How Long Should You Wait Between Tattoo Sessions?
If you’ve ever gotten a tattoo, or if you have any friends that have, then you know how addictive getting tattoos can be. Whether you loved your first tattoo and want to recreate that feeling, you’ve got a surplus of cash and great ideas, or you just want to finish a sleeve all at once, you may want to get multiple tattoos done as quickly as possible.
How Long Should You Wait Between Tattoo Sessions?
On average, you would be waiting anywhere from two to three weeks before getting another tattoo, but the actual time could be upwards of several months if your body is slow to heal. A number of factors play into the length of time you should wait between tattoo sessions, including healing, budgeting, and scheduling. Regardless of the time, you should always wait until your previous tattoo is fully healed before getting your next one.
While planning multiple tattoos may make sense for many reasons, there are a few factors you should consider before scheduling those sessions too close together.
Choosing a Design You Love
A tattoo is mostly permanent unless you have the money and time for an expensive and painful removal. While your ideas may seem great now, you should always take the time to think over and rationalize your choices. Getting multiple tattoos in rapid succession leaves less time to consider and more of a chance of getting something you may regret in the future.
Artist Availability
In addition to not wanting to get a design you regret, is the issue of artist availability. If you have an artist you trust, or if you have a specific style in mind that an artist specializes in, trying to get tattoos rapidly may clash with an artist’s schedule. Getting a tattoo booked usually includes setting up an appointment week, sometimes even months in advance. This becomes even more true for skilled, popular, or busy artists, as they will tend to have more clients to squeeze in. Getting the wrong tattoo could be a lifelong mistake, but getting the right tattoo from the wrong artist at the cost of quality can be just as big of a mistake.
Your Tattoo Needs Time to Heal
This is the biggest factor. Small tattoos may seem like they heal in the blink of an eye, while larger ones may need at least three weeks.
A tattoo is basically an open wound, while getting your tattoo you will have one or more needles piercing your skin and inserting pigments into your skin’s top layer. While one of these pricks may not be much to worry about, you will be getting hundreds of these needle pricks, if not thousands or more depending on the size of your tattoo and how much color it has. Your body needs time to heal these wounds, as well as fight off any infections that may develop from the wound. If your tattoo is healing and your body is fighting off infections from it, another tattoo (while the first is still healing) may overstretch your immune system, and not only will you have to deal with the pain and discomfort of two wounds healing, but your chances of catching an infection may become higher.
Another thing to consider is your body’s threshold for sickness. The infections that can come with tattoos can become serious, especially if multiple infections are being fought at the same time. If you care for lots of small children, or if you find yourself getting the flu or other illnesses regularly or more often than others, you should take even more care between tattoos– as your chance of serious, or even life-threatening infections is increased as well.
Consider Your Wallet
Budget concerns are always a fair reason to wait between tattoos as well. Tattoos are usually costly, costing hundreds of dollars if not more per tattoo. You should always make sure your bills are taken care of and never settle for a cheaper artist who may be less talented, less safe, less trustworthy, or all of the above.
Looking to Get a Tattoo Soon?
Tattoos are forever (most of the time), so it is important not to rush your journey. How long should you wait between tattoo sessions then? About two to three weeks. The main reason is the healing process since you need to fully recover from your first session before moving on to another. Other factors may delay the time between your sessions, including your budget, artist availability, and the size of your tattoo design.
Interested in booking a consultation or scheduling your next tattoo session? Get in touch with Oracle Tattoo Gallery today by calling 215-638-1601 or filling out the contact form. Don’t forget to check out our social for some tattoo inspiration.
