Contents
- 1 Different from a picture drawn on paper, tattoos are priceless works of art carved into human skin. Getting tattooed is becoming popular due to its aesthetic and health benefits to the owner. Hence, to have one that always looks as beautiful as new, tattoo care is necessary.
- 2 How The Sun Damages Your Tattoos
- 3 Simple Tips Sun Protection For New Tattoos
- 4 What Should You Do If Your Tattoos Get Sunburned?
- 5 FAQ
- 6 The Final Takeaway
Different from a picture drawn on paper, tattoos are priceless works of art carved into human skin. Getting tattooed is becoming popular due to its aesthetic and health benefits to the owner. Hence, to have one that always looks as beautiful as new, tattoo care is necessary.
This article will help you discover how detrimental the sun is to your tattoos and tips sun protection for new tattoos. Let’s get started!
How The Sun Damages Your Tattoos
The art itself is actually under two layers of skin. The top layer plays as a filter between the sun and the pigment. UV rays will fade the inked area if it is usually exposed to sunlight.
More specifically, when you leave it in the sun, those UV rays will work on your skin and break down the pigment in it. As a result, there will be no more vivid works of art, just faint ones. You can’t see these adverse effects immediately, but time will tell.
Source: Public Domain Pictures
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Below are three different types of UV rays with different effects on your skin and tattoos.
UVA Rays
UVA tends to penetrate deeper than UVB, causing more lasting damage. These rays can cause the skin to age prematurely, leading to wrinkles and sagging in tattooed areas. It can easily fade the ink of healed ones.
UVB Rays
UVB is mainly responsible for causing damage to the top layer of skin as well as sunburns. Sunburned skin does more harm, especially a fresh one.
New tattoos are naturally open wounds without protection. If the wound is exposed to direct sunlight, it will burn much faster when compared to healthy skin, which means your pieces of art may fade, crack, blister, or peel.
Surprisingly, it even affects old ones. Chronic UVB exposure and sunburn can gradually damage their appearance.
UVC rays
Of the UV rays that have the most severe effects on humans, UVC is the most dangerous.
Fortunately, UVC rays do not penetrate the ozone layer, so they cannot directly harm the skin and human health. However, it can still affect human health through artificial devices emitting this type of rays, such as welding and tanning beds.
Simple Tips Sun Protection For New Tattoos
Don’t Use Sunscreen On A New Tattoo
Sunscreen is an effective way to protect your tattoo. Applying it will help prevent related cancer and limit wrinkles and other damage caused by UV rays.
It would be best to choose one with a broad spectrum that can block the penetration of both UVA and UVB.
However, applying sunscreen to new ones is not recommended.
Remember, a fresh tattoo is an open wound. Meanwhile, sunscreen contains some chemicals and minerals that cannot be used for such wounds, as it may become irritated, take longer to heal, or may even leave a scar.
The best time to apply sunscreen for your new art is after about two weeks when the peeling has completely healed.
Source: Flickr
Wear Clothing To Cover New Tattoos
New tats need time to heal first. Instead of using sunscreen during this period, cover it with a bandage or loose-fitting clothing. Such coverings are a good option to protect them from the sun for the first few weeks.
In addition, you can also choose clothes with high UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) ratings. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, a UPF 50 fabric can block 98% of the UV light.
Moisturize, Both Inside And Out
It would help if you took care of your inked areas by moisturizing your skin regularly and drinking enough water every day. Keeping your body hydrated is very important because a well-hydrated one can protect itself from harmful external factors. Plus, avoid bathing with hot water, as this can disrupt your natural oils.
Limit Your Time In The Sun As Much As Possible
The sun is strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Try to limit sun exposure during this time if you can or take extra measures to save your skin.
Source: Pxhere
Avoid Tanning Beds
Many people believe that the UV radiation of tanning beds does not come directly from sunlight so that it will be less harmful to their tats. Yet, this doesn’t seem right.
Tanning beds emit more concentrated light than the sun’s rays, which can cause a painful reaction on the tattooed area.
What Should You Do If Your Tattoos Get Sunburned?
If your freshly made skin art is sunburned, it will take a bit longer to heal. A severe sunburn can cause your tattooed area to blister, or worse, to become infected.
When sunburned, you need to cool the burned area with a cold pack, apply a gentle moisturizer, drink plenty of water, and monitor the burn. In case of signs of infection, you need to see a doctor immediately to get the necessary medical care.
Once your art has healed, you can determine if it needs retouching by your tattooist.
Source: Pexels
FAQ
Can I Apply Sunscreen Directly On My Tattoo?
Of course, you can put sunscreen directly on your healed tattooed skin. For new ones, please wait at least two weeks before you can apply sunscreen on them.
How Long Should I Avoid the Sun After Tattooing?
As mentioned above, you should wait at least 14 days until it can be in direct sunlight. Please remember to use protection tips to treat your inked skin!
What Are Other Risks For Tattoos?
All new body arts should be protected from the sun, especially light-colored ones, as light colors fade faster than black or bold colors.
The Final Takeaway
Tattoos are part of your body. Therefore, proper care for it is a way for you to love yourself. The fading effects are inevitable, yet you can prevent this from happening faster if you apply some tips sun protection for new tattoos.
We hope you’ve got yourself the most effective ways to protect your beautiful art with this article. Thanks for reading!