I vividly remember getting a large piece on my back a few years ago. Feeling invincible (and maybe a little too celebratory), I ignored my usual aftercare diligence and had a few too many drinks that night. The next morning, I woke up to a swollen, angry tattoo that felt hot to the touch. The excessive oozing had soaked through my sheets, and I was filled with a sense of dread. Thankfully, with extra care and attention, the tattoo healed fine, but it was a stark reminder of the potential consequences of even a single night of indulgence.

• There is no scientific evidence to support any of these claims.
• This is because working with someone under the influence can result in legal issues for both the artist and the business.

Personal Experiences with Drinking After Getting a Tattoo

Our products use lidocaine, which is a super powerful numbing agent. We never add epinephrine to our products since it can raise your heart rate and make you feel even more nervous than you were before. American Addiction Centers (AAC) is committed to delivering original, truthful, accurate, unbiased, and medically current information.

Reactions In the Body

Drunk Elephant hasn’t left us in the dark regarding next steps. Retail partners are in the process of removing affected lots (that is, units of hundreds to thousands of products) from shelves. If you have an especially hard-to-remove piercing in the way of your tattoo, there may be a piercer at the shop who can help you out. Just be sure to ask ahead of time rather than assuming someone will be on-call to assist. Otherwise, you might try your hand at getting it out yourself — you can remove pretty much any type of piercing at home with a little bit of care and patience. Remember, alcohol is a dehydrator, and over time, dehydrated skin loses elasticity.

Alcohol reduces your ability to make decisions

Generally, your tattoo will continue to can you get a tattoo while drunk ooze blood and plasma for the next 48 hours after your tattoo was completed. This means that for roughly 48 hours (sometimes longer), the tattoo is going to be affected by any additional thinning of your blood caused by drinking alcohol. Water is always the best choice before and after getting a tattoo.

• Many factors can affect how quickly your body metabolizes alcohol.
• So, let’s talk about why reaching for a drink might not be the best idea during this time.
• You should not drink for at least 8 hours before getting a tattoo.
• This is good; it means your body’s doing its job, creating a barrier to protect the wound as it heals.

painfulpleasures

• A glass of wine won’t necessarily ruin your fresh ink with excessive bleeding, but we advise waiting a couple of days to have a drink to celebrate your freshly tattooed skin.
• This is why we become flushed the more we drink—because your blood is brought closer to your skin.
• Moreover, if you’re intoxicated enough for it to be visible in any way, a professional tattoo artist will refuse to tattoo you.
• Antihistamines, which are used to reverse allergic reactions, don’t go well with alcohol.
• This can slow down the natural healing of your tattoo, possibly extending the recovery time and impacting the final result quality.
• Drinking after a tattoo hinders the skin’s clotting and scabbing process (due to it acting like a blood thinner), which is crucial for natural healing.

During the tattooing process, you need to approve your design, the location of your stencil, and the size of your tattoo area. If you’re under the influence during this important part of your session, you can get a tattoo you don’t like in a place you don’t like. You’re in good hands with your tattoo artist and our numbing cream and gel — no brewskis necessary.

This will put less unnecessary strain or friction on other parts of your body, minimizing your overall discomfort. For instance, do you really want to sit in the same position for six hours while also squeezed into a boned corset? Instead, think about the type of clothes you probably like to sleep in — soft, baggy, and lightweight items will all help put your body at ease. Breathability also helps — not only are fabrics like cotton and linen more comfortable to the touch, but they can also help keep your skin cool and dry throughout your appointment.

Alcohol and tattoos don’t work well together, you’re either going to put your new tattoo at risk of infection or you’ll end up with something you’re going to regret for the rest of your life. Drinking water is excellent, not only for hydration which nourishes the skin, but to some extent, it can counter problems you might have with excessive bleeding. See if you can increase your water intake for a few days before getting your tattoo. Consuming alcohol before your tattoo causes your blood to thin, which means your skin does not clot.