Getting a tattoo is fun but taking proper aftercare can be a bit of a mood killer. There are many limitations you have to follow during the healing phase of your tattoo. Such as you cannot go for a swim, cannot exfoliate your skin, cannot use certain beauty products, etc. For me, one of the most annoying limitations is not able to wear tight clothing during the healing phase. Are you itching to wear tight clothes but not sure when can you wear them?
Tight clothing has been on the trend for a while. This clothing helps you look sharp and feel energetic. But tight clothing has its own pros and cons. And because of its cons, it is recommended to avoid wearing them while your tattoo heals. But when can you start wearing tight clothing after getting a tattoo? I will be elaborating on when can you do it and more in this piece.
Key Takeaways
- A tattoo is considered healing as long as it is in the weeping, scabbing, or peeling phase.
- After the tattoo is healed or the peeling phase has ended, you can wear tight clothes.
- Reasons not to wear tight clothes after getting a tattoo are fabric friction, increased irritation, disrupted healing, loss of tattoo color, preventing tattoos from getting fresh air, creating a breeding ground for bacteria, infection, allergies, and cloth getting stuck on the tattoo.
- Ways to know when you can wear tight clothes after getting a tattoo are no more pain or irritation, after 2 weeks, after the peeling phase has ended, the tattoo appears bright and clear.
- Things to wear after getting a tattoo are loose-fitted clothing, soft fabric, and breathable fabric.
Tattoo Healing Phase
While your tattoo heals, it will go through a few phases. Such as the weeping phase, scabbing phase, and peeling phase. For you to understand the proper time length after which you can wear tight clothes, first you need to understand these healing phases.
Weeping phase
Right after getting your tattoo, the weeping phase begins. It can last for about 24 hours. But in some cases, it may last for about 4 days. During this phase, the healing tattoo releases plasma, blood, excess ink, and other bodily fluids.
Scabbing phase
When the weeping ends, the scabbing phase begins. During this phase, scabs form over your healing tattoo. Scabs may cause dryness and slight itching in the healing area. This stage can last for 3 to 7 days.
Peeling phase
After the scab dries off and the healing is complete, then they fall off naturally. Scabs falling or peeling phase can last for a few days and it is the last stage of healing. By the the time this peeling ends your first layer of the skin or the epidermis layer of the skin will be completely healed.
9 Reasons Not to Wear Tight Clothes After Tattoo
Want to know the reasons why you should not wear tight clothes after getting a tattoo? I have listed a few reasons and elaborated on why you should not wear tight clothes after getting a tattoo.
1. Fabric friction
When fabric or your clothes get rubbed against your skin and cause friction, it is called fabric friction. You are supposed to avoid fabric friction while your tattoo heals. Because if you wear tight clothing, it can easily cause fabric friction on the healing area. Not wearing tight clothing or wearing them in a way so that the healing area stays exposed can be a good idea to avoid fabric friction.
2. Increased irritation
A healing tattoo may cause mild irritation but that is completely natural. But how would you feel if the irritation gets increased? Most likely you will not be happy about it. Your healing tattoo may get irritated because of fabric friction. Whenever you slightly move, the skin on the healing area would stretch and cause increased irritation. To avoid this increased amount of irritation you should not wear tight clothes after getting a tattoo.
3. Disrupted healing
Of course, you want the healing phase to end faster so that you can enjoy exfoliating your skin and go for a swim! But this healing phase could get disrupted if you wear tight clothing. The weeping phase, scabbing phase, and peeling phase, all three of these phase can be disrupted because of tight clothing. If you wear tight clothes your tattoo may have difficulty weeping, scabs may fall off prematurely, and your tattoo may face premature peeling.
4. Loss of tattoo color
You have inked a fine grey tattoo or watercolor tattoo. The color of the tattoo does not matter, as long as it looks vibrant you can rock that tattoo with confidence. But what if the precious new tattoo loses ink or color and becomes faded? Wearing tight clothes will cause fabric friction which could cause the scabs to fall off prematurely. Premature falling of scabs has the potential to fade your tattoo. Not to mention, healing skin getting rubbed against tight clothing continuously may lose some ink or tattoo color. To avoid this loss of tattoo color you should not wear tight clothes after getting a tattoo.
5. Preventing tattoos from getting fresh air
Your tattoo requires fresh air to heal properly. Not letting the healing tattoo get fresh air can cause overly moist skin which may lead to delayed healing time.
6. Creating a breeding ground for bacteria
Tight clothing can prevent the tattoo from getting fresh air and cause the area to get overly moist. An overly moist or saturated healing area is like a breeding ground for bacteria. It can cause bacterial overgrowth can cause many issues.
7. Infection
Wearing tight clothing can get bacteria and other contaminants on your healing tattoo and can cause an infection. Tight clothes can trap moisture which can cause the infection to grow even stronger.
8. Allergies
The fabric you choose to wear may cause irritation or allergic reaction if you wear tight fitting. Avoid any fabric that may cause an allergic reaction to your skin.
9. Cloth getting stuck on the tattoo
Bits of the cloth can get stuck in the soft and delicate healing tattoo if you wear clothes that are too tight. And when you try to get the bits of clothes out from the tattoo you may cause peeling and irritate the skin.
Adequate Time to Wear Tight Clothes After Tattoo
You should not wear any tight clothing while your tattoo heals. Wearing so may cause increased irritation, redness, infection, delayed healing and it may even ruin your healing tattoo. The fabric friction from tight clothing can be really dangerous for your tattoo. So, when can you wear tight clothes after getting a tattoo?
Simply put, you can wear it after your tattoo is initially healed. Wait till the healing phase is complete, and when the peeling phase is over which should be around 14 days after getting the tattoo, you can wear tight clothes.
I know waiting 2 weeks or more to wear tight clothes can be challenging for you. But to protect your new tattoo or healing tattoo from harm, this is mandatory. Fabric friction is a huge problem. Some of the other major problems are creating an overly moist environment, irritation, infection, clothes getting stuck on tattooed skin, etc. Not to mention any of these issues would naturally prolong the healing time of your tattoo. We all try so that the healing time ends fast but when the healing time gets prolonged it means we have to take special care of the tattoo for longer while experiencing irritation or mild pain. Longer healing time means you will not be able to wear tight clothes for longer periods of time.
Wear tight clothes make sure to do everything to fasten the healing of your tattoo and avoid doing anything that could disrupt the healing phase. Because you cannot wear tight clothes until the tattoo is fully healed.
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4 Ways to Tell When Can You Wear Tight Clothes After a Tattoo
There are many ways to tell when your tattoo is ready to handle tight clothing without facing any issues. A few such ways are:
1. No more pain or irritation
When you notice there is no pain or irritation on the tattooed area then it is time to wear your favorite tight clothes. No more pain or irritation means the tattoo has healed and it is safe to to wear any sort of clothing you want.
2. After 2 weeks
A tattoo in general usually heals within 2 weeks. So, after 2 weeks of time, you can wear tight clothes again, just like you used to wear them before getting the tattoo.
3. After the peeling phase has ended
Scabs will form over a healing tattoo but when the scabs fall off naturally or the peeling phase of the healing tattoo ends, then it is time to wear clothing without worrying about the tattoo. The end of the peeling phase means the tattoo has healed and it is no more susceptible to getting damaged from wearing tight clothes.
4. Tattoo appearing bright and clear
During the healing phase, your tattoo will appear a bit blurry. This blurriness happens because of crusts and scabs forming over your healing tattoo. But when you notice the tattoo is appearing bright and vibrant then it means you can wear tight clothes now.
What to Wear After Getting A Tattoo?
Now that you know why you should not wear tight clothes after getting a tattoo and when can you start wearing them again, it is crucial that you learn what sort of clothes to wear while the tattoo heals. I have elaborated on what to wear after getting a tattoo or while your tattoo heals below.
1. Loose-fitted clothing
As you know tight clothes can cause damage to your healing tattoo, so make sure to wear loose-fitted clothes. You can wear loose-fitted shirts, pants, t-shirts, etc. Just avoid any type of clothes that would stick to your skin.
2. Soft fabric
Make sure to cloth is made of soft fabric. If the fabric is hard then it can easily cause fabric friction and damage your healing tattoo. A few examples of soft fabrics are wool, cotton, silk, etc. Clothes made of these materials are soft and very comfortable to wear.
3. Breathable fabric
If the fabric or cloth you wear prevents air from getting through then it is an issue. Your healing tattoo requires fresh air to heal faster. So, make sure to wear breathable fabric so that your healing tattoo can stay refreshed and heal faster. Silk and cotton are some of the finest breathable fabrics out there.
FAQs
Can I wear tight clothes while my tattoo is still healing?
No, you should not wear tight clothes while your tattoo is still healing. A healing tattoo requires special care. Wearing loose-fitted clothing and avoiding tight-fighting clothing is one of the aftercare steps.
Should I avoid any tight clothing in particular?
Try not to wear any sort of tight clothing just to be safe. And strictly avoid tight clothing that puts pressure on your new tattoo such as compression garments.
What will happen if I wear tight clothes before my tattoo is healed?
Wearing tight clothes before your tattoo is healed can lead to many complications, such as:
- Infection
- Overly moist tattoo
- Fabric friction
- Increased irritation
- Disrupted healing phase
- Possibility of tattoo losing color
- Possibility of scarring
After how long should I wait to wear tight clothes after getting a tattoo?
Generally, you should wait for about 2 weeks after getting a tattoo to wear tight clothes. Because it takes around 2 weeks for any tattoo to heal. But if it takes longer for your tattoo to heal then you will have to wait till the tattoo is completely healed to wear tight clothes.
Can I wear leggings after getting my tattoo?
No, leggings are quite tight and you should avoid wearing any sort of tight clothes after getting your tattoo done. But if you wear a bandage over your tattoo, you may wear leggings. But make sure the tattoo does not suffocate and does not feel too much pressure.
Final Thoughts
There is nothing wrong with wanting to wear tight clothes and go out to rock some parties. But just hold onto your horses until your precious tattoo is completely healed. A healing tattoo is like a delicate princess, you need to take extra care, or else the outcome won’t be satisfactory. Wearing tight clothes may cause fabric friction, irritation, infection, overly moist tattoo, color loss, etc. Why would you risk such issues just to wear tight clothes?
Wait till the tattoo is healed or the peeling phase is over. After that, you can treat the tattooed area like regular skin and wear any sort of clothing you want.
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