A sauna that employs infrared light to generate radiant heat directly against the skin is known as an infrared sauna.
Let’s get straight into ‘does an infrared sauna affect tattoos?’ The term “far-infrared sauna” refers to the wavelengths of infrared light that fall beyond the visible light spectrum.
Heat is used in a typical sauna to warm the air and heat your body. Infrared saunas heat your body directly rather than the air surrounding you.
Saunas are popular because they produce emotions comparable to those caused by a moderate workout, such as elevated heart rate and perspiration.
An infrared sauna achieves these effects at cooler temperatures than a traditional sauna, making it suitable for those unable to withstand the warmth of a traditional sauna.
Does an infrared sauna affect tattoos?
First and foremost, what does it mean to have a new tattoo? A tattoo that is only a few hours old cannot be brought into the sauna area as moisture and heat could be bad for it.
Typically, new tattoos are protected and disinfected with a foil. The skin that has recently been tattooed is reddish, very sensitive, and prone to irritation. Because of these considerations, you need to wait until the tattoo has fully healed before you visit a sauna.
Pro Tip: Don’t visit the sauna after getting a new tattoo!
Even if you aren’t in a sauna, sweating excessively in the first two to three weeks after getting a new tattoo might damage it as it causes excessive moisture. Excessive moisture, regardless of source, could have similar negative effects on the new tattoo. Even swimming or bathing can mess up the healing process.
Steam room and steam sauna are two things you should avoid after receiving a new tattoo until it has completely healed. Depending on the tattoo’s position, your age, the kind of tattoo, the expertise of your tattoo artist, and your attention to aftercare recommendations, your tattoo will take 2 to 5 weeks to heal at the surface of the skin.
Hence, avoid saunas after getting a new tattoo and wait for it to heal first.
What if the new tattoo is only a few days old?
Always listen to the recommendations of your tattoo artist, but generally, you should be able to visit the sauna after the newly inked skin parts are pain-free and healed.
Again, this typically takes 2-5 weeks.
After that, the minor skin injuries created by every needle poke were sufficiently healed. This is the case objectively when all anomalies on freshly tattooed skin, such as redness or tiny swellings, have entirely disappeared.
When this occurs, it is readily obvious to a variety of people. Although some are unpleasant and seem unnoticeable after two weeks or three weeks, you can still notice others even after a month.
It still isn’t advisable to exit the sauna having a new tattoo. Individual sensitivity is key here, and waiting slightly longer is better rather than risking severe irritation of the freshly tattooed skin regions, and the resulting consequences.
What about after the tattoo has healed?
It’s common to worry that the humid, hot air and excessive sweat would harm a fresh tattoo, especially if it’s fairly new. Do not put anything over a properly stitched and perfectly healed tattoo.
And anyway, ink particles are found in the inner layers of the flesh and are impacted by heat and sweat in both tested and authorized tattoo inks. Therefore, if all heals well, is not painful, and is unaffected by saltwater, you may start thinking about your future sauna visit.
We advise that you make your decision based on your personal preferences. After two weeks to four weeks, you will be able to try out that sauna session with your new tattoo.
The skin is the body’s greatest organ, and sauna heat causes sweat and stimulates vasodilation, heart rate, and blood circulation, all of which enhance the flow of blood to the skin and help maintain it looking young and vibrant. All of these health benefits are also beneficial to your cardiovascular health. The heat also aids in the opening and cleansing of pores.
Infrared Saunas and Tattoos: The Lowdown
Tattoo Healing Time
The amount of time it takes for your tattoo to be healed completely depends on its placement. A tattoo around a joint (such as the ankle or hand) or any place that flexes (such as the wrist) may take more time to heal than one on a non-moving area.
Bigger tattoos and those with complex colorwork will take more time to completely heal fully. However, please remember that the length of time it takes to mend or the healing time is highly dependent on the individual’s biology.
Keep the bandage around for at least a few hours as a general rule, particularly if you intend to spend the remainder of the day out somewhere. Before taking off the dressing at home, make sure you clean your hands.
Keep in mind that a new tattoo area is an open wound. It can be harmed or the healing process slowed by dirt or germs. After removing the dressing, wash the tattoo with your artist’s suggested cleaner or a soft, unscented soap bar. It would help if you avoided any soap containing scents or alcohol since these chemicals might irritate the skin, which is like an open wound.
After you’ve washed the area, gently wipe it dry with a clean cloth. Don’t rub, whatever you do. Rubbing can cause the ink to slip out and tug at the skin. Moreover, refrain from getting the tattoo wet.
Apply a little coating of your artist’s prescribed ointment or a light, odorless lotion if you have itchy, dry skin. You should avoid using anything containing irritants like scent or alcohol, just as you should avoid using the cleaner.
Most tattoo artists will offer you a breakdown of how to care about your new tattoos and send you home with instructions. Always follow the aftercare recommendations provided by your artist, as it will help heal any damage done to the skin completely.
Pro Tip: Always follow the aftercare recommendations provided by your artist.
Don’t be alarmed if your tattoo begins to flake or peel. This is a natural aspect of the healing process that often lasts until the completion of the initial seven days. Picking at it will result in ink fallout, which will destroy your work; hence, wait for it to heal.
The Tattoo Healing Process
Tattoos move through phases that are both natural and necessary for healing. You may break down the process of healing into four phases:
1. Redness and oozing
The tattoo artist would bandage your tattoo. They will notify you whenever it’s time to take it off, which might be anything from a few hours to a week.
You may see fluid leaking from your healing tattoo or that the underlying skin is quite red when you take the bandage off. It’s also common to observe ink leaking from the tattoo, referred to as “weeping.”
This will most likely last seven days or so. However, if the oozing and redness don’t go away, you should see your doctor.
2. Scratching
It’s typical for wounds to itch as they heal, and a tattoo is nothing more than a wound.
Your new tattoo will likely sting and peel in the first and second weeks. Refrain from scratching it. Applying a little lotion to the affected area might help. You can also dull the itch by putting an ice cube over your clothing.
If it becomes severe, consult your doctor about taking an antihistamine over-the-counter.
3. Removing the peel
Your tattoo will most likely peel in the second, third, and fourth weeks. This skin is peeling off as the body’s normal response to what it sees as harmful.
The tattoo will not peel off on its own. It’s simply a part of the procedure as it takes time to heal. It demonstrates how good your tattoo is being healed.
4. Follow-up
Your tattoo will seem bright and fully healed after the first month. In the first few weeks, it’s easy to forget about aftercare, but it’s critical to continue for several months. This will aid in keeping the tattoo clean and looking its best.
Aftercare is crucial to the entire healing of your tattoo. To guarantee optimal recovery, follow these steps:
- When your tattoo artist tells you to, remove the bandages used at the tattoo parlor from your tattoo. This might happen immediately following the treatment or up to a week later.
- Two to three times a day, gently cleanse your tattoo with normal soap and water.
- By the conclusion of the first week, use an unscented moisturizing lotion.
- Over the tattoo, wear loose clothes.
If you employ a tattoo dry healing procedure, you don’t use any moisturizer as a component of your aftercare regimen. You do, however, adhere to the other guidelines, such as trying to avoid the sun until the wound can fully heal.
According to proponents of dry healing, eliminating moisturizers (which may include artificial substances) reduces the risk of allergic response or skin irritation. On the other hand, the absence of too much moisture makes you subject to itching.
A New Tattoo!
A tattoo offers greater than simply an artistic work or a method to express yourself. Since the artist involves a syringe to inject the ink beneath your skin, it’s also medical treatment. Every time your skin is opened, you expose yourself to scars and infections.
By carefully looking after your tattoo, you may avoid these difficulties and guarantee that the tattoo has healed correctly. This is a collaborative effort between you and your tattoo artist. It would be best if you also looked after your new tattoo at home and saw a licensed and respected tattoo artist.
However, determining how to care for your tattoo might be difficult. In many states, tattoo artists are not required to offer aftercare instructions. States that need aftercare instructions frequently allow the artist to choose which details to include.
Continue studying for a step-by-step guide on caring for your tattoo, including product recommendations and more.
A sauna’s dry heat might be just as damaging as soaking your healing tattoo in water.
Allow sufficient time to heal your tattoo before exposing it to water. This isn’t to imply you can’t wash or shower; you have to be aware of how much wetness you’re exposing yourself to. It’s advised to do a brief pass with soap and water, so a quick shower is OK. However, that lengthy, steamy shower of a half-hour is off the table until your tattoo has fully healed.
The same fundamental aftercare recommendations are applicable if you’ve just had a laser tattoo removal as when it was new.
Although the healing process differs, visiting a sauna or a steam room excessively soon involves a risk of infection and disruption of the healing process.
Sweating is considered a terrible thing, and steam rooms cause it. Hence there are no saunas here.
Conclusion
In conclusion, never enter the sauna while your tattoo is still healing. A new tattoo is an open wound that you must never expose to moisture for an extended time.
So, to answer your question, ‘does infrared sauna affect tattoos,’ saunas are designed to make you sweat, and they may be just as terrible as complete immersion in water. Excessive sweating when you have a fresh tattoo might cause infection or permanent damage to the tattoo.
