Recently, a Texas man went swimming in the Gulf of Mexico a mere five days after getting freshly tattooed — and died. His tattoo, an open wound still at that point in the healing process, was infected by Vibrio vulnificus, a bacterium commonly found in coastal ocean water. Three days after his swim, he went to the hospital with a high fever, swollen bruised skin, and fluid collecting in his leg. It was no good — he was suffering from septic shock, and it progressed quickly. Two months after his initial hospital visit, he passed away. The 72 ounces of beer a day he was drinking didn’t help — apparently liver disease makes you more susceptible to complications with this specific water bacteria.

We are, naturally, horrified. Whatever other mitigating factors that led to this man’s death, the initial mistake was swimming in open water with a new tattoo. There’s a reason your tattoo artist has a list of things to tend to after you’ve been tattooed — it’s not just about the quality of the art. So we’ve compiled a list of questions artists frequently get, and some straightforward answers so you have a quick reference.