Can you play sports after getting a tattoo

As it heals, your tattoo will start to scab over, which is normal. This can cause the scabs to fall off too soon, which can leave holes or light spots on the tattoo. Avoid soaking in the bathtub as well. The water may also be carrying dirt, bacteria, or other chemicals that can infect your tattoo. Table of Contents. Playing basketball on the court, you can come across other sweaty human beings and or dirty equipment such as basketballs, the floor court , and dirty shoes.

If that transfers over to the skin it could get dirt in the area and can become an issue. You must give yourself time to heal before strenuous basketball to absolutely avoid it. Covering up the tattoo will not fully protect it, also putting too much bandage on it might make you feel hot and itchy causing you to want to scratch at it.

DO Make sure your clothing is clean and not a couple of games old as there are lots of bacteria and sweat on the clothing. DO make sure that if you are going to play wrap the tattoo accordingly. If you get a small tattoo on the side of your leg there is less of a chance anything may happen in a basketball game that may affect it.

Even with a bandage covering the tattoo, it will not prevent the damage that may be done, I would not attempt to play if that is where the tattoo is. So use discretion, talk to the artist they usually have been doing this sort of thing for many years and they have heard every story imaginable in regards to athletes and ink. So if you are thinking you want to play basketball but are unsure just ask your self is it worth it?

Can you wait a few days more at least? If you are willing to risk it playing ball make sure to look further down in this article on instructions on how to cover the tattoo correctly. Caring for a Tattoo The following information is from wikihow. Once the tattoo is complete, your tattoo artist will clean the area, apply an antibacterial ointment, and cover the tattoo with a bandage or plastic.

Once you have left the tattoo parlor, resist the temptation to open the bandage. The bandage is there to protect your tattoo from dirt and bacteria and should be left on for up to 3 hours before you remove it.

Since different tattoo artists have different methods of wrapping new tattoos, ask your tattoo artist when they recommend removing the bandage.

Some artists may not wrap the tattoo at all, depending on the products and techniques they use. If you leave the bandage on longer than the artist suggests, you are more prone to infection and the ink may bleed. Washing your hands beforehand will help prevent your tattoo from getting infected when you go to touch it. To remove the bandage more easily, you can apply warm water to it to prevent the bandage from sticking to your skin. Do not use a washcloth, loofah, or any sponge to clean the tattoo, as these may harbor bacteria.

At this stage, you want the tattoo to be able to breathe and avoid excess moisture from sweat. Make sure your gear is clean and free of any fragrances that may irritate your healing skin. Do not swim for at least two weeks after getting a tattoo.

Natural bodies of water, like oceans and lakes, are teeming with bacteria that may infect your skin, and chemically treated pools may also cause irritation and infection. Soaking your tattoo before it is healed can also cause the ink to break down. Avoid outdoor exercise that may expose your tattoo to the sun. The skin around the tattoo is very sensitive, and direct sunlight can bleach and fade your new ink.

Finally, avoid any contact sports where your tattoo may be bumped, stretched or grabbed. Fitness Workouts Exercises and Workouts. By Maureen Malone Updated May 9, Lisa Maloney, CPT. Lisa holds a personal trainer certification through the University of Alaska Anchorage, with more than 4, hours of hands-on experience working with a variety of client needs, from sports teams to post-rehab populations and weight loss, in one-on-one, small group and large group settings.

Now, as you can see, working out after getting a tattoo is surely not a good idea. There are a few ways and tips on how you can stay active even when freshly tattooed, but some factors of risk must be considered. The riskier the placement of the tattoo on the body, the lower the chance you will be able to properly exercise after getting tattooed. That is the general rule. Now, if the tattoo is placed somewhere where the skin tends to stretch and sweat the most, you should avoid working out.

For example, if the tattoo is placed on the torso, around knees, elbows, around the armpit area, or hands, you may want to delay your workout routine for some time. Also, this part can be tricky because there are so many sports and physical activities, and each of them affects different parts of the body.

So, to sum up, if the workout, exercise, or sports activity directly affects the tattooed area by stretching, pulling, increasing friction, and could get hit then DO NOT exercise with a fresh tattoo.

If the tattoo is properly covered with wrapping and looser clothes, and not directly affected by the activity, then you could try doing some light exercising. We still want you to bear in mind the sweating and the increase of body temperature, which could still pose risk for tattoo healing.

As we mentioned, not every workout and activity is the same, and each affects different muscles and body areas. So, to determine whether you should do your regular workout routine, we must address the type and the intensity of your workout.

Lifting weights affects the whole body since the intensity and the pressure on the body is incredible. So, avoid doing any types of workout that are physically intense and can result in heavy sweating. Avoid running for a long time, lifting weights, and overly stretching.

An intense workout can lead to the popping of the tattoo since the new skin is forming and the blisters are fresh and fragile. And even if you do plan on doing some light working out, we still DO NOT recommend you do it too early into the tattoo healing process. If your workout takes place outside in the field, or inside, in the gym, is it important to know that the area where you workout is as clean as possible.

First of all, we would strongly recommend you stop working out outside; the world is full of bacteria and viruses which could easily grab on your body and enter it through the open wound that is your tattoo. Secondly, if you have even the slightest doubt that your gym is squeaky clean and that the equipment is regularly disinfected and cleaned, do not work out there, especially with a fresh tattoo.

The gym is the perfect place for bacteria and virus spreading , so, unless you want your tattoo to infect, try working out from the comfort of your home for a while. You need to be careful when working out in order to avoid the highly probable risks of over-stretching and subjecting it to bacteria. Your running tights or yoga pants, no matter how stretchy they could be, can cause you problems if they are too tight around your new tattoo.

For about three weeks, therefore, you should avoid wearing tight clothing or any other clothing that might rub against or irritate the tattoo. While at it, avoid wearing clothes that expose your tattoos to the sun, especially if you love running or jogging past midday when the sun is hottest. Too much heat can cause your tattoo to peel and itch.

Swimmers leave their sweat, urine, feces, body oils, spits and many other body excretions in water after swimming. These excretions may contain bacteria that can infect your tattoo. If you swim in natural water bodies such as lakes and rivers, watch out for algae build up as it can react severely with the skin around your tattoo.

Besides causing infections, swimming or taking part in activities that over-moisturize your tattoo can cause the ink to break down, leak out, and fade away. If you know your body sweats excessively after certain workouts, it is advisable that you avoid them for a couple of weeks and when you eventually resume, be sure to wear moisture-wicking clothing in order to keep sweat away from your new ink.

Using a towel to wipe out sweat would also be a great idea. Of course, the dead skin and scabby layer within and around your tattoo will soon start peeling off. When exercising intensely, your clothes might pick off scabs from the tattoo, causing itchiness and irritation. If the itchiness gets out of hand, you will find yourself scratching the tattoo instinctively.