Pounded Ink

Tomorrow is the 4th of July and I’d wager a good amount that most of you will be outside in the sun at one point or another this weekend.  Do you wear sunblock every time you go outside?  If you have exposed tattoos, you should.

The suns rays are one of the most harmful things to a tattoo.  UV rays will break down your colors in as little as one sun burn.  Some colors will fade others can change shade rapidly, creating a tattoo that has lost its luster.

Lisa Gets A Tan And Sees The Light

Don’t believe me?  How about a little show and tell.  The tattoo of the female holding a skull included in this article belongs to my dear friend Lisa.  The tattoo is less than a year old.  This is her first color tattoo that has really been affected by sunlight, but as you can see there is a definite difference in the tattoo within just  a few months.

As you can plainly see the colors have faded and seem to bleed into each other.  Notice how the contrast has virtually disappeared?  This loss of contrast makes the tattoo look flat instead of retaining the origional textured look.

Compare the before and after photo’s and you will see the obvious differences, particularly in the hear, clothes and hair textures.  The tan in her skin makes the yellow that was applied to the tattoo almost invisible.

Luckily my friend Lisa has seen the light and now applies sunblock to her tattoos religiously.  Sadly the damage to the tattoo may have already been done.  With as little as one bad sunburn or dark tan certain tattoo colors can become forever damaged.

Yellows and blues will loose their “brightness” quicker than others, whites can become yellow, reds turn brown and the crispness of your shading will be gone forever.  It may seem like a hastle but it is essential that you keep your tattoos out of the sun.

Highlight Your Tattoos

I have also included some photos of my tattoos which I apply sunblock to religiously and never ever tan them.  I do get some sun but I make sure that my tattoos are always covered with clothing or sunblock.

I think that tattoos look the best during the summer if you use sunblock.  They actually jump off your skin due to the natural contrast your untanned skin gives compared to your tanned skin.  The whites and bright colors will contrast even better against the background of your tanned skin.

Tags: Tattoo · Tattoo Care