“I hate people who give up on Summer in August. August is prime summer. Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up” -Dave Portnoy
Summer is still here, damnit. And that means there is still plenty of time to put on that beautiful golden tan. But before you do make sure that you take steps to ensure the sun or the tanning bed doesn’t damage your tattoos. Here are 5 things you can do to protect your ink while you catch those rays.
1: Just don’t get new tattoos in the sun
New tattoos are extremely delicate. Not only to just the sun, or ultraviolet rays from your tanning bed, but also to the products that you would put on your skin to help protect from the sun, like sunscreen or tanning oil. These can often contain harsh chemicals that if introduced into the open wound that is your new tattoo could cause infections or other serious damage. New tattoos are also prone to flaking (Saniderm aftercare bandages can help with that!) but when you expose freshly tattooed skin to the sun it increases the chance that the tattoo is going to peel and flake. So don’t risk it and keep your new tattoos out of the sun until they are healed.
2: Avoid UV rays as much as possible.
This is a bit of a two-sided coin. On one side, UV rays help to give you that gorgeous golden brown look you want. On the other side, it can cause the skin cells holding in your ink to expand which means that your ink will look fuzzy and less detailed. In extreme cases, UV rays can bleach your ink. However, we recognize that never seeing the sun is not an option, so we recommend tanning for as long as you need and not a second more!
3: It’s all about SPF.
Use at least SPF 30 sunscreen when you’re trying to soak up the sun, This will provide your ink the minimum level of protection it needs not to get sunburned. Make sure to reapply as needed. Sunburns can cause the skin to peel, as I’m sure you have experienced. If this happens at an extreme level it can result in layers of skin with ink peeling off, therefore damaging your tattoo. But another friendly reminder to keep sunscreen off of a fresh tattoo! Wait for it to heal or keep it covered with clothing when out in the sun
4: Use Tattoo Moisturizers (Like Sanibalm!).
Like we said before, the UV rays of the sun can cause your skin cells to expand and make your tattoo look blurry. Using a good tattoo moisturizer regularly can keep your skin tight and your tattoo defined and beautiful! Sanibalm PLUS+ has ingredients like coconut oil, shea butter, and sea buckthorn, all of which are powerhouse ingredients when it comes to skin and tattoo maintenance.
5: Tattoos and Spray Tanning
This is an easy one. As long as the spray-on product you’re using is good for your skin, and your tattoo is totally healed, you’re good to use spray tans without them damaging your tattoo. Do keep in mind that adding a layer of spray coloring to your skin, will in turn add a layer of spray coloring to your tattoo which may cause it to look slightly off-colored. As the spray tan fades, your tattoo’s appearance will return to normal.