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Can you take a sauna with a new tattoo

08/07/2025

In the article “Can you take a sauna with a new tattoo”, I interviewed an expert in the field. Can you go to the sauna immediately after getting a tattoo? What are the things to consider with a fresh tattoo? How soon after getting a tattoo can you go to the sauna?

Tattoos

Tattoos have become more and more common every year. Nowadays you rarely see a person without a tattoo, especially when you’re on a sunny beach you can’t help but notice how many people have a tattoo on their skin.

The tattoo boom here in Germany is also quite big. I mean, free tattoo appointments are not available until next week. The queues at tattoo shops can be months or even a year long. That’s a long time to wait for the first or the next tattoo.

A tattoo is a lifelong choice and getting one should be carefully considered. That’s why it’s also important that you take good care of your tattoo after you get it. It is important to follow the tattooist’s instructions.

A competent tattooist will be able to advise and guide you exactly what can be done with a fresh tattoo and what is not recommended.

The after-effects of an untreated tattoo can be devastating. So be sure to follow your tattooist’s instructions.

Can you take a sauna with a new tattoo

Tattoo artists working abroad may not be able to advise you on how to proceed with a sauna or taking a sauna immediately after getting a tattoo. Or do not understand how to tell the client. In many countries, the sauna culture is not as big as in Finland and Germany, for example, so such things may go unnoticed.

Many people are wondering about this issue and a lot of information is being sought on this topic so I decided to write this article. A tattooist in Finland will certainly remember to tell you how it is and how to act according to the health requirements.

I interviewed tattooist Olivia Moonchild from the Otherside Tattoo Collective in Lahti.

Who are you and how long have you been tattooing? How many tattoos do you have?

I am Olivia Moonchild and I have been tattooing as a profession since 2006. As for myself, I have tattoos on about 85% of my skin.

Can I go to the sauna with a fresh tattoo? If you can or can’t, what should you take into account?

It is not recommended to go to the sauna with a fresh tattoo. The skin is still sensitive and hot after the treatment. The temperature in the sauna creates a moist and warm environment which can contribute to the flourishing of bacterial strains that cause inflammation, for example.

In addition, the sauna invariably causes sweating and sweat carries impurities on the skin to the wound, thus creating an unnecessarily high risk of inflammation. The air in the sauna can also be dry, so the heat dries the wound surface, making the healing process more difficult.

You can enter the sauna as soon as the wound surfaces have completely healed. For me, it usually takes 2-5 days depending on the size of the tattoo.

Normally it takes 3-10 days depending on the individual.

The first few times in the sauna after getting a tattoo, I recommend taking light baths and lightly lubricating the skin after the sauna is always a good idea.

How soon can you sauna after a tattoo?

The recommendation is 2 weeks after tattooing. In that time, presumably all the wound surfaces will have healed, meaning the top layer of skin over the tattoo will have healed.

Are there any special things to take into consideration?

A fresh tattoo should always be touched with clean hands. A mild washing solution such as Sebamed is excellent for keeping a fresh tattoo clean, as it is hypoallergenic and does not sting or irritate the wound surfaces.

It is also really good to remember that it is not the sweat or perspiration itself that is the problem, but what the sweat carries with it. Various impurities accumulate on the surface of the skin every day and sweating profusely can carry these impurities to a fresh tattoo.

What should be taken into concern when bathing with a tattoo?

I recommend that you follow the treatment instructions given and only enter the sauna once the skin surface has healed. After that, you can take a sauna as normal.

Thanks for the interview Olivia Moonchild from Otherside Tattoo Collective in Lahti. I really hope that this article on whether you Can you take a sauna with a new tattoo gave you the answers to the questions you were looking for. Feel free to share the article with a friend or on social media.

Olivia’s own website is: www.mustesielu.com and there you can find a lot of information about tattoos and tattooing.

With love,

Sauna-Kati

What is a barrel sauna

03/06/2025

In this What is a barrel sauna article, I will tell you who invented the barrel sauna, what the barrel sauna is made of and how to care for it properly.

What is a barrel sauna

A barrel sauna is a wooden barrel from which a sauna has been made. The barrel is turned upside down, so to speak, with a stove at one end and a door at the other.

The sides are covered and the ends have ventilation openings. Behind the stove at the bottom is the supply air and on the wall of the door at the top is the exhaust air.

The legs of the barrel sauna are what are known as skids.

The stove can be electric or wood-burning. However, I personally prefer a wood-burning stove. This will give you a wonderful sauna atmosphere.

A barrel sauna can be built from many different types of wood. Just like a normal sauna. Barrel saunas are built from fir, pine, larch, aspen and red cedar, among others.

How long does it take for a barrel sauna to heat up?

The good thing about a barrel sauna is that it heats up quickly. My own Sisu Sauna heats up really quickly in about 15-20 minutes.

Who invented the barrel sauna?

The inventor of the barrel sauna is Esko Niinimäki, the old host of Kievari Rantapirtti. He invented the idea of building a sauna out of a large wooden barrel from a tar factory. He saw that the giant barrel was made for a sauna.

Being a clever man, Esko figured out that a stove would go at one end, a door at the other and benches at the sides.

At first the barrel sauna was a so-called advertising sign on the roadside. Passers-by became interested in the barrel sauna, so it was decided to start manufacturing barrel saunas in Koskenpää.

Kievari Rantapirtti is located on the shore of Lake Salos in Koskenpää, Jämsä. The tourism company was founded by Esko Niinimäki back in 1964.

So you can still find the barrel sauna in Rantapirtti and even get a taste of its tasty baths.

We have not been completely sure about the inventor of the sauna, but the inventor of the barrel sauna is now known.

I know, many sauna professionals are of the opinion that a barrel sauna is not a proper sauna because, for example, the law of the steam does not apply.

A barrel sauna is quick and convenient to build

There are many different ways to build a barrel sauna. There is the more massive barrel sauna and then there is the lighter construction.

Especially here in Germany, barrel saunas are popular because they are lightweight and can be built in one day.

You can put it almost anywhere in the yard, on a terrace, balcony or on top of tiles.

It also means that a barrel sauna does not need a building permit. In Germany, obtaining building permits and especially a chimney sweep’s permit for a wood-fired sauna is not so easy.

You can move the barrel sauna to another location if necessary or take it with you when you move.

So the solution is a barrel sauna.

The pros and cons of a barrel sauna

A barrel sauna is indeed a matter of opinion. Nowadays I have a barrel sauna myself and I can’t say that the strokes are bad – quite the opposite.

Nor have I noticed that my toes get cold – on the contrary.

Of course, there are a few disadvantages to a barrel sauna. Especially the really lightweight barrel saunas are made of thin wood and there is no insulation in between.

I’ve also heard that many cheap barrel saunas get mouldy after a few years. This is a real nuisance.

So if and when you get a barrel sauna get a decent one. Cheap is not good in this case either.

How to care for a barrel sauna correctly

To keep your barrel sauna in good condition, it is also important to look after it. The same rules of thumb as with a normal indoor sauna.

After the sauna, give the heater a few pats of wood or, with an electric heater, leave the sauna on for another 20 minutes with the door closed. However, open the air vent completely.

This will allow the sauna to dry out as if by itself. When the sauna is completely dry, you can open the doors and ventilate through them as well.

It is also a good idea to wash the sauna floor regularly. If you take a sauna once a week, you should wash your barrel sauna 3-4 times a year.

As a barrel sauna is an outdoor sauna, it is more susceptible to moisture than a regular outdoor sauna. So you have to be careful with the humidity.

Especially here in Central Europe the air humidity is higher than in Finland.

Dry, maintain and wash the sauna regularly.

It is also worth treating the sauna floor with paraffin oil at regular intervals and always after washing. This will considerably prolong the life of your sauna floor.