How to Protect a New Tattoo From Sun? : 6 Simple & Effective Tips

No doubt, new tattoos look vibrant and beautiful, exposing them to direct sunlight without protection can cause them to lose their lustre quickly. Since a fresh tattooed skin is similar to a fresh wound, exposing it to direct sunlight can damage the artwork. Therefore, it’s important to protect a new tattoo from the sun. 

The best way to keep your tattooed skin safe from sunlight is to apply sunscreen after it has completely healed. You can also cover the tattooed area with clothing, and it is recommended that you moisturize your skin beforehand. Additionally, covering it with a bandage or wearing light clothing offers further protection. Let’s delve into how sun damage affects tattoos and explore methods to protect your ink design from harmful UV rays.

How To Protect A New Tattoo From The Sun?

Both new and old tattoos should be kept away from the sun to keep them long-lasting and vibrant and to prevent the tattoo from fading. You can keep your new tattoo safe from the sunlight in the following ways:

Apply Sunscreen 

Sunblock can effectively protect your tattooed skin. Therefore, apply sunblock regularly on your healed tattooed skin. Choose a fragrance-free sunblock with an SPF range between 30 and 50. Also, use sunscreen with natural components that protect your skin from UVA and UVB rays. Apart from these, sunblock should be applied to a tattoo when it heals. However, applying sunscreen on fresh tattooed skin can result in allergic reactions in some people.

Cover The Tattoo With a Bandage or Cloth

Some people can’t apply a sunscreen to the tattooed area daily. In such conditions, you can cover the tattoo with a cloth or a bandage. Whatever you use, it should cover your tattoo area properly. For example, if you’ve lower sleeve tattoo you can use the shock to cover the ink design said by Linda Tattoo Artist. 

Wear Light-Colored Clothes

Dark colours absorb more heat than light colours. Wearing light-coloured clothes prevents your ink from excessive sunlight and heat. Excess heat can cause damage to the body art. Therefore, you should wear light-coloured clothes to protect the tattoo ink from sunlight damage on tattoos.

Moisturize Your Skin While Going Outside

Another way to keep the inked area secure from harmful UV rays is to keep the skin moisturized. A moisturizer can be a barrier between the body and the body’s sunlight. Furthermore, it contributes to maintaining skin hydration and preventing any potential harm.

Moreover, if you get your tattoo during the winter, you may feel itching in the tattooed area due to dryness. Using the best-quality lotion on tattoos can help control skin dryness. Also, stay well-hydrated by drinking enough water.

Avoid Prolonged Sun Exposure

Another important tip to protect your tattoo from the sun is to avoid prolonged sunlight exposure. Allowing your tattooed skin to be exposed to sunlight for extended periods can cause tattoos to fade quickly. It’s especially crucial to limit the time when the sun is at its peak, typically between 10 AM and 4 PM.

Get Your Tattoo In The Winter Season

Another easy way to protect your body art from sun damage is to get it done during winter. During this season, the effect of sunlight is minimal. And our bodies are also covered with more clothing, reducing the chance of exposing the ink design to the sun. Also, outdoor activities become limited in winter. So, as a result, it helps to keep the tattoos safe from sunlight during this season.

How Does The Sun Damage New Tattoos?

Sunlight can damage your new tattoo in many ways. The Ultraviolet radiation emitted from the sun has the potential to damage the appearance of the fresh tattoo design. Usually, the inner layer of the skin’s surface (epidermis) contains cells (melanocytes) that produce the pigment melanin when exposed to sunlight. As a result, the tattoo color changes and starts fading. 

However, the fading intensity also depends on the colouring. For example, light-coloured tattoos have less pigmentation and tend to fade faster due to UV rays than dark colours. So, the more exposure the skin has to the sun, the more melanin will be produced, and tattoo ink will fade. Furthermore, UV rays can lead to sunburn and excessive damage to the art design.

FAQs

Final Thoughts

The tattoo should be kept away from the sun because sunlight can damage it. Prolonged exposure to sunlight will accelerate the fading of your ink, damage your tattoo, and make it less vibrant. We cannot stop the fading of the tattooing pigment, but we can reduce it.

To protect the tattooing area from the sunlight, apply sunscreen regularly. Cover the pigmented area with clothing and also keep it moisturized. The more you keep your tattooed area away from the sun, the more it will stay vibrant.