How to Avoid The Tattoo Aging Process
Getting a tattoo is a big deal; it's a permanent marking on your skin to signify something important to you that will be on your body forever. Tattoos are the epitome of timeless works of art, but all art has some degree of breakdown or degradation over time, including fading, and the human body as a canvas is no exception. Before you commit to a tattoo, it's important to know how it'll appear on your skin later in life, and that's where this blog comes into play. This is your guide to everything you need to know about ageing tattoos.
What contributes to a tattoo's ageing process?
As our bodies change in size and age, our skin will change and lose elasticity over time. When our skin loses elasticity, it becomes thinner, which can cause tattoos to shift in their appearance; lines blur or stretch, ink bleeds over, and what was once a brand new crisp tattoo has now changed to some degree. While the range of change differs from person to person, you will likely experience some level of your tattoo appearing different later in life.
The process of your tattoos ageing with you will be caused by a handful of factors, some of which you can avoid now, others which will be out of your control and are a natural part of the human body's lifecycle. Understanding how your tattoo will age over time before you get it is important; it can help you make better-informed choices on factors like placement, ink colour, tattoo style, and more. These are some of the factors that will influence the way your tattoo looks over time:
Tattoo Placement: Where you place a tattoo can significantly impact the level of ageing it'll experience. For example, a head tattoo will most likely see some level of sun exposure daily, but if you are rarely topless, a back tattoo may rarely be affected by sun exposure or wear and tear from life. Hand tattoos are known to fade or distort more frequently because the skin is thinner around the hands and fingers. Another factor to consider is that we experience a lot of skin trauma in our daily lives as we knock it on things at work, take minor cuts or abrasions while cooking, and other similar things that break down and rebuild the skin around the tattoo over time, contributing to the ageing process.
Aftercare: From the moment your tattoo artist's first needle stroke hits your skin, you now have a tattoo you need to take care of. Taking the best care possible of your tattoo from the start of it'sits healing process will dictate how it heals, so it's important to avoid sun exposure, keep the tattoo moisturised, and let the healing process work it'sits magic the way human bodies automatically do without doing anything to impact it.
The artist and the ink: One of the biggest factors that affect a tattoo's ageing process is the skill of the tattoo artist who inks your skin and the types of ink they'llthey use when tattooing clients. Tattooing techniques, styles, and skill levels will vary between artists, so it's important to choose artists who have demonstrated a proven history of high-quality tattoos.
Skin Condition: We all have different skin conditions and types. Some suffer from skin diseases, dry skin, or similar conditions, while others have particularly tough skin. Some have thinner skin; all of these things can affect the appearance of your tattoos over time.
Sun Exposure: The biggest offender when tattoos break down over time is the sun. UV Rays break down the pigments in tattoo ink over time. Think of the sun as a far slower and more mild version of laser tattoo removal. Areas on the body that are impacted by the sun and exposed to UV rays often will fade out faster, including arms, head, neck, face, and legs, if you're wearing clothing that leaves those areas bare on a daily basis.
How can I reduce my tattoo ageing process?
The best way to avoid unnecessary fading or aging of your tattoos is by caring for them from day one, and the second best way is to start now. Using effective sunscreen and moisturising regularly provides significant help in avoiding the breakdown of tattoos over time. If you notice lines falling out, you can discuss having your ink touched up by the original tattoo artist, or if they're not reachable for any reason, reach out to someone whose style of tattooing is similar. For example, if you've had a bold gothic text-based tattoo on your arm, and it's fading, you could do some local research on tattoo artists, find someone who's done similar pieces, and ask their opinion on touchups.
The most critically important aspects of keeping your tattoo fresh will be utilising sunscreen, aftercare such as tattoo balm to help its healing process, and keeping your skin hydrated using moisturiser as you age.
How can I tell if my tattoo is fading?
There are a handful of ways that will alert you to the winds of time fading or aging your tattoos, including;
The body changes over time, including its shape, so tattoos in some areas may shift, stretch, distort, or ever so slightly move as they age.
Tattoos can lose definition over time, becoming lighter than they were previously.
The line work of your tattoo will start to blur as your skin loses its elasticity due to aging. The colours can also fade over time and become less vibrant.
Understanding the factors that will age your tattoo and creating aftercare routines around them from day one is the best advice I've had from a tattoo artist. Incorporating aspects of moisturising and sunscreen will go a long way.
