Tattoos and exercising

I have one on each wrist. For both of them, I went to work at a fried chicken joint within hours after getting them done. I slathered them up with neosporin, wrapped them under saran wrap, and I was good.

The colors are still bright and amazing 8 years later, and they healed up just fine (I unwrapped them and cleaned them after work each night, of course).

I know some folks say using neosporin is bad, so use your judgement on that. Not sure where you are getting the work done, but it did feel sore when I bent my wrists (which was all day).

Oh also be careful about where it is...does it run to your waist or potentail areas which may become stretched again i.e when having babies. This is something i took into consideration as i didnt want mine to stretch out like ive seen on other people

I had one done on my lower back and of all my tattoos this was the worst as far as healing. Everytime I bent at the waist the scab would break- it took a long time to heal. All my other tattoos were not to bad and healed quickly. I can only assume a treadmill, stairclimber etc wouldn't be to bad on ya- but anything that required alot of bending or twisting and turning may prove to be sensitive. I would just keep it mousterized constantly with some ointment- this may help with sweat getting into it as well. I would avoid the pool till completely healed the chlorine could wash out the color. Back in the day we used Bactine, vaseline or hydrocortisone cream and we kept it covered. I do not know what is used these days, some no longer cover their's. But ask your artist what is best.

Where you get it and the size also makes a difference. My first was about the size of a flip-phone and on my ankle. No biggy, no pain.. the one on my back was about the size of 1/4 of my back and took 6 hours. It was misery for a week and I couldn't wear a bra the entire time!!

I just got my fifth and was in the gym the next day, ran the Devil Dash a week later. This one is on my forearm so I just watch to make sure it doesn't rub against anything while it heals. You would be surprised how much your arm scrapes against your body when you are really paying attention.

If you do any aqua workout you may want to postpone that for at least for the first two weeks. I teach aqua but I teach from the deck and only jump in if a member needs me so its been pretty easy to stay dry though I REALLY miss the hot tub.

I think everyone is different. Neither of mine ever scabbed up. Mine are upper arm and ankle so both touch clothes all the time (except on short pants days) and no issues at all with rubbing on clothes either.

I would think as long as you clean it well with soap and water and then use your unscented lotion as they recommend you will be fine. Just ask your artist when you go in and they can give you better advice since they do that for a living.

Dont use A&D. LOL Your ink is not BUTT. Use Cure'l Advanced healing lotion. and yeah...you can work out the next day. Cover it up to ensure the sterility of the environment. You DONT want it to get infected.

You can use A&D. Plenty of tattoo artist actually use it during the tattoo process. For the first 2-3 days you will be putting antibiotic ointment or A&D on the tattoo. You rub it in so the skin can breathe. After 2-3 days, you'll go to fragrance free plain lotion. Also depending on your artist is whether they recommend covering the piece. If you do cover it during workout sessions, make sure to clean immediately after, because the sweat being trapped can cause an infection.

Now to answer the real question, the day after getting work done is the most sensitive for me. I had to take a 1 day break after getting two pieces of my sleeve done. The rib cage is a high motion area, so it may be tender during exercise. With every tattoo I get, I let my body tell me if it can handle the workout. Trust your instincts once you have the work done, and good luck!