A lot of people are worried about the pain and discomfort of getting a new tattoo, but there is also a lot of aftercare. If you don’t get it right then you can end up experiencing a lot of pain or even damaging the tattoo itself. The last thing you want is to get an infection. In this guide, we look at how to sleep with a new tattoo. What are the precautions you need to take?
Can you sleep on a new tattoo?
In an ideal world, you would be able to sleep and not have to worry about the tattoo. Actually, tattoos are effectively open wounds. This means that you need to take some precautions.
Going days without sleep isn’t an option. People have different techniques. If you can, you should try to avoid sleeping directly on the tattoo. For instance, if you have a tattoo on your back, try to sleep on your front and let the tattoo breathe.
A lot of tattoo artists recommend sleeping with the wrap that was put on. Others recommend re-wrapping, or just applying healing ointment and keeping the tattoo clean. The important thing is avoiding infection.
How to sleep with a new tattoo on the arm?
If the tattoo has been wrapped by your tattoo artist, keep it wrapped. If you need to moisturize it and provide your tattoo with ointment, you should take the wrap off, and rewrap the tattoo afterward.
Always clean and moisturize the tattoos, and ensure that you try and sleep on the other side, avoiding the arm you have got tattooed touching the bedding.
Should I wrap my tattoo when I sleep?
Yes! After 48 hours of getting a tattoo, the skin is irritated and bloody, it It’s not always easy to control what your body does while you are sleeping, so don’t worry too much. This is where preventative measures can be really helpful.
How long before you can sleep on a new tattoo?
You can sleep on the night you get your tattoo, and it isn’t a problem, just as long as you follow some precautions.
Knowing how to sleep with a new tattoo is more about managing the tattoo than avoiding sleep.
The best tips to sleep on the new tattoo
Let’s explore how not to worry about the tattoo condition when you wake up. There are also tips to ensure that you don’t get the ink from your tattoo on your bed sheets or end up ruining them!
- Applying ointment can be a way to create a barrier between the tattoo and anything that will potentially cause infection. Don’t use vaseline as this will not let your tattoo breathe. Specific tattoo ointments are required.
- Change your bedsheets and use old sheets for sleeping. It’s not unusual for some seeping to take place. If your tattoo comes in touch with the sheets then you can ruin your bedsheets, ink is not designed to wash out. It’s a good idea to sleep using old sheets you don’t mind throwing away.
- You can shower before you sleep, but keep showers short, and do not put the showerhead directly over the area you have had tattooed, as this can cause damage to the tattoo and skin, plus it can hurt.
- Talk to your tattoo artist. They should give you a guide to aftercare. Depending on whether they have decided to wrap the tattoo and what they have used to create the tattoo may influence how the tattoo needs to be cared for.
- Elevate the tattoo if you can. This helps the blood flow and can allow the tattoo to heal much quicker. This makes sleep easier and means you don’t have to worry so much about sleep.
- Moisturize your tattoo. This can make your sleep much more comfortable and easy. If you don’t, the skin can get tight and itchy, and this can make it hard to even get to sleep.
- Germs are the enemy. The absolute worst-case scenario is getting an infection. Keeping your tattoo clean is absolutely imperative, otherwise, it can cause you health issues.
Aftercare is absolutely vital for your tattoo and you should always follow the tips that your tattoo artist gives you. Keep the tattoo clean and moisturized, as well as wrapping and re-wrapping to keep it isolated. Your tattoo should never be subjected to germs or bacteria or you might end up with a trip to a doctor or emergency room. If the tattoo doesn’t start to heal or if it seeps up then you may have to seek medical attention or at least contact the tattoo shop where you got inked. It can also leave scars.