Protecting a Tattoo when Tanning
If you have one or more tattoos, you went through the process of deciding what you wanted, choosing or creating the design and finding a good tattoo artist to get it done. It was a big decision and most likely something you gave it much thought, plus the significant money investment you had to make to get a quality tattoo. In other words, having tattoos is like being a fine art collector: each piece represents something meaningful and special for you, and you want to protect it from anything that can damage it, right? So if you also love tanning and spending time in the beautiful New Jersey outdoors, we’d like to give you detailed tattoo care tips for you to follow if you want your ink to last for many years to come!
Tattoos & UV Tanning
This is Important: always follow the aftercare instructions given by your tattoo artist, and never expose to natural or artificial UV light to a tattoo that has not healed yet. After the tattoo has healed, always protect it from natural or artificial UV rays as these can fade and damage a brilliant tattoo very fast. These are 3 tips to protect your tattoo when tanning or getting sun exposure: 1. The sun is your tattoo’s worst enemy. So cover the entire tattooed area with the highest SPF sunblock available. You can apply it with a cotton swab to completely cover the outline of the tattoo, instead of leaving a border around it. You can also cover it with a piece of fabric that matches the size and shape of your tattoo, as to block as much UV as possible. Re-apply sunblock often if you’re going to spend a lot of time outside. 2. Burning the skin damages, a tattoo even more than slow tanning, so if going outdoors, make sure to cover it with sunblock as stated above and do not burn! Indoor tanning at Soleil Tans gives you complete control over the exposure times, so you won’t burn but you still need to protect the tattoo from UV light. Applying sunscreen lotion will not stop your tattoo’s aging process, but will lessen the effects of sun exposure. 3. Moisturize your skin every day, especially after a tanning session or if your skin feels dry, itchy or if it becomes flaky. This will prevent losing bits of skin that could slowly drain the ink of your tattoo.
Tattoos & Spray Tanning
With spray tanning you can leave the concern behind. As long as the tattoo is completely healed, nothing can hurt it that doesn’t also hurt the rest of your skin. Lighter tattoo colors may get a bit darker from spray tanning but it’s only temporary and if you don’t like it, you can wipe it off the tattoo immediately after the session. You can also put a light coat of barrier cream it to protect it during the spray tanning session. The healed tattoo rule also applies to this case though! Always wait until your tattoo is completely healed before exposing it to UV or getting a spray tan!