After getting your tattoo, you might be thinking that getting a tan on it might make it look better. But the instructions that your tattoo artist had given you was to stay clear of sunlight and tanning. Why is it bad for tattoos, especially new ones? This is because sunlight will react with the ink on your skin and damage it! So that concludes any hopes of getting a tan on your new tattoo.
So how long after a tattoo can you start getting a tan on your skin? The main problem with a new tattoo is that it is still in the process of healing. So it will need time to heal up and the sunlight or tanning will do your new tattoo and skin no favor in healing it. Therefore, you must wait for it to heal. But exactly how long will that take? And would the tattoo really be safe for tanning after it has healed?
Key Takeaways
- Tanning can cause the tattoo to fade, change color, prevent recovery of the tattoo, and possible sunburns that will ruin its appearance.
- To get a tan after a tattoo, it is advisable to let the tattoo completely heal first.
- You can take steps to prepare your tattoo before you go out to get a sun tan. That way you can protect it from UV rays.
- There are alternative ways to get a tan other than a sun tan, and they affect the tattoo in different ways.
How Long After Can You Tan Your Tattoo?
It may take around 2 weeks for your tattoo to complete initial healing. But the scabbing phase may last 1 month and tanning while your tattoo scabs can be harmful. As a tattoo artist, I highly recommend waiting about 1 to 2 months after getting the tattoo to tan.
The whole healing process of your tattoo can be divided into two parts. The first part is the healing of the top layer or epidermis layer of the skin which takes anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks. And the second part is healing of the dermis layer of your skin which may take around 3 to 6 months to heal. You absolutely can not go for a tan till the epidermis layer of the tattooed area is completely healed.
Because of how UV rays interact with tattoo ink, your tattoo will always be at risk of being damaged if there is extended exposure to sunlight or tanning. The safest option is to wait until the skin has completely healed, which can be a few months after getting a tattoo. It is also possible to get a tan after the top layer is healed, but there is a chance your tattoo may still have scabs. That is why you should wait for about 1 to 2 months after getting the tattoo to get a tan.
4 Effects of Tanning on Tattooed Skin
A few effects of tanning on tattooed skin are:
Fading
Sun exposure or tanning interacts with the tattoo ink and then breaks them apart. The pigments in the ink breaking down means your body will get rid of it. This will cause the tattoo to eventually fade. Remember, natural sunlight and tanning beds, both can fade your new tattoo.
Color shift
Tanning or sun exposure can increase the production of melanin on your skin which may affect how your tattoo looks. On top of that, the breakdown of the pigments in the ink may also cause the color of the tattoo to change! The vibrant colors that you had in your tattoo will start to look dull and any clear or bold lines will start to merge with the other colors. The lighter the color, the faster the pigments will break down and change color.
Prevents tattoo from healing
This is especially the case for newly tattooed skin. The healing process is the most important part of the tattoo to allow the ink to set in the skin permanently. Tanning prevents this recovery from taking place. And if you have sensitive skin then the healing may get a longer delay.
Chances of sunburn
Let’s not forget that tanning out in the sun can cause sunburns to occur! Your healing tattooed skin will start peeling and cracks will start to form. A sunburned tattoo with peeling skin and cracks forming will no doubt ruin its appearance. This extensive exposure to sunlight can lead to skin cancer as well.
Using Tanning Bed During Tattoo Healing: Is It Safe or Not
Now that you know natural sunlight can harm your healing tattoo in many ways, you might be wondering if there is a way to walk around it. You may think getting tan from artificial light might be fine as it might not damage your tattoo like the sunlight could. So, using a tanning bed during tattoo healing is safe or not?
It is harmful to get a tan using a tanning bed during the healing of your tattoo. These beds emit UVA and UVB rays using fluorescent bulbs, which work pretty similarly to sunlight. Studies suggest that tanning beds can be more damaging to the skin than UV rays from the sun! This is especially bad news for your tattoo because the concentrated UV rays from these beds will damage your fresh tattoo even more.
Signs of Healed Tattoo
The safest option to get a tan is to wait for the tattoo to heal. The signs that tell you that your tattoo is completely healed are:
- The oozing of plasma has stopped
- No more itching and redness on the skin
- There is no more peeling of the skin or scabbing
- The tattoo stops hurting completely
- The skin stops feeling dry and is smooth
- There is no scarring on the tattoo
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Preparing Tattoo: For Tanning & Protecting From UV Rays
Even after the tattoo has healed completely, tanning still has a chance to affect the tattoo negatively. To prevent that, here are some things you can do to prepare your tattoo for tanning and protect it from UV rays.
Moisturize
Heat and the harmful rays from the sun can dry up the skin. This causes the skin to become flaky, and dull, the dull skin can make your tattoo look bad too. Not to mention that tan does not form evenly on dry skin. With an uneven tan, the tattoo will look even worse. That’s why moisturize the skin so that the skin stays hydrated and you can put on a nice tan.
Sunscreen
What better way to get your skin to be moisturized than to use some sunscreen on it? Most sunscreens on the market nowadays have a moisturizing feature that will make your skin hydrated. It will also protect the skin, especially the tattoo from harmful UV rays. If you have sensitive skin, do not go out in the sun without sunscreen, even if you do not have tattoos.
I personally recommend getting a sunscreen that has both a moisturizing effect and about SPF 50 rating. This can be a fine sun protection for your tattooed skin. Avoid tanning without sunscreen and remember the benefits of tattoo protection.
Cover your tattoo
Why not take extra precautions to protect your tattoo? As an extra precaution, you can cover your tattoo before you go for a tan. You can cover your new tattoo using bandages or light-colored clothing.
3 Alternative Tanning Methods For Tattoos
People may not want to get a tan from the sun so they look for alternative ways of getting that tan.
Let’s check out a few alternatives:
Self-tanning products
Tanning lotions and other products that promote tanning of your skin are some of the most popular alternatives to sun tanning! They do not increase the melanin on your skin but they paint the skin temporarily that gives your skin the golden glow. With a tanning lotion, you can apply it around the tattoo. You can apply self-tanning products directly on your tattoo but make sure the tattoo healed.
Sun tanning beds
A lot of people don’t really like tanning in the sun because there is a chance that the tan will look uneven. As an alternative to that, people go for tanning beds to get a tan. But it can damage your tattoo just like sunlight.
A way to protect your tattoo is to cover the tattoo completely before you start tanning. And if you want a tan on your tattoo, my advice would be to choose better alternatives.
Spray tan
Spray tanning is possibly the best option to get a tan on your tattoo! Spray tan are temporary so the tan will fade away after a few weeks and there is no UV ray involved here. But avoid using it on new tattoos or healing tattoos.
Final Thoughts
Well, there you have it! You could get a sun tan or use tanning products after a month of getting the tattoo. But the safest option to get a tan after a tattoo will be to wait 1 to 2 months, and you have to avoid direct sun exposure till then. New tattoos can easily get damaged by tanning and direct sun exposure.
You can use sunless tanning products after 2 to 3 weeks as they can not penetrate your skin and harm your tattoo after the tattooed area is healed. But using tanning beds while your tattoo is still healing or scabbing can be harmful.
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