These days, seeing gorgeous tattoos on the street is not that surprising. If you are thinking about a tattoo yourself or have some already, there are several easy tips to keep in mind. Follow them and make sure that the beautiful decoration on your body stays there permanently as intended, and looks as nice as new.
Moisture, moisture, moisture
Despite the fact that not just the skin of your tattoo area but your whole body needs moisturizing, make sure to keep your tattoo properly nourished. Creams and lotions with hydrating ingredients like shea butter or antioxidants are definitely the way to go. Just be careful and avoid ingredients like petroleum since anything oil-based can clog your pores, and also, do not use creams that have lanolin in them as it is known to extract ink from very recent tattoos. Otherwise, your tattoo should look just fine.
Be Careful with the Sun
When you are in the sun, do not forget your sunblock. UVA rays make your skin age faster, which applies to tattooed skin, too. In fact, the same rays make it fade more rapidly, too, so if you want to enjoy that brilliant work for as much as it is supposed to last, sunscreen is a definite must. Always try to use skincare products that protect from UVA and UVB as well. Good news is that some companies have special tattoo sunscreens which will minimize your worries. Lastly, avoid tanning beds since not only do they increase the risk of skin cancer, but their rays can react rather painfully with your ink, especially if it is a relatively new tattoo.
Do not be Afraid of Skin Exfoliation
Some people think that regular scrubbing the skin will result in the tattoo fading away faster than normal. That is highly incorrect reasoning: tattoo ink does not lie on the surface of the skin but is instead in the dermis, its second layer. Exfoliating creams, thus, simply cannot affect it. What skin exfoliators can do, though, is get rid of the dead parts of the epidermis through which your tattoo is seen. Therefore, include scrubs and other similar products in your skin care routine in order to make your tattoo seem brighter.
Touch-ups are Natural
Once in a while, it is fine to see your tattoo artist, or another one, to get some lines redone. That is absolutely normal and is not a sign of bad quality of your tattoo. It is that tattoos do fade with years and so as decades past, even if you do your best to take care of your skin, you might feel like visiting a tattoo studio again.
With some Effort, only Time does its Job
It is not by any means difficult to take care of your tattoos but it is extremely important to actually put some effort to do that. With some moisturizer, regular exfoliation, and careful UVA protection, you can keep your inked skin as healthy as possible. And when time – and not any external factor – takes its toll, do not be afraid to get your tattoo redone, it is a very common and normal practice.