How To Care For Tattooed Skin To Prevent Fading

Tattoos are a fulfilling part of people's lives. Far from being a modern fad, most cultures around the globe have always incorporated permanent body art in their rites. Getting a tattoo is always a thrilling journey, and not one that is undertaken lightly. Most people decide on tattoos, expecting it to be a lifetime accessory. While this is the case with permanent tats, tattoo ink often fades over time, much to people's dismay.

There are things you should consider before getting a tattoo, and one of those things is reconciling with the possibility that it can fade away. Even though it won't disappear completely, the resulting look might not bring you as much joy as it did on the day you got the tattoo. While there are things you can do to prolong the brilliance of your tattoo ink, other external and internal factors can still contribute to its diminishing.

When getting inked, you have to remember that what really makes tattoos permanent is the receptiveness of your own immune system to the ink. When you get tattooed, your body releases macrophages, white blood cells which subsequently eat the ink and distribute it to other cells in the body. This can potentially lead to some of the ink fading away.

According to Stories & Ink, another thing that can cause your tattoo colors to wane is sunlight exposure. Those pesky UV rays can do some serious damage to the sharpness of your tattoo lines by breaking up the compounds in the ink.

Other factors that contribute to fading tattoos are improper moisturization of the skin and excess friction on the tatted area. Getting your ink is not the endgame. If you care about the state of your tattoo, then you have to be aware of what could speed up the fading process and what to do to keep it at bay.

So now you know why and how your tattoo ink can fade out as time goes by. Fortunately, you can delay this process to some extent by making sure you abide by the post-operation guidelines. 

Global Director of Tattoo Artistry at KVD Beauty, Miryam Lumpini, lays down some of these instructions while speaking to InStyle. She urges the newly tattooed to "avoid direct sunlight while healing, and to exfoliate, and use sunscreen to preserve color." According to Lumpini, moisturization is also vital, so that means choosing the right cream to promote cell regeneration and healing. There is, however, such a thing as too much moisturization, so you have to know the right way to moisturize a new tattoo. You don't want to drench your scabs.

In the event that your tattoo does eventually fade, you don't have to freak out just yet. You can restore your tattoo by getting touch ups. Faded colors and lines will be revived and look good as new. How often you should get your tattoos touched up will depend on how your skin treats the ink. It can take years before you need your ink restored, so just keep watching to see when it starts to fade.