Did you get a tattoo done or want to get it done? Getting a tattoo is an exciting thing, but at the same time, if you are a fitness freak or a yoga enthusiast, you must be wondering can you go to Hot Yoga after getting a tattoo?
This question becomes important especially when you don’t wish to miss a single day of your fitness activity.
But when it comes to Hot Yoga, one has to be more cautious. It has become a popular form of fitness in recent years. Hot Yoga is done in a warm room or under humid conditions. It offers the similar benefits as traditional yoga, but it is considered as a more intense workout as the room for Hot Yoga is heated above the average room temperature, making it more challenging.
But when you just got your tattoo done, is it ok to do Hot Yoga immediately? Lets look at it in more detail, in this blog.
Can I Do Yoga After Getting A Tattoo?
Can you think of doing yoga right after you get your tattoo done? This is a common question among people who are regular to their fitness regime.
Though yoga is not an intense workout, there are still some things you should keep in mind immediately after getting a tattoo.
A Yoga professional or even a tattoo artist will never recommend you to work out immediately after getting a tattoo, for at least up to 48 hours. It is always better to avoid any form of exercise for 2 to 3 days after a tattoo.
After a few days, one can start with basic level of yoga (no vigorous exercises) until the tattoo is properly healed. Doing yoga or any other exercise soon after getting a tattoo can cause many problems like infection, swelling, and discomfort.
Since yoga requires stretching and balancing, even yoga should be avoided for 2-3 days after getting a new tattoo.
When can I do Hot Yoga after a tattoo?
Experts say that you must wait for 3-5 days after getting a tattoo to do Hot Yoga.
Hot Yoga is a high-intensity exercise done in a hot and humid environment like a sauna. It involves a lot of stretching and makes you sweat a lot. Sweat is the enemy of good hygiene, and leads to the growth of yeast and infections on your wound. Doing Hot Yoga immediately after getting a tattoo can also cause other issues like rashes and swelling.
Hot Yoga should be completely avoided till your tattoo gets healed, whether it takes two days or four days.
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Why Wait For a Workout After Getting a Tattoo?
There are many reasons why you should wait a few days before you start working out, after getting a tattoo. We discuss some of these below:
Open Wound
Getting a tattoo on your skin means breaking the skin with hundreds of needles. This causes tiny wounds at the location of your tattoo. More importantly, it is an open wound. This is a fact, and when there is an open wound, there could be a chance that dirt or germs enter the skin.
So to avoid germs or bacteria affecting the wound of a tattoo, it is essential to hold on to the workout session. The most common way germs enter the skin is through open wounds, so why intentionally allow germs to enter the body by doing a workout right after tattooing?
Whether in a gym or at a Hot Yoga studio, there are many ways through which harmful bacteria can enter the skin, like contact with equipment, people or through air.
This is the main reason why professionals recommend that one must not work out with open wounds.
Stretching
Hot Yoga involves stretching exercises, so when a person is stretching a particular area, they would be putting strain on the muscles of that area, which further interrupts the healing process. Also, when you stretch the area where you have a fresh tattoo, it could also cause you pain and hinder the healing process.
Since Hot Yoga involves intense stretching, you must avoid working out till the time your tattoo is healed completely.
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Sweating
Some sweating is ok and expected for everyone, but excessive sweating can lead to problems in the first few weeks of getting inked. Since Hot Yoga is specially meant for excessive sweating, it must be avoided for the first few days after getting a new tattoo.
Sweating works as a disaster for a tattoo in the initial days. Heavy intensity activities must be prohibited until the layer has completed the stage of peeling.
Friction
One must avoid wearing clothes that easily stick to the skin and do not offer ventilation while doing yoga. While doing yoga, as your skin rubs against your clothes, it could lead to rashes or a burning sensation. This might get further aggravated with sweating from wearing tight clothes.
Although many fitness wear are based on a moisture-wicking technology that keeps the body dry, you should nevertheless, avoid wearing tight clothes when you get freshly inked. A new tattoo needs space to breathe. You must wear clothes that are made of cotton and allow better air flow.
How Long Do You Have To Wait Before Exercising After Getting A Tattoo?
Once your tattoo is completed, most tattoo artists recommend that a person waits for 48 hours to do any form of exercise. As exercise leads to stretching and sweating, it could hinder the healing process of your tattoo.
It generally takes 4 to 6 weeks for a tattoo to fully heal or rather the open wound of a tattoo to heal. So when you want to know how much you should wait for your exercise after getting a tattoo done, there has to be enough time until the tattoo is completely healed.
No matter what the size of the tattoo or where you have gotten it done, the minimum wait time must be 2 to 3 days.
Even after this time period, once you start exercising, avoid exerting that part of your body where you have recently gotten a tattoo. If the exercise is pulling or stretching your tattoo too much, you should not do it. For example, if you have gotten a tattoo done on your arms, avoid doing pull-ups or chin-ups for a few days.
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What To Avoid After Getting A Tattoo?
Aftercare of a tattoo is very important; here are some tips that you must follow to ensure you don’t spoil your tattoo.
Do not perform yoga outdoors
It is important to save your tattoo from the sun, so it is not advisable to exercise or do yoga outdoors. It is not that the sun can be harsh on a new tattoo’s skin, but the sun also fades and bleaches the tattoo sooner.
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Do not go for swimming
Tattoo artists recommend that you avoid swimming for at least two weeks; if you soak your new tattoo into the water before it is healed, it can break down the ink. Swimming can lead to infection, and water can expose the skin to harmful bacteria.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can heat mess up a tattoo?
When you are out in sunlight or under increased temperature, it can mess up your tattoo’s healing process. Your tattoo needs enough time to dry out and for your skin to cool down. Even heat can lead to bleeding, so it is important to avoid heated areas or temperatures to complete the healing process properly. Hence, doing hot yoga after getting a tattoo is not advisable.
How long does it take a tattoo to heal completely?
After getting a new tattoo, the outer layer of skin heals in 2 to 3 weeks, but in reality, the tattoo takes nearly six months to heal completely. Let us look at some tips on how can you reduce the healing time:
- Cover the tattoo with a cloth
- Apply the ointment; a tattoo artist usually provides that after a tattoo
- Keep your skin clean where you got the tattoo
Final Verdict
After getting a tattoo, your skin needs time for healing, so it is important you give it some rest before performing Hot Yoga. Minimum of 2 to 3 days are required before you can start doing hot yoga again.
