How Long Do You Need To Wait To Go Snowboarding After Getting A Tattoo?
Snowboarding culture marries well with tattooing. The sport often becomes a lifestyle, and what else do we want to display on our skin than the things we are passionate about? Everything from reflective and colourful snow goggles or expansive mountain landscapes to realistic portraiture of iconic athletes performing tricks mere mortals would only dream of. Although, of course, until technology finds a way of making tattoos move like the photos in the Daily Prophet, people will only be able to guess which trick it is by the grab position of the hands.
Shaun White has them
One of the greatest snowboarders of all time, Shaun White, sports a couple of tattoos. A smallish one on his wrist is reportedly the product of a party at Miley Cyrus’ place – of Wayne Coyne, lead singer of the band The Flaming Lips- inside a bubble, because why not? Another one is what looks to be a lion on his right shoulder.
Meanwhile, he got his very first tattoo in 2010. The design, which sits on the inside of his lower left arm, is inspired by a ring from a Native American store in Colorado. However, the nature-themed motive does not portray snow but rather thunder and clouds (although they might be bringing snow, who knows).
Stay clear of chafing, saunas and booze
Back to your tattoo planning. The general idea is to wait two to three weeks to allow your tattoo to heal fully. However, you may not have the luxury of time if you cannot plan the group getaway or control your artist’s calendar accordingly. As such, there are a few things to consider if you absolutely want to get onto some fresh powder before the official healing time is up.
First of all, where is the tattoo located? How much friction will there be from gear or clothing when you hit the slopes? That being said, do not sacrifice your safety to keep your new tattoo out of harm’s way. Ink is easier to fix than a knee or some other fractured bony part, which will put your next snowboarding session a lot further off in the future.
Put on your protective gear and clothes at home, jump around in them, do the same movements to will on your board to see where the chafing occurs. If you cannot postpone the trip, at least consider getting your new piece of body art in a place that will not be exposed to friction. You can also put a bandage over the tattoo while you are out to keep it a little more protected.
Speaking of exposure – stay away from any hot tubs and saunas before your tattoo has healed completely. In all honesty, you might want to steer clear of the after ski sessions as well, at least if you find it hard not to go all-in on the beers. We tend to become a little more inattentive after a few, which may include taking less care of your new ink but also spontaneous and normally oh-so-fun dips in said hot tubs.
