Tattooing is an invasive procedure where the human skin in a specific destined area is punctures to imprint the tattoo design permanently. It operates on the deep layer of the skin with the use of injecting ink, needles, dyes, and pigments. This is a complicated process that has some link to your health.
Once you book an appointment with the tattoo artist then you might be given a briefing about what to expect before and after the procedure. Still, people have a lot more questions on which they seek clarity. One such question is about drinking water after you are done with your tattoo procedure. This is a very valid question and we will be discussing this at length in this guide.
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Is it OK to drink after getting a tattoo?
Let us clear first that by drinking, we mean alcohol here. Water consumption however is important to keep you hydrated all the time. Any restriction in consumption of any food product or liquid is just asked to allow sufficient time for initial healing to be done all naturally. The need is to minimize the chances of making things complicated by consuming any doubtful thing for few hours.
Alcohol is strongly not allowed to be consumed before and after the procedure. If we consume alcohol then it stays in our body for 48 to 72 hours. This could impact the natural healing process after the procedure and may complicate things. There are several other reasons due to which alcohol consumption is not allowed by the experts.
Reasons due to which alcohol should not be consumed after a tattoo procedure
The restriction for alcohol consumption is about 3 to 4 days after the procedure and then you will be all good to get back with your routine with alcohol. By this time, you are through with your initial healing phase and also from complicating the recovery process. The following are some of the key reasons for not having alcohol for the said number of days after you are done with your permanent body art:
Prolonged Healing Duration
In most cases, people are through with the healing process within two to four weeks. The healing time duration may vary depending on the tattoo size, type, and where it is inked. This is the time that your tattoo artist will give you the closest to accurate estimates. But, if you booze right after or within a few days after getting the tattoo then you will be ruining the entire process. It is because alcohol compromises the immune system and could bring drastic negative impacts on your health and the tattoo recovery phase. You are supposed to do extensive aftercare for your tattoo by keeping it moisturized and washing it regularly. But, alcohol could ruin it all. Rather, it may develop skin infections and inflammation as well.
Thinning of Blood and Excessive Bleeding
Once you get your new tattoo then usually it does bleed for a couple of days. This is the natural response of your body to the procedure and it is totally fine. But, if you booze in this situation then you will just be thinning your blood further. Eventually, this thing blood would bleed more and it would complicate the recovery process, rather, it would ruin it. The bleeding could be prolonged until you are out of the influence of alcohol. If you know about the impact of alcohol on blood then you can relate to easily.
Things don’t just end here. There are a lot of other complications associated with blood thinning and bleeding due to alcohol. In this situation, your tattooed spot wouldn’t be good with the formation of new skin. You will be vulnerable to catching tattoo infection which could make things worse.
It is because the excessive bleeding wouldn’t protect your wound as such from any germs or bacteria. The least of all but the still considerable issue is that your clothing and bedsheets would get ruined with bloodstains. These stains are rigid and mostly impossible to clean.
Sleeping Challenges
Those who get drunk tend to fall asleep quite quickly and for long hours too. In that situation, they usually experience uncontrolled or unexpected sleeping positions.
So, just think about getting a new tattoo on your stomach early in the day and getting strict instructions from the tattoo artist that not to apply any weight on it. The tattoo for the first few days has a swollen area which could be painful as well. On top of that, the tattoo is initially wrapped as well.
But, if you are drunk then you are viciously exposing your tattoo to uncontrolled sleeping positions. It is also normally seen that the drunk person does not feel any pain if they are still under the influence of alcohol. However, things could be worse when they are out of bed after sleep.
Their fresh tattoo could all be ruined and it may hurt a lot on the skin as the wound was still fresh. On top of all this, you may also experience inflammation, excessive bleeding, and skin infection. The overall duration for healing may also be prolonged.
Conclusion
Drinking alcohol after a tattoo procedure is strongly not recommended by experts. You must restrict yourself from drinking for at least 72 hours so that you are through the initial recovery phase when the wound is still fresh. According to some experts, alcohol consumption should be stopped for one week after the procedure, which is just to be on the safe side.
Consuming alcohol could result in the thinning of blood which could complicate the healing process. It may result in excessive bleeding, infections, and staining of your clothes and sheets due to that. Drunk people tend to have uncontrolled behavior and this could get worse when you sleep right away.
This could apply pressure on your tattooed area unknowingly. As a result, your wound can bleed excessively and may lead to infection and prolonged recovery time for sure.
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