Even in the hot summer months, you can get a great-looking tattoo that will last!  Benefits of getting tattooed in the summer include not having to wear as many clothes over your fresh tattoo, so there is less chafing, and it's easy to apply tattoo goo and lotion.  It is the best time of year for foot and ankle tattoos!

Some simple aftercare should be followed in the summer. Make sure that you keep your fresh tattoo out of the sun while it is healing!  Since you can't put on sunscreen until after it has healed, you can wear a light jacket over the area that was tattooed, or keep to shady areas for at least the first three days. Remember that after your tattoo is completely healed, you can and should apply sunscreen to it every time you are out in the sun to keep those colors bright!  We offer some really awesome UV protection in our aftercare kits that comes in a stick form.  This way you can apply it to your tattoo with precision but still get sun on the rest of your skin, if you choose.

Don't submerge your fresh tattoo in a bath or pool for long periods of time. Chlorinated water can and will lighten your new tattoo, so make sure to wait two weeks before swimming in a chlorinated pool or hot tub. While ocean water is OK for your new tattoo, don't stay in the water for more than 10 minutes at a time.  You don't want the top layer of skin to peel too quickly, which can cause loss of your pigment.  When you stay in the water and turn into a human prune, that top layer of skin will separate from the healing new skin underneath too quickly, leaving it vulnerable and exposed before it had a chance to seal in all that gorgeous ink.  So just relax, take in the ocean goodness a few minutes at a time, and if you can, wait a week or two before swimming.

The longer you stick to the aftercare basics, which you can find on the tattoo aftercare page  on our website, the better your tattoo will heal. So remember, you can still enjoy the summer sun and beaches, and have a great looking new tattoo.  Bring that umbrella and take short swim sessions, and the outdoors is yours to enjoy!