I found myself on the hottest day of July in Atlanta with a fresh tattoo—a gorgeous bundle of neotrad magnolias on my shoulder, with leaves poking up onto my neck. I had my usual mental checklist of tattoo aftercare: staying hydrated, eating healthy foods, and vitamin C for an immunity boost. After all, this was tattoo #29 on my body and I considered myself a pro.
So when my mother-in-law surprised my spouse and me with same-day tickets to a Braves game on a 96 degree afternoon with no clouds in sight, I frantically dug through my suitcase to find a shirt with a collar to protect my new tattoo from the sun. To my horror, I only packed tank tops.
The rest of my group entered the stadium while I hung back and wandered through the consumerist fever dream of Truist Park—a cluster of corporate chains, fan merch shops, and what seemed like 3 Cheesecake Factories—in search of a shirt, a bandana, something to cover my neck from the sun. I grabbed an overpriced, ugly, peasant-style faux linen top and spent the next excruciating 3 hours looking down at my neck every 2 minutes and trying to stay cool to keep sweat from pooling under my second skin bandage.
If only I got this tattoo in winter, I repeated to myself, a time when wearing turtlenecks and scarves over a healing tattoo was not only socially acceptable, but crucial to ensuring that my ink doesn’t sit out in the sun.
But that’s not the only reason why winter is the best time to get tattooed. Here are our top 5 reasons why you should get tattooed this season.
You’ll have more protection from the sun.
Like my sob story illustrates, you’re much more likely to protect your tattoo from the sun in winter. Pants and long sleeve shirts offer a much-needed barrier from UV rays. Of course, once your tattoo has gotten rid of most of the scabbing/flaking after 2 weeks, you should be applying 50+ SPF sunscreen to your tattoo to ensure full protection, but your chances of keeping your skin untouched by sun are much higher in winter.
You’re more likely to keep your tattoo clean and sweat-free.
All your fun outdoor hobbies and activities are usually happening in warmer weather, right? Gardening, mountain biking, swimming, camping, basketball, long romantic walks on the beach. That’s a lot of exposure to dirt, dust, and little particles of god-knows-what sticking to your skin—and a freshly lotioned tattoo is like a magnet for whatever dirt is floating around.
A more active lifestyle makes you more susceptible to sweat. When you’re wearing your medical adhesive bandage (sometimes referred to as Second Skin, Tegaderm, or Saniderm) for 3-5 days after your appointment, sweat can pool up underneath, leaving your tattoo—an open wound—trapped in liquid. Soaking in water, sweat, pools, or hot tubs are one of the worst things you can do for your new tattoo because it can cause infection from exposure to bacteria hiding in those liquids.
Soaking can also leech ink from the tattoo, resulting in a much less vibrant tattoo when it heals. It’s a lot easier to protect your costly investment in its first few weeks than to throw caution to the wind and deal with getting touch-ups and reworking your poorly healed tattoo.
You can avoid having to show off awkward, half-finished work in between sessions.
Winter is also the perfect time to get larger work done. If your project requires multiple sessions (with time to heal in between) you can get started in the winter and have a fully healed piece ready to show off by the time warm weather rolls around.
Some people feel anxious having unfinished, first- or second-session tattoos in visible places. When folks ask “what’s your tattoo supposed to be?” or “why did you decide to only get outlines done?,” having to repeat “it’s not finished yet!!” can be annoying and frustrating. If this sounds like something that could stress you out, you can avoid those encounters by starting that large-scale project in winter when you can cover it up.
Cold weather means fewer beach days and pool parties.
You don’t have to worry about covering your fresh tattoo with a towel wrapped around you like a toga. And you don’t have to be the weirdo in the pool with their arm above their head to keep their tattoo out of water—there are better ways! Focus less on readjusting your beach wrap every 5 minutes and more on enjoying your ice-cold drink with friends.
Beat the crowds!
When you’re planning a vacation, do you look up how to avoid the high tourist season? Why wouldn’t you do the same when booking your tattoo appointment? Summer is a popular time to get tattooed—people want to show off their tattoos, they want to travel to get tattooed by a particular artist, or they’re in a happier mood to get an impulsive little tattoo after Saturday brunch. During winter, artists generally have more time in their books to schedule you. Pull the trigger on requesting your custom idea before the rush!
Thanks to my persistence in finding sun coverage for those harrowing hours, I avoided all the risks and traps of taking care of a fresh tattoo, and it healed beautifully. Remember: there is no wrong time to get a tattoo! However, winter is an ideal choice for someone (like me!) who tends to be a little more stressed by the extra thought and preparation that goes into protecting your fresh tattoo in the warmer months.
Ready to book your tattoo appointment this winter? Fill out Logan Square Tattoo’s booking form and let’s get started!