Tattoo enthusiasts often face a dilemma that hasn’t been properly answered so far by experts and the forums like Reddit or Quora keep getting surges of such queries till date.
The concern being “Can You Shave over a Tattoo?” While it may seem like a straightforward ‘yes’ or ‘no’ affair, it’s not really that simple!
Because there are a few important factors to consider here and depending on those, you’re going to be able to deduce whether it’s safe or not to shave over your tattoo.
While the short answer is a ‘Yes’, you CAN shave over a tattoo, I’d still urge you to go through the long explanation if you belong to that ‘Yes’ category yet!
Factors to Consider for Shaving over a Tattoo
Below are the five crucial factors you should consider to assess whether you can shave over a tattoo or is it still too soon!
Healing Time
How long your tattoo requires to heal properly depends on the size, your aftercare and your general metabolism, so the time can vary from one person to the very next.
If your tattoo is freshly made, then it’s really not safe to run sharp sets of blades over that patch of your skin, end of discussion.
Tattoos are wounds that need to be healed properly before it’s ready to be shaved on, so that’s a certain period of time you must wait out.
A rule of thumb for you is to wait between 2-4 weeks to allow the tattoo to be fully healed and from that point onward, you can easily shave over them without causing any trouble.
This Reddit thread asked: I got a tattoo on my leg. How long after can I shave my legs?
First hand tattoo consumers answered that they waited at least 2 weeks or for safekeeping, 3 weeks before venturing into shaving over that patch.
Again, it’s highly subjective and circumstantial, but 4 weeks could be the most ideal healing time you could give your tattoo in this case.
Checking for Irritation
If you check whether your tattoo region irritates or itches or not, you’ll get the basic idea of the healing progress.
Let’s say your tattoo area doesn’t itch, but upon placing a razor or electric shaver arouses discomfort or irritation, it implies that your skin is still not ready for a shave.
There are plenty of other ways to assess whether you’re good to go for a shave over your tattoo, but this is the most basic and easiest method so far.
How to Shave over a Tattoo?
Now that you’re quite certain that your tattoo wound has properly healed and you can opt for a shave over that region, pick out a sharp shaver and some moisturizer to get things done.
It’s essential to use a lotion or a moisturizing agent so that there’s reduced friction between the blades and your skin.
Take it slow and be patient. Stretch out your skin and gently glide your shaver.
Pick out small sections and apply short strokes. Speeding up will only cause harmful consequences.
This lotion should be skin-friendly or gentle, otherwise it could backfire on your entire process.
Also, make sure to properly clean and disinfect your razor before you start shaving. Otherwise there could be infectious consequences with a dirty shaver.
Shaving Instrument
There are some precise instruments or electric devices that can shave over your tattoo with the gentlest of touches.
The top list of sensitive skin shavers provided by Groom Shaper gives you a general idea about electric razors with such capabilities.
If you get your hands on any of these shavers, then I can guarantee that your shaving experience and the aftermath will be a comfortable and successful one!
Keeping Skin Moisturized
Once you’re finished with the shaving, make sure to clean up properly and moisturize the tattoo region.
Shaving over your skin in general dehydrates that area, and you don’t want dryness to occur especially on tattoo wounds since it can trigger discomfort or prolong the healing process.
DO NOT apply shaving lotions that are alcohol based. Rather, apply ones that hydrate your skins to ensure maximum skin health!
What Happens if I Shave an Unhealed Tattoo?
A lot could go wrong if you shave over an unhealed tattoo. For instance, it can reopen your wounds and slow down the process, even cause your tattoo to bleed.
In the worst case scenario, your razor could inflict an infection that could have you rushed to the ER and it wouldn’t be a pleasant experience, that I can tell you.
Also, your tattoo design could get ruined if such occurs and overall, it’s not a healthy approach you should take where you could simply wait out the healing duration.
Why Choosing the Right Razor for Shaving on Tattoo Necessary?
As I mentioned the source of ideal electric razors for shaving over your tattoo, the reason behind is that not all shavers are equipped to deal with such unique circumstances.
Most of the razors in the market, be that manual or electric, aren’t kind on skin and cause discomfort even on the fully healed tattoo areas!
The sensitive skin shavers here offer maximum skin comfort and there’s a significant gap between skin and blade built into their mechanism.
All things considered, it’s essential that you pick out the perfect razor which will return you the favor of utmost comfort and skin safety!
Concluding Remarks
So, we’ve covered a lot of ground while discussing our today’s topic ‘can you shave over a tattoo?’
Basically, you CAN shave over your tattoo only when you’re certain that your tattoo wound has been fully healed, approximately 2-4 weeks from tattoo application date.
Also, a good shaver is a key factor in this matter and can create a day-night difference in your experience as well as outcome.
So, now you know the full answer behind this question! Safe tattooing and even safer shaving everyone!