How Long To Stay Out Of Sun After Tattoo?
How to Protect Your Tattoo From the Sun – @ girlknewyork Wear sunscreen: Sunblock is the number one form of protection for your tattoo. Applying sunblock will help prevent skin cancer, wrinkles, blotchy complexions, and other skin-caused damage. 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).
Whatever sunscreen you would normally use without a tattoo is fine — whether chemical or physical. According to Nussbaum, SPF is a critical part of protecting your tattoo against UV rays. “The most important thing when choosing a sunscreen is to make sure it is broad-spectrum, meaning it protects against both UVA, which penetrates deeper than UVB rays, causing free radical damage, and UVB rays, which damage the cell’s DNA and burn the skin,” she says.
“Sunburns and chronic UV exposure can damage the appearance of tattoos over time and lead to fading, wrinkles, and dullness/dryness. ” Nussbaum also says it’s safe to put sunscreen on a healed tattoo, but fresh ink will need to heal first (instead, cover it with a bandage or loose clothing).
- Be sure to reapply your sunblock every two hours to ensure a continuous and solid layer of protection;
- Cover up: If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of reapplying sunscreen , the second-best option for sun protection is to ultimately keep your new ink out of the sun;
At the very least, make sure not to expose a new tattoo to direct sunlight for the first month of having it—especially the first two weeks. Not only will sun exposure cause the tattoo’s colors to fade, as previously mentioned, but it may also burn your skin and scar it from sun damage.
- Keeping your tattoo out of the sun doesn’t mean you have to stay inside all day, though;
- Maintain your ink’s vibrant colors and linework by always wearing at least one layer while in the sun;
- It can be light—as long as it covers the tattoo design completely;
Get your tattoo during the winter : One of the easiest ways to prevent sun damage to your tattoo is to consider what time of year you’ll be getting inked. Getting your tattoo in the winter will reduce your bare exposure to sun, as chilly weather means more clothing to cover up with.
However, the winter season also means dry skin. If your skin tends to feel dry, flakey, and itchy during the colder weather months, load up on moisturizing lotions. To protect your new tattoo, we love the original, unscented Aquaphor formula.
Slather on day or night for intense moisture and protection. (Or, try one of these tattoo artist-approved lotions ). If you get the tattoo too close to a vacation or beach day, you’ll spend the whole time out of the water with your ink-covered. While saltwater may seem like it’ll help ( chlorine water —not so much), any kind of soaking during your initial healing period may cause infection and damage the design work you paid for.
- If you really want to get a tattoo during the summer, at least wait until you know you won’t be going on vacation for a month or so;
- And if you want to get tattooed while on vacation ? Just wait until the latter half of your trip, so you can still have fun in the sun and worry about aftercare once you’re home;
Moisturize often, inside and out: Nussbaum also suggests moisturizing often and drinking water every day. “Keep your skin well hydrated so that it can protect itself from external damage and maintain your skin’s natural moisture barrier,” says Nussbaum.
She also notes that hydration doesn’t mean more showers, though. “Skip the long, hot showers, which can strip the skin of its natural oils and lead to dry skin, and instead opt for a shorter shower (five minutes maximum) with lukewarm water.
” Check-in with your skin: Another essential thing to do if you expose your tattoo to the sun is to check your skin for any visible signs of damage. Aside from spot-checking regularly for any mole additions or changes (this should be a weekly thing, regardless of the season!), make sure to give your tattoo a good once over to ensure that the design hasn’t majorly warped.
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How long to keep a new tattoo out of the Sun?
How long to the keep tattoo out of the sun? – It is advisable to keep a new tattoo out of the sun for about a month 1 month to avoid any possible skin burns, also to avoid fading of your tattoo. Technically, your tattoo artist will ask you to wait for 14 days strongly and keep the tattoo out of the sun.
- But, for best results, we advise longer;
- It is because some skin types are more sensitive or delicate which won’t be a good thing for your tattoo is exposed to the sun;
- Check with any tattoo artist and they will tell you every word as we did;
The healing process is considered critical by them too as until your skin heals, you are not advised to apply sun protection creams, sunblock, chapsticks, body lotion, etc. , Allow your skin to breathe and heal. Don’t worry; you have a lifetime to flaunt your tattoo after the waiting period is over.
Should you avoid sunlight when getting a tattoo?
There is no doubt that as soon as you get an amazing new tattoo that you’re going to want to show off that bad boy! However, the temptation to fling off all your clothes and run free should be avoided for the time being. Avoiding direct sunlight on the tattoo for at least the first the first few weeks is highly recommended while you are going through the tattoo healing process. So what do you do when you have a new tattoo and what to care for it, and protect it from the sun?
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Why does it take so long for my Tattoo to heal?
Too much sun exposure will result in sunburn, peeling, and ultimately increase the time it takes your new tattoo to heal.
How long after a tattoo can you swim?
How Long Before You Can Swim With a New Tattoo? – Most of the time, a tattoo needs to fully heal before you can safely swim. How long that takes varies from person to person, but many tattoo artists recommend anywhere from two to four weeks. When you get a tattoo, you’ll be sent home with a bandage over it.
- After a few hours, you can likely remove the bandage and wash off the excess blood and ink;
- Use your hands to gently wash it with light warm water and antibacterial soap, then let it air dry in a clean environment and apply the aftercare cream;
As the tattoo heals, flaky skin and scabs will form. As the scabs flake and fall off naturally, a new layer of skin will heal underneath. When there’s a new layer of skin, that’s when you know you can safely swim. Throughout the healing process, you’ll also want to avoid baths for many of the same reasons, but continue to gently clean the area, air dry, and use the aftercare cream.
