Why Do Tattoos Fade? How do we deal with it?

Tattoos are a part of us, permanent body art etched into our skin with ink and needles. The process itself can be done in minutes, or an experience that takes multiple days to complete. After the healing process the art has become a part of your skin. Although from this moment your tattoo will begin to fade. This process will happen and cannot be stopped. But there are ways to slow down tattoo fade. We’ll dive into the reasons why tattoos fade, and how we can manage fading.

Factors That Cause Tattoo Fading

Tattoo fading isn’t caused by one reason alone. There are multiple factors that affect tattoo fade. Whilst some of them can’t be fully controlled. Some factors can still be understood and managed to keep your tattoos looking fresh for as long as possible.

1. Sun Exposure

This factor is the most well known for causing tattoo fading. The ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun not only burns our skin, but also breaks down the pigments in tattoo ink. This causes them to be absorbed into our bodies, which results in fading. You’re more likely to notice fading in the lightest colors of your tattoo, such as white used in highlights, and colors such as yellow and pink. Darker colors and grey wash aren’t immune to fading. They still do fade, although you’re less likely to notice it at first glance. Over time, you’ll see the colors dull, and the contrast reduced from when it was freshly healed.

How to deal with Sun Exposure

Consistently using a high SPF sunscreen will be the key to keeping your tattoos strong against the UV rays of the sun. Wearing clothing that covers your tattoo with an SPF rating will help protect your tattoo against sunlight.

2. Skin Aging

Aging is a natural process that our bodies go through. Our skin is affected by aging in various ways. Which often results in a loss of elasticity and wrinkles forming in our skin. This aging can also affect our tattoos, by causing them to spread out, blur and even fade. This can cause lines on tattoos to become thicker and blurred. This also leads to the loss of vibrancy in colors.

How to manage Skin Aging

Skin care products and supplements can help slow down skin aging. Consistently using hydrating lotions will help keep your skin moist and elastic. Eating a healthy diet with supplements that are rich in antioxidants and collagen can help maintain your skin’s health and elasticity.

3. Poor Aftercare

Aftercare is the most important part of a tattoo’s lifespan. Like a newborn child, the earliest stages are its most fragile (although it won’t take as long as a baby). Taking proper care of your tattoo from the moment it’s finished, will ensure it stays at its best for years to come. Not following proper aftercare procedures can lead to heavy scabbing, cracking, infection and fading. Picking away at scabs, exposing a fresh tattoo to dirty water, dirt, dust, and harsh chemicals can affect the tattoo, This can result in the tattoo being dull, patchy, or color falling out.

4. Ink Quality

Ink Quality is another one of the main factors affecting your tattoo fading. High quality, professional tattoo ink is better at resisting fading and keeping their vibrancy over a longer period of time. Although, even with higher quality inks, lighter, pastel like colors are more prone to fading than darker colors, and grayscale colors.

How to Ensure Ink Quality

We recommend doing your research and finding a professional, reputable artist that uses high-quality name brand tattoo inks. Consult with the artist directly about their available ink and how the ink and design will last long term.

5. Placement of the Tattoo

Tattoo placement can affect how your tattoo fades. This is due to two reasons, the first being exposure to sunlight, which is more prominent, on areas such as the forearm, neck and hands. The second reason being friction and frequent contact. This is common on the hands and feet. Where the constant rubbing against, clothing and skin can wear down the ink over time.

How to consider fading into tattoo placement

When considering the tattoo placement, consider the design, complexity and colors. High traffic areas such as the hands and feet will see lots of contact. If fading does occur in these areas, even with proper aftercare. Scheduling a touch-up of the tattoo can help keep its quality over time.

6. Body Chemistry

Body chemistry is what we refer to as how each person can differ in their tattoo fading. Even with the same aftercare products, regiment and care, two people’s tattoo fading can vary. This is down to the difference in each person’s skin type, immune system, and lifestyle. These affect how a person’s body takes in tattoo ink. Since tattoo ink is a foreign object in the body, our bodies are actively trying to remove it. Some people’s bodies are better at this than others, which can be counterproductive to keeping a tattoo looking good over time.

Can we do anything about our body chemistry?

No, there’s nothing we can do directly with our body chemistry that can slow down tattoo fading. The best we can do is take good care of our skin, through lotions, sunscreen, proper aftercare and a healthy balanced lifestyle.

What do I do if my tattoo is faded?

Tattoo fading is inevitable, but it’s not the end of your tattoo’s lifespan. Even with proper aftercare, your tattoo will just dull out, not completely disappear (unless you have opted to remove your tattoo). A touch up is a great way of bringing a faded tattoo back to life. This can be done with the same artist who made the tattoo originally, or another artist. Be sure to bring a picture of your tattoo when it was completed. So they have a reference for the colors, vibrancy and contrast of your tattoo’s original look.

Conclusion

There’s no way of getting around tattoo fading, but we can still deal with it, one way or another. By taking proper care of our tattoos, and our health over time. We can keep our tattoos looking fresh and vibrant for a long time.
If you’re looking to get a tattoo to last over the years, or touch up one that has faded over time. We have you covered here at Golden Hours. Our roster of talented artists can help.

Send us a message and we’ll help you create or revive your own piece of body art.