please: why do people warn you about the danger of going into the ocean with a fresh tattoo, but not so much with other open wounds/scratches? Is there actually higher risk of infection with a healing tattoo vs a normal cut?
In: Biology
This is my interpretation of when I’ve received this warning. I don’t think it’s so much about the health risk – not that it isn’t at all, or that there isn’t a very real one – but I think it’s more the idea of you paid to have something tattooed on you, why would you risk messing it up in such an irresponsible way.
Getting an infection in a fresh tattoo is somewhat the responsibility of the tattoo provider in that it might be blamed on their sterilization and procedures as opposed to your wound care practices. Because of that they are likely to advise you to care for the wound with more care than otherwise, because if you scratch yourself and get it infected on your own there is only yourself to blame.
Another issue is that an infection of a tattoo may easily result in the tattoo being damaged. A regular scratch becoming infected doesn’t result in permanent ink being out of place on your skin, but with a fresh tattoo that is very possible.
Tattoos are much larger than typical cuts. The larger area gives much more potential for infection.
A scratch is very common. People expect you know to take care of it, and they don’t need to tell you. A tattoo is quite special, and so you might not know all the best practices. You would be surprised how many times people with fresh tattoos will get sunburn etc.
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