At what point after removing tegaderm is the tattoo not an open wound anymore?

[soderpopzzz]

So I got a new thigh tattoo last Friday. The next day I applied tegaderm and left it on until today (weds), so 4 days total. At this point, is it still an open wound? 

[Hogrider]

It's really just semantics. What is it that you want to do? I'm usual pretty careful for a week, then cocoa butter and it's on its own.

I wouldn't go into a gym with it uncovered, but I'd go into a gym if I covered it up 4 days out.

[soderpopzzz]

  On 7/15/2021 at 1:19 AM, Hogrider said:

It's really just semantics. What is it that you want to do? I'm usual pretty careful for a week, then cocoa butter and it's on its own.

I wouldn't go into a gym with it uncovered, but I'd go into a gym if I covered it up 4 days out.

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I mostly just want to run and also be around my dog and not have to worry lol. Those things are probably ok now right?

and also for running, since it’s too new for sunscreen and on an exposed part below my running shorts, is there anyway I can protect it from the sun or should I just treadmill indoors for now?

like how much of sun exposure on a new tattoo is bad? Is it only if facing the sun directly for a long time to the point of where skin would get sunburn? Or is it also if it’s exposed to the sun for a min or so, gets some shade, is in the sun again but without the sun hitting it directly, gets some shade again etc. (basically just normal sun movement while running outside with a lot of trees/or even just walking from my car to a store etc)?

I’m not sure if that last question made sense but I hope you get what I mean. Thanks btw. 

[Hogrider]

I exercise at home or a gym. I don't exercise the day after a tattoo, but start in the 2nd day after a tattoo. As for the sun, I would just keep it out of the sun. It won't kill you to stay out of the sun for a week. The sun isn't good for your skin under any circumstance, but I wouldn't subject freshly tattooed skin to it. My dogs are pretty mellow, but I keep them away from the tattoo for a week. I wouldn't want them rubbing against it or god forbid, licking it this early.

I'm probably overly cautious about my tattoos, but it's one of the reasons they all look new after 13 years.

[SStu]

Yeah, on your legs I'd be more worried about the dogs. Indirect sun for 15-30 minutes isn't going to hurt anything. 

[Levi1391]

The process of tattoo healing takes 2-3 weeks, but it does not prevent you from playing sports and walking the dog. By the way, you can speed up the healing process, if you are interested, read the article about the duration of tattoo healing. I think it will be as useful to you as it is to me.

[kingpizzarat]

In my experience, best practice is to wait 5 days when you can remove the saniderm! While Saniderm is great for healing (LOVE it), sweating profusely while wearing it is a recipe for infection; the sweat is trapped under plastic and sitting on top of a fresh wound. If you’re like me and NEED to gym, I’d lighten the weight, cut the reps/sets, and do low intensity cardio like taking a walk. Hope this helps!