Summer is right around the corner. Who wouldn’t love to spend some quality time out in the sun to get tan or spend time with friends and family doing outdoor activities? But your summer plans may get a bit disrupted if you are planning to get a new tattoo during this time. A new tattoo is a bodily art that requires extra care just like any other form of art. Sun can do some serious damage to your tattoo. So, you may think applying sunscreen can save the day. But, can you put sunscreen on a new tattoo?
Sunscreen is a must whenever you go out in the sun, even if you do not have any tattoos. But as it contains many chemicals, is it really safe to use on a new tattoo? That is exactly what I will be explaining this today’s article.
Using Sunscreen on a Fresh Tattoo
No, you can’t put sunscreen on a new tattoo because the tattooing procedure leaves the skin wounded. Applying sunscreen on newly tattooed skin or any wounded skin can delay healing, and cause irritation and infection. Wait 4 to 6 weeks after getting the tattoo to apply sunscreen.
A new or fresh tattoo requires extra care. You should follow a few basic aftercare steps as long as you have the tattoo to prolong its life and keep it in a vibrant state. But a newly done ink requires much more care because messing up the aftercare steps can potentially ruin your body art or even cause permanent scarring. This is why you should pay attention when your tattoo artist provides you the valuable dos and don’ts after completing the tattoo.
I can tell from my experience that most fresh tattoos get ruined because of improper aftercare. A crucial part of the aftercare routine is to protect your healing tattoo from sunlight. Sunlight can cause irritation, redness, swelling, and blister and it can fade your tattoo. That is why to protect new tattoos from sunlight many tend to use sunscreen without knowing if it is good for their new tattoo or not. Some sunscreen formulas contain harsh chemicals that can cause some serious damage to your newly inked skin.
To put it simply, you should not put sunscreen on a new body art because it can do more harm than good. Yes, sunscreen will protect your healing tattoo from sunlight but it can cause delayed healing, infection, tattoo distortion, irritation, etc. You have to take care of the new ink that got injected onto your skin and your skin health.
6 Reasons Why You Should Not Put Sunscreen on a Newly Tattooed Skin
The tattooing process requires you to get poked by tattoo needles hundreds to thousands of times. So obviously your skin will be wounded during the process. Exposing any open wound to direct sunlight may cause issues. And if it is a fresh tattoo wound then the number of possible issues increases by a lot. There are a lot of reasons why you should not put sunscreen on a new tattoo.
I have listed a few crucial ones below:
1. Increases the Chance of an infection
New tattoos can easily get infected as they are like open wounds. When you apply sunscreen over the healing body art it can catch dirt, debris, and germs easily. Not to mention it can create an overly moist condition that can lead to infection. Because during the healing phase, your tattooed area will be more sensitive to any outer material. When the harmful chemicals of sunscreen go under the skin through the wound and create an overly moist condition, your healing tattoo becomes more prone to infection.
2. Causes irritation
Healing tattoo requires fresh air to breathe and heal. If you prevent it from getting air by applying sunscreen, it will most probably cause irritation on the tattooed area.
3. May Cause swelling
It may get swelling if you apply too much sunscreen and later do not wash it properly. And sunscreens can be sticky which would attract dirt easily. As a result, it can clog the pores and cause the tattooed area to swell.
4. Delay healing
Does not matter if it is a tattoo wound or any other wound, we all want our wounds to heal faster. Because a healing wound is prone to infection and causes some discomfort until it is healed. If you apply sunscreen on a healing tattoo it will prevent the area from getting air and it may cause infection too. As a result, you will have a delayed healing.
5. Permanent scarring
Prolonged healing can be an annoying time and you may damage the tattoo during this time because of losing patience. Which can cause permanent scarring. Not to mention there are many infections you can get which can also cause permanent scarring or tattoo distortion.
6. Redness, Rash, Itching
Most sunscreens contain harsh chemicals that may not cause any issues when used on normal skin, but when you use them on wounded skin it can cause several issues. Sunscreens have a nice smell or fragrance but to get this fragrance it uses harsh chemicals. That is why using sunscreen that has harsh chemicals can cause redness, rash, and itchiness on the healing inked area.
10 Reasons to Protect New Tattoos from UV Rays
The harmful UA rays and UVB rays of the sun can damage new and old tattoos. But it can be more harmful to new tattoos in particular. A few reasons to protect your brand-new tattoo from sun rays are:
- Tattoo blisters
Exposing a healing tattoo in direct sunlight for an extended period of time can cause sunburn and blisters. Blisters in general are not a big issue but blister over a new tattooed skin can be a critical issue. Blisters can potentially distort or fade your tat by absorbing ink and then letting it out of your skin. Blisters can occur on sensitive skin much faster, so be careful. - Tattoo fading
Tattoo fading is one of the most crucial issues you will face by exposing your new or old tattoo to sunlight. Your new tattoo due to the wounded skin is more sensitive to sunlight. Sunlight can easily penetrate the wounded epidermis or the first layer of your skin can break the ink pigments. And your body would naturally get rid of broken-down pigments.
The white blood cells consider broken-down pigments as harmful foreign components. When the number of pigments gets reduced you will end up with a faded tattoo. - Tattoo cracking
Your precious art getting cracked is quite problematic as it will not only cause you pain but it can distort your body art too. Sunlight can overly dry your skin and put extra tension or strain on your skin. So much so that your skin may end up cracking. A healing wound is more susceptible to getting cracked. - Redness
Skin appearing red can be a bit awkward. As your healing inked area is more sensitive to sunlight, it can easily turn red. A tattooed area turning red can be awkward to look at. - Blisters
Sunlight can irritate skin by burning it and exposing sensitive areas like a freshly tattooed area to sunlight hot conditions can cause blisters.
Note: If you get blisters then wear loose clothing. - Swelling
Swelling may not occur if you expose your delicate area that is not healed for 10-30 minutes to sunlight. However, exposing it for a longer period of time may lead to swelling of the area. - Itchiness
A tattoo tends to be slightly itchy as it heals. Exposing it to sunlight will make it overly dry and increase the existing itchiness of the healing area. - Tightening
Sunlight can overly dry your skin. Overly dry skin can cause tightening especially on the area where you got your new ink. Tightening is not that big of a deal though as you can solve this issue by applying moisturizer over the tattooed area. - Irritation
Exposing a new body art to the sun for a long time can easily get you a sunburn. Sunburn will cause irritation to your healing area. Naturally, there can be mild discomfort or irritation on the healing tattooed area, now if you get a sunburn the irritation will be much worse. - Delayed healing
The harmful UV rays of the sunlight can delay the healing of your new ink. Delayed healing can lead to infection, more discomfort, etc. Your healing tattoo does require fresh air to heal but exposing it to sunlight and expecting it to help with the healing will do the opposite.
Not to mention you can get skin cancer because of too much sun exposure. UVA rays and UVB rays both can cause skin cancer. So, make sure to protect your fresh tattooed skin from sun rays.
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When Can You Put Sunscreen On a Tattoo?
You should not put sunscreen on a healing tattoo, as it can interrupt the healing process. But when can you put sunscreen on a tattoo?
You can put sunscreen on a healed tattoo, you may apply sunscreen on your tattoo after 4 to 6 weeks of getting the tattoo. If you get a laser tattoo removal then you have to wait till the skin heals to put on sunscreen. And avoid tanning beds and sun tanning while your newly inked skin is still recovering.
The healing time of a tattoo can vary as not all of us have an equally strong immune system. People with stronger immune systems would have a shorter healing phase and people with weak immune systems would have a bit longer healing phase.
If you are on a certain type of medication or have health issues, then it can also affect how long your tattooed skin would take to heal. Generally, a tattoo could take from 14 days to 28 days to heal. During this 4 week time period, only the epidermis layer or the first layer of your skin will heal. And the dermis layer or the second layer of your skin may take 3 to 6 months to heal.
You can start to apply sunscreen on your tat right after the first layer of your skin heals. Because sunscreen stays on the surface and cannot penetrate a healed first layer of skin to reach the second layer of skin. So there is no need for you to wait till the second layer of the skin heals to wear sunscreen on your tat to protect it from the sun’s UV rays.
Applying sunscreen once can provide protection for about 2 hours. So, you need to reapply sunscreen every 2 hours when you are out in the sun.
Ways to Protect a New Tattoo from Sun Without Sunscreen
Now that you know why you should not put sunscreen on freshly tattooed skin, how else can you protect your new tattoo from the sun that will not cause any other issues? Sun protection is a must, so make sure to follow the ways I have provided below to protect your brand-new tattoo.
1. Cover with clothing
You can easily cover most tattoos by wearing the correct type of clothing. Loose and breathable clothes are recommended to cover up fresh tattoos. Tight clothes that are not breathable can damage your new tattoo. So make sure to choose the right clothing to protect your healing tattoo from the sun easily.
2. Tattoo bandage
A tattoo bandage can protect your new tattoo from dirt, debris, water, and sunlight. You can protect your tattoo from sunlight by applying a quality tattoo bandage as well.
3. Using an umbrella
Using an umbrella can protect your healing skin from direct sunlight. But be aware that an umbrella cannot protect you from reflective sunlight. So when you use an umbrella make sure not to stay out in the sunlight for too long.
And lastly, try to avoid sunlight altogether. Instead of trying out protection methods to protect your new tat from sunlight, it is better to avoid sunlight totally. As it would be the safest way to protect your new tat from UV rays. Staying in shades and avoiding sunlight can be the best sun protection method until your tattoo heals.
Qualities of a Good Sunscreen for Tattoos
Even though it is not recommended to put sunscreen on a new tattoo, you can put sunscreen on a healed or old body art without facing any side effects. However, using a cheap or bad quality sunscreen may not be able to protect your body ink from harmful UV rays of sunlight.
I have listed a few qualities a good sunscreen should have for tattoos:
1. SPF 30 or Plus
A good quality sunscreen should have at least SPF 30 or more. It is the prime sun protection factor. As more SPF means better and longer protection from harmful UV rays of sunlight. That is why you should prioritize sunscreen with an SPF rating between 30 to 50!
2. Broad-spectrum protection
The sunscreen should have broad-spectrum protection. Meaning it should be able to protect your tattoo from both UVB and UVA rays. A broad-spectrum sunscreen can provide your skin the ideal protection against the sun’s rays.
3. Skin nourishing ingredient
The primary job of sunscreen is to protect your skin from sun damage. But a quality sunscreen will also have skin-nourishing ingredients in it. It will provide your tattooed skin with nourishment and avoid drying skin. You can go for a chemical sunscreen, it is fine but it should have nourishing ingredients.
4. Non-greasy formula
A greasy sunscreen can attract dirt, and debris and clog your pores. Which may lead to infection. That is why a good sunscreen will use a non-greasy formula so that it does not attract dirt or debris to the tattooed area.
Final Thoughts
To protect your new tattoo from both UVA rays of the sun, you need to take some necessary steps. Putting sunscreen is definitely not one of them. Avoid sunscreen while you have a fresh tattoo as it can delay the healing, cause irritation, and sometimes lead to infection. You can put sunscreen on when your tattoo is completely healed. Because old tattoos cannot be damaged or irritated by sunscreen.
Prolonged exposure to UVA and UVB rays can cause skin damage. So, your older tattoos can get damaged as well. Choose a tattoo-specific sunscreen or your old tattoo that has zinc oxide and does not have artificial fragrances. Sunlight has the potential to cause permanent damage to your tattoo, so make sure to take proper care of your new and old tattoos.
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