Warm weather and sunshine-filled days make it hard to stay inside. There’s nothing quite like feeling the warm rays on your skin, but sun protection is also essential—especially if you have a tattoo. Basking away the day’s worries is great, but be sure your tattoos and skin are properly protected.
SPF is Key
It’s no secret that tanning isn’t really good for your skin anyway, but it’s even harder on your tattoos. Ultraviolet rays, while adding a nice bronze tone to your skin, drain the life out of a tattoo. The more you tan, the more the ink fades, and it slowly goes from brilliant to boring.
Does that mean your tanning days are over? Well, it depends on how much you love your tattoos and want them to stay bright. If you absolutely must go soak up some rays, make sure to use sunscreen. Find the highest SPF level you can find and re-apply often if you’re going to spend a lot of time outside. If your goal is to go out and get some color, make sure you at least protect your tattoos with as much sunscreen as possible.
Tanning Beds
What about tanning beds? Indoor tanners are just as damaging as the sun, if not more so. The ultraviolet rays are much more concentrated and people tend to overexpose themselves in tanning beds, not realizing just how strong the rays are. Burning the skin damages a tattoo even more than slowly tanning out in the sun. Again, if you must tan, protect your ink with some SPF.
Everyday Exposure
Even if you aren’t laying out or using a tanning bed, you are probably being exposed to more sun than you think. Riding with the windows down in your car or running errands outside expose you to the suns rays, even if it’s not as intense as tanning. Using SPF every day is important to protect your skin from signs of aging, but it also keeps your tattoo looking new longer. Skipping SPF isn’t ideal, but even covering your tattoo with clothes or staying in the shade can help protect it.
Brand New Tattoos
Don’t put sunblock on a new or fresh tattoo—follow your artist’s aftercare instructions and keep your tattoo covered or shaded with clothing for the first few weeks. You can use sunblock once your tattoo has finished peeling and has grown its first protective layer of skin. Sunblock alone is not going to be sufficient for a new tattoo if it is exposed to direct sunlight for long periods of time. A tattoo is usually considered well-healed after about 3 months.
Self Tanner
Luckily, self tanner is a safe option to achieve a golden glow if you have a healed tattoo. As long as your tattoo is completely healed, you can apply lotion or tanner to it like you would other parts of your body. However, depending on the shade and color of the particular sunless tanning lotion you use, it may look a little funky over your ink. Test how tanner will look by using a thin layer of lotion over your tattoo first.
Don’t Be a Gambler
Your tattoo is an investment, so don’t take a gamble by not properly caring for it. It only takes a little effort and time to either cover up or safeguard your tattoo with sunscreen. Proper care can keep a tattoo looking vibrant for years to come, meaning you won’t have to go back for constant touch-ups.
