3 Reasons Why Tattoos Fade and What You Can Do About It

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Humans are expressive beings—people have their own distinct ways of showing off their individuality and incorporating their personality. No two people have the same style and preferences; every person is different, and that’s what makes humans unique and beautiful.

You are your own canvas! You can dress yourself up how you like, dye your hair with whatever color, or permanently mark your skin with a design that symbolizes your thoughts, feelings, or identity. In decorating your body, you become more you—whether it be through clothes, hair dyes, or ink.

Inking Your Identity

Tattoos are a form of art. Regardless of your intentions or the meaning behind it, tattoos tell stories, represent cultures, and express feelings and ideas. By inking art on your body, you can communicate your uniqueness and provide an understanding of who you are.

Tattoos are the ultimate form of self-expression. Permanently modifying your body is a deeply personal celebration of one’s individuality—reminders of unique stories and treasured memories. Through tattoos, you have a constant reminder of the things you never want to forget, even as time passes and your body changes.

What to Expect After Getting Your Tattoo

The permanence of tattoos is one of its main appeals, as many people like the idea of having a form of art etched into their bodies. However, tattoos aren’t as permanent as you think. Even if you went to the best tattoo shop in your area and had the best tattoo artist working on you, your tattoo will inevitably fade over time.

Why Tattoos Fade

Immediately after getting inked, your tattoo will fade as it heals and won’t look as vibrant as it did when you took a peek at it at the tattoo shop. You may find a few imperfections during the healing process, which is most often not your or the tattoo artist’s fault!

Your environment and lifestyle play a huge role in the longevity and quality of your tattoos. The factors below may affect how fast your tattoo fades:

  • Exposure to Sunlight

The sun is the bane of all tattoos! No matter what kind of tattoo you have or what age you are, exposing a fresh tattoo to the sun’s UV rays will make your ink fade, change or mute the appearance of the colors, and damage your skin.

To delay the fading of your tattoos, you should apply SPF and sun protection to your skin so that your tattoo remains vibrant for a longer time.

  • Poor Aftercare Regimen

Once you leave the tattoo shop, the condition of your tattoo will be in your hands now. Aftercare is crucial! If you want your tattoo to heal properly and age well, you need to know how to take care of it.

Always trust and follow the aftercare instructions your tattoo artist gave you.

  • Ink Color

The color of your tattoo also affects how long your tattoo will last. The lighter the ink color, the faster it will fade. White usually fades the fastest, followed by yellow, pink, and other light colors.

On the other hand, dark colors like deep red, gray, and black inks will be the last to fade. Watercolor technique tattoos will fade almost immediately, while black and grayscale tattoos will stay on your skin for much longer.

What to Do If Your Tattoo Has Faded

You can only keep your tattoo from fading for so long. If the colors of your tattoo have faded considerably, you can reach out to your tattoo artist to get it touched up. Through tattoo touch-ups, you can fix the imperfections and add pigments to the dull colors, so your tattoo looks new and fresh again.

Conclusion

Tattoos are the most vibrant after they’ve just been inked on your skin, but that doesn’t last for very long. Tattoos are bound to fade with time, but if you want to restore it to what it looked like when you first got it, you can consult your tattoo artist and book an appointment for a touch-up.

Do you want to touch up your tattoo? Leave it to Lucky Deville Tattoo Co’s artists to restore your tattoo to its original vibrancy! Home to the finest artists in Buffalo, NY, our tattoo artists specialize in state-of-the-art tattooing, whether full color, black, and grayscale, or photo-realistic portrait work. Set up your appointment today!

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