still good! It is true tho, they can fade a lot. Ideally, you have to wait 2 weeks before going surfing... don't push it earlier..and yes I have missed some nice swells cause of it... it sucks. You can get one in the summer..but you can't expose it to the sun at all for about 2 weeks or so but then you definitely have to put sun-block on it. Feel free to ask anymore questions..
I have over 50 tats most of wich are 10+ years old, and worked in a tat shop for a number of years. Yes in the summer you should protect it/them with sunscreen but Ive gone entire summers without it , looking like a mexican and all my tats are fine. The new 'inks' are pretty hardcore , long lasting/durable. Ive also surfed consecutive days with fresh work and as soon as Id get out I'd rinse it and put on a THIN layer of triple antibiotic and all those healed fine. Just go get your tat it'll be fine trust me.
thanks for all the info! i figured id be getting it soon and just hope i time it right and dont miss any swell cuz of it. i know if i got it in the summer that i will always forget to put sunblock on it because once i get a little tan i dont use sunscreen anymore since i wont burn and i just turn black from there.
If you get a freshy you can put the goo stuff antibotic stuff on it and a piece of saran wrap, then cover it with an ace bandage to prevent it from getting rubbed and bumped around from clothes/work. But don't leave that on all day.
I advise to do the complete opposite... it's well known. Once you get home from getting it done, don't ever wrap it again. This prevents it from breathing and healing properly. Yes, there most likely will be a mess from, USE BACITRACIN OINTMENT!!!, but that is what the was is for.
so im finally gettin my second one. and its gonna be on my back but im not gettin it til this thurs (4/30) and from what im seeing, you guys think it'll be solid to surf by the 16th/17th of may, ..i didnt have to worry about this with my other one bc i got it done in the winter, but this time its pushing it with summer coming up..
i actually got mine on the 15th of this month...i originally was gonna get it for my 18th bday in june but i was caught in the same situation you are with summer and the sun and surfing...so i changed the date..if i were you get it done now even though the weathers just starting to get nice..but you wont regret it when it comes to summer time.
I got one on my back. Just wait the 10+ days for it to heal good. Keep lotion on it. It'll be fine after that. If you go out in the sun within a month put sunscreen on it. After that its fine. I have just black ink, so its not a big deal to me. Still looks solid. Just keep it clean and you'll be fine.
so would now be a good time to get one eventhough your planning on spending alot of time in the sun in a couple months??
its not a matter of missing summer waves, i mean i live in north pines when im not in bmore for school i mean im always there, and its just now that i have enough money for the tat that i want and ive heard of guys gettin tats and surfing a few days after , but ifve also heard some horror stories and what not ...and the artists is really serious about not surfing for 2-3 weeks, so i just wanted some input
Well its all about how well you take care of it and keep it clean. It scabs a couple of times before it is fully healed and then your golden to go surfing. It depends on how fast it heals so you have to be the judge really.
Golden rule man: No matter what ANYONE tells you once you peel you are fine to do anything. Soaking is not good for it when it is healing neither is wearing a rubber suite and surfing for 2-3 hours while the suit rubs against the body. I am covered in tattoos and give it about a week and a half to two weeks. Like I said it all depends on when I peel/scabs come off. Another rule: You must keep suntan lotion on the tattoo for your whole life when you are in the sun. Unless you want it to fade and shrink which it will eventually do no matter what people are saying on here. It is a piece of artwork treat it as that and keep lotion on it when in the sun FOREVER. Unless you don't really care but that would be a damn waste of money having to go back for touch-up work when your tatt looks like **** after 10 years.
