You should ideally wait at least 48 hours, and preferably longer, to drink alcohol after getting a tattoo because it thins your blood, causes dehydration, weakens your immune system, and can lead to excessive bleeding, scabbing, and poor healing, potentially ruining the ink and increasing infection risk. For best results, give your body the first couple of days to start healing before having even a small amount, and avoid heavy drinking until it's fully healed (weeks).
Wait 48 hours to drink alcohol after getting your new tattoo. Alcohol reduces the antibodies available in your body inhibiting the natural healing process following your tattoo. To put it another way, we like alcohol and we love tattoos, but they should always be enjoyed separately.
Alcohol can cause prolonged bleeding even after the tattoo session is complete. This can lead to excessive scabbing and potential scarring, which can affect the overall look of your tattoo. Prolonged bleeding also increases the risk of infection, as bacteria can enter the open wound more easily.
If you're getting small and/or fine tattoos such as lines and dots, your waiting time before resuming workouts will be on the shorter end of the spectrum “A good rule of thumb is to wait at least 48 hours after getting a tattoo before engaging in any physical activity,” shares board-certified, cosmetic dermatologist ...
New tattoo care: After the first 48 hours
Don't try to hurry the process, as this could cause scarring, and take extra care when washing. Be sure to continue washing your tattoo once or twice a day and apply a fragrance-free moisturizer to aid healing.
Here's a handful of bad habits that are top of the list of things tattoo artists hate.
Sweat itself won't ruin a new tattoo, but excessive sweating can create a breeding ground for bacteria and interfere with the healing process. This could lead to issues like fading, blurring, or infection. Proper aftercare is essential to minimize these risks.
Tattoos take 2-4 weeks to heal on the surface, and 3-6 months for the skin underneath to heal. Avoid direct sunlight on your tattoo for at least four weeks to help with healing. Get medical attention if you develop signs of an infection or allergic reaction.
Following proper aftercare instructions is crucial to ensure the best results. You need to keep the tattoo clean and moisturized while avoiding sun exposure to prevent any further fading.
Thinned Blood
Researchers have found that as few as 2 drinks can impair platelets' ability to clump together, which is essential for blood clotting. Because alcohol decreases your normal blood clotting ability, you may experience increased bleeding during the tattoo session.
You can drink now. You're not supposed to drink while getting a tattoo, but you can drink after a tattoo as long as you don't have any underlying health conditions. Alcohol slows all kinds of healing, but if you're a relatively healthy person that's negligible.
Being hungover for a tattoo is definitely not fun, but it actually has a similar affect to getting tattooed while drunk. Alcohol dehydrates the body and thins the blood and can potentially cause more pain while getting tattooed as well as the tattoo not healing properly and/or fading because the skin is unhealthy.
Since we need platelets to help in clot formation and alcohol reduces this ability, it's advisable not to drink alcohol for at least 24 hours leading up to your tattoo appointment.
It's important to steer clear of alcohol atleast 24 hours before your appointment. Alcohol can thin your blood, potentially leading to excessive bleeding during the tattooing process.
When you drink alcohol after tattoo sessions, your body responds differently. Alcohol thins your blood, which causes more bleeding and can flush out ink before it sets into the skin properly. That can lead to a patchy result, slower healing, and in some cases, permanent fading. It's not just about blood.
After getting a tattoo, avoid picking or scratching it, submersion in water, tight clothing, and exposure to direct sunlight. Avoid harsh products, including scented soaps, petroleum jelly, and medicated ointments, unless your artist or dermatologist recommends them.
Bepanthen is one of the most highly recommended tattoo aftercare products and is the go-to ointment for many tattoo artists and studios. Typically used as a nappy rash ointment, Bepanthen has been around for a long time, and its gentle formula is used to treat babies with irritated skin.
You have a rash or bumpy skin around your tattoo
If you notice a rash or lumpy, bumpy skin around your new tattoo, this could be something to worry about. Any itching that seems extreme, or rashes and cracked skin, could indicate infection.
Is it OK to wear clothes over a new tattoo? Yes, but try not to after the few initial days after application. If you do, make sure you change your clothes frequently. In our experience, tattoos can weep onto the clothes and if you don't change them, it can cause infection.
Signs of a Tattoo Infection
You can usually shower after a new tattoo, but wait at least 24 hours if it's wrapped in a regular bandage, or shower immediately if it has a special waterproof bandage (like Saniderm), following your artist's specific instructions for both types of coverings. When showering, use lukewarm water, mild unscented soap, keep it short, avoid direct pressure, gently pat dry with a clean towel, and don't soak it.
A $2000 tattoo can range from a detailed half-sleeve to a large, intricate thigh or chest piece, or even the beginning of a full back or sleeve, often taking multiple sessions and significant artist hours (8+ hours) for complex designs, but it depends heavily on the artist's skill, location, and the design's intricacy.
Tattoo artists inject white ink deeper into the skin than black or colored ink. Unfortunately, white ink molecules do not hold in place well and require extreme stretching of the skin and heavy applications to be visible. As a result, white ink tattoos over ten years will become distorted and faded.
No, $200 an hour is generally not considered a lot for a professional, experienced tattoo artist in 2025-2026, often falling into the standard or even lower-mid range, especially in major cities or for specialized styles like realism or fine-line work, though rates vary significantly by location, artist demand, and expertise. While some talented artists charge around $100-$150/hour, high-demand or highly specialized artists can easily charge $250-$300+ per hour.