Tattoos are permanent

  Tattoos are created by using special tools that use needles to insert permanent ink into the dermal layer of the skin. The ink changes the pigment of the skin where it is inserted, creating a work of art that stays on your skin for a long period of time. 

    The question many people ask is why don't tattoos fade or "heal" themselves over time? Tattoos are applied to the inner and not the outer layer of skin. A tattoo machine works by moving the needle up and down rapidly (around 50-150 times per second), piercing the outer layer of skin and injecting drops of the ink into the dermis with each puncture. The ink pigment particles are too large for the immune cells to destroy, so they get stuck in the dermis.  Over the course of a few weeks after getting tattooed, the skin slowly repairs itself and while there is some initial loss of the ink during the healing process, ultimately with proper care the bulk of the ink is trapped in the layer between epidermis and dermis. It will generally remain there for the rest of your life as long as no major damage to the dermis region of body happens. 

    All tattoos will fade over time. One thing to keep in mind is that there are several places on your body where tattoos are most likely to fade at a rapid pace. Several areas have a tough time holding ink due to the types of skin on the body and the mobility of the area. Elbows are notoriously hard to tattoo and getting the ink to stay can be tough in the first place. Hand tattoos see almost constant sun exposure so they will fade. Finger and side of fingers are almost guaranteed to fade or fall out as soon as they heal. 

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Tattoos and Sunscreen

      With warmer months coming up, it is important to take good care of your tattoo and protect it from harmful UV rays.  Sunblock is the number one form of protection for your tattoo. Applying sunblock will help prevent skin cancers, wrinkles, blotchy complexions, and other skin-caused damages. Any sunblock is better than no sunblock when it comes to preparing your ink for the sun, but most artists will suggest using a fragrance free sunscreen with 30-50 SPF (try to stick to natural ingredients if possible too like non nano particle zinc oxide). Also make sure the sunscreen or sunblock actually works against UVA rays and not just UVB rays.

     New tattoos are crisp, vibrant, and exciting to look at but if you head out into the sun too quickly after getting your new tattoo, you can end up ruining the beauty and the design.  Even a hidden tattoo is susceptible to sun damage and the UV rays, so it's essential to do your research on how best to care for your tattoo. Too much sun exposure can cause fading, scarring, or color spreading especially in the first few months after getting your tattoo.

     If you don't want to deal with reapplying sunscreen, another good option in to completely keep your new tattoo out of the sun all together. Make sure not to expose a new tattoo to direct sunlight for at least the first month of having it, especially the first two weeks. The sun can cause the tattoo's colors to fade, but it could also burn your skin and scar the tattoo from sun damage.