The ladies thread

[Katy32]

I'm going in a month or so to get the top of my shoulder tattooed. I've already started shopping for a racerback centered wardrobe I can rock for a bit. I haven't figured out the bra situation yet since my cup tends to run over in whatever I wear. I've enjoyed reading through this thread for advice from fellow women

[SeeSea]

@Katy32 - welcome! If you discover any new secrets or techniques, come back and share!

[tay943]

Anyone in this thread who is a regular gym goer? I am letting my calf tattooed at the start of May and want to be back in business as soon as possible. Would like to here the experiences of others, whether you slowly got back into exercise or waited until you were completely healed. Thanks in advance :) I have other leg tattoos but nine since I have started a regular fitness routine.

[SeeSea]

Yep several folks are. Here are some relevant threads:

http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/random-crap/5543-fitness.html

http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/crazy-tattoo-stories/1887-lifting-thread%3Btraining-tattooed-warrior.html

http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/tattoo-after-care/1874-intense-exercise-new-tattoo.html

[marley mission]

Anyone in this thread who is a regular gym goer? I am letting my calf tattooed at the start of May and want to be back in business as soon as possible. Would like to here the experiences of others, whether you slowly got back into exercise or waited until you were completely healed. Thanks in advance :) I have other leg tattoos but nine since I have started a regular fitness routine.

sorry to barge in ladies - just got curious

good question - i basically chill from exercise for the week after

i still might do some core stuff

but none of my usual stuff that gets me sweating

excessive movement of the area and sweat / moisture are not your friend in early healing imo

plus - its just a week - if you workout on the reg you're body will actual prosper during this time of 'recovery'

just stay tight on the diet during that time if your worries are there

anyway - hope that helps

[tay943]

@SeeSea thank you! I'd found the lifting thread before but not the other two. Will be useful reading :)

@marley mission Thanks for the insight :). My worries are less falling off the wagon and more that I'll miss not being at the gym. But you're right, taking a full week off would gve me the oppurtunity to go back harder.

[canarycoal]

Anyone in this thread who is a regular gym goer? I am letting my calf tattooed at the start of May and want to be back in business as soon as possible. Would like to here the experiences of others, whether you slowly got back into exercise or waited until you were completely healed. Thanks in advance :) I have other leg tattoos but nine since I have started a regular fitness routine.

at first when I saw this, I was thinking, well I haven't gone to the gym since I started my legs

but... I do bike on a daily basis and biked home after getting my knees done (in sessions) [except the shading session I got a ride after probably needs a touch up] and pretty much kept up with my daily bike routine while they were healing. I didn't do much difference in my aftercare routine and saw no real problems.

I think I was lifting when I had my small back tattoo done, and I didn't take that much of a breather afterwards. But I try not to do any additional going out, standing too long, etc, so maybe that helps with the recovery.

[tay943]

Power to you @canarycoal for biking straight after tattoo sessions. The day after my larger thigh tattoo putting much pressure on the limb made me physically ill, which is what's got me worried the most. However bikes take a lot of the pressure of, so I might get back into it on the stationary bike and wait until fully healed for sprints. Thank you :) xx

[canarycoal]

it wasn't too bad although it feels like I'm constantly falling on my left knee. Its a black cat so what did I expect. :p

[sophistre]

Anyone in this thread who is a regular gym goer? I am letting my calf tattooed at the start of May and want to be back in business as soon as possible. Would like to here the experiences of others, whether you slowly got back into exercise or waited until you were completely healed. Thanks in advance :) I have other leg tattoos but nine since I have started a regular fitness routine.

I am super-late to this, but since I do strength stuff with my trainer twice a week and I'm doing insane-o cardio for my Rainier summit right now, I have had to wrestle with this a lot.

A lot will probably depend on how you heal, but I peel fast, so I usually just wait the couple of days until after I'm basically done with flakes. My care routine results in only very tiny scabs here and there, if any at all. If the tattoo is in a place where a machine cable will be, or somewhere I'd have to rest my body weight on it for anything, my trainer and I work around it, or I skip it altogether. If it's in a place where it'll rub in cardio (like the upper inside of my arm the last time), I skip it. Even with a no-stick pad I would be worried about agitating my healing skin.

Otherwise, once it's not an open wound anymore, I've usually been fine. Granted, I mostly just sweat on my face and maybe my back, so there's that.

This is why I only have two tattoos scheduled between now and early fall. And that sucks, because if my tattooer really is going to be leaving the states, I want to get a big fat piece on my leg, but I just don't see how to get that in when I'm trying to train for mountaineering. >.<

[AuntTudie]

The bra issue. I always booked my sessions the evening before I had 2 days off, stayed home and went braless. When I had to go back to work, I'd wear one of those sticky bras. I also got a bra extender so that it fit lose around my chest. I also make a point to get tattooed in the winter so I can wear layers and no one really notices. I'm a C cup, but I am 50, and there's that gravity issue.

[jen7]

I just had to turn down a summer booking to finish my back because of the bra issue. I have to wear bulky sweaters/sweatshirts to hide my braless self so warm weather is a no no. The artist looked at me like I was nuts when I said no. Damn boobers!

[CShaw]

Welp, except for a touch-up sometime in the future if I need one, I am done. Still bruised and inflamed in certain places, so will post pics later. Absolutely the most painful session to date, I suppose because it was a hopscotch of smaller things all over my back instead of just grinding in two or three bigger areas one after the other. Whoof.

[SeeSea]

@CShaw - and what a relief!!! My last one was like that too - hopscotching everywhere. Can't wait to see the pics!

"Whoof". Never seen it spelled that way. Very cool. Whoof.

[CShaw]

@CShaw - and what a relief!!! My last one was like that too - hopscotching everywhere. Can't wait to see the pics!

"Whoof". Never seen it spelled that way. Very cool. Whoof.

Hee. I'm terrible about neologisms, rude portmanteau words, and onomatopoeia-ing. I'm also one of those people who pronounces the "wh" in whale, which, why, etc. So imagine me sitting up on the table with blotchy, puffy face, demented hair, and feverish light in my eyes, blowing out my cheeks with a "WHOOOF."

[purplelace]

Reading your experiences with the back and no bra issue, not something will have to face anytime soon but it is on the cards. As is getting boobs done. I do have big boobs, so going without a bra for length of time in public, ie. work is not an option. Tattooist has made a suggestion for that area (boobs) and he burst out laughing when I practically shouted NO! at him. That aside, I have OCD, I am getting tattooed in a certain order and there has to be some sense of balance with them.

[SeeSea]

@CShaw

GAFFAW!!! <snort>

[s3rndpt]

Anyone in this thread who is a regular gym goer? I am letting my calf tattooed at the start of May and want to be back in business as soon as possible. Would like to here the experiences of others, whether you slowly got back into exercise or waited until you were completely healed. Thanks in advance :) I have other leg tattoos but nine since I have started a regular fitness routine.

You've already been given some great pointers towards helpful threads, but as someone who has been working out 5-6 days a week recently, after getting tattooed I usually take the day off, and then avoid anything that is going to put the new tattoo in contact with mats/machines/equipment for a week or so.

Re: the bra issue--- I flew to San Diego on Thursday, and spent all day Friday getting my shoulders tattooed. Being the clueless dummy that I am, I almost carried two totebags instead of my rolling suitcase (don't know what I was thinking--my husband convinced me to take my suitcase), and barely remembered to pack my loose bandeau bra for afterwards. Thank god I did, because I haven't been able to tolerate anything else aside from very loose, light shirts since then. Probably not the best look for me since I'm already top-heavy, but what are you going to do. I'll just wear a loose, shapeless shirt tomorrow at work and hopefully no one will be the wiser.

[SeeSea]

I'll just wear a loose, shapeless shirt tomorrow at work and hopefully no one will be the wiser.

Helps if the shirt has a design or pattern.

[jen7]

I have one more braless week and boy am I sick of the clothing limitations after almost a month ( 2 sittings)

[AuntTudie]

I'm pretty healed now. My spouse told me that it was sure nice to be able to rub my back and it not all being scabby anymore..ha!

[s3rndpt]

Helps if the shirt has a design or pattern.

I picked one with a nice tree design down the side, so that helps, lol. Hopefully everyone's looking at the tree instead.

[BigGuns]

New and grateful for this forum. I've been lurking for weeks and weeks. I'm getting new tattoo this week and the bra advice is going to come in handy as it's on my back up to the top of my shoulder. Soft shirts and a good strapless acquired and hopefully no one will grab onto me at work! I'm terrified of a geriatric clinger making me scream. Thanks for all your great info you have supplied. I'm also going to use Tegaderm for healing so I'll let you know how that goes with bra/rubbing concerns. Thanks again.

[SeeSea]

@BigGuns - welcome! Yes - please do let us know about Tegaderm and bras. I don't think anyone has posted about this particular combination of events!

Good luck on the new tattoo!!

[jen7]

Wore a bra today finally for the first time in a month. Yay!