Wait one month. That is the rule we give everyone who gets tattooed at Ink’side, and it covers the sea, the pool and lying on the beach. Some studios say two to four weeks, so you will see different numbers online. The reason behind all of them is the same, and it matters most if your holiday is short.
Why you can’t just have a quick dip
A fresh tattoo is an open wound. The needle has opened the skin, and the skin needs time to close. Sea water carries salt and sand. Pool water carries chlorine. Neither is gentle on skin that is still healing, and a long soak softens the surface of the tattoo and can slow healing down.
Showers are different. You wash a new tattoo with neutral soap and water as part of the normal routine, so a short shower is fine. Our aftercare guide has the full routine.
What counts as swimming
Anything that puts the tattoo in water for a while:
- the sea, a lake or a river
- a hotel pool
Sitting on the beach without going in is not safe either. Sand, sweat and strong sun are all hard on a healing tattoo. We cover that in tattoos and the sun.
If your holiday is short
The order of your trip decides how much you give up.
A tattoo on day one of a week in Málaga means a week without the sea. A tattoo near the end of the trip means the first weeks of healing happen at home, where there is no beach to miss. That is why we suggest getting tattooed late in your stay. We go through timing, flying home and booking ahead in the tattoo on holiday guide.
If swimming matters more to you than getting the tattoo this week, wait until you are home. A tattoo you have to protect for a month is not much fun on a beach holiday.
When is it healed enough?
After the month, look at the skin. If it has no scabs, no peeling and no tenderness, it has healed. If you are not sure, send us a photo on WhatsApp and we will tell you.
If it got wet by mistake
It happens. Wash the tattoo gently with neutral soap and water, let it dry, and go back to your usual routine. Then keep an eye on it.
Message us if:
- the skin around the tattoo feels hot to the touch
- the redness spreads more than 3–4 cm around the tattoo
- it heals slowly and still has no firm scab after a long time
If you have pus, strong itching or pain, see a doctor.
Piercings follow their own rule
For a new piercing our aftercare asks you to keep away from the pool and the sea for the first two to three weeks, if you can. The details are in the aftercare guide.
Questions people ask
Can I shower after a tattoo?
Yes. Wash the tattoo once a day with neutral soap, as in the aftercare routine, and let it dry.
Is the sea worse than the pool?
We don’t rank them. Our rule is the same for both: one month.
What about a bath or a hot tub?
Our aftercare names the beach, sunbathing and swimming. A bath or a hot tub is a long soak in the same way, so we would wait too. Showers are fine.
Does a small tattoo need the full month?
Yes. Our rule is one month for every tattoo we do, whatever the size.
Why do other websites say two weeks?
Advice varies between studios and between people. Follow the rule of the artist who did your tattoo. Ours is one month.