Factors like sun exposure, skin elasticity, friction, improper aftercare, smoking, and tanning can accelerate tattoo fading. Natural methods like exfoliation and using lightening agents may help fade tattoos, but professional laser removal is the most reliable and safest option.
Hydrogen Peroxide and Exfoliation - Exfoliation paired with hydrogen peroxide can do wonders to gradually fade tattoo ink naturally. This is because exfoliation removes dead skin while hydrogen peroxide is a skin lightening agent that has bleaching properties.
Is It Possible to Lighten a Dark Tattoo? You can absolutely lighten a tattoo that is too dark. If you still like your design, but it's just too dark or bold, laser removal can help you achieve the results you want. Removery knows how to fade a tattoo as efficiently as possible.
Treating the tattoo with a fractional ablative laser, prior to treatment with the tattoo laser can also speed put the treatment process. The R-20 method, two treatments on the same day separated by 20 minutes, has also been shown to accelerate the laser tattoo removal process.
Laser removal is the most effective way to remove a tattoo, but there are also other methods that can help, including surgical removal, dermabrasion, and chemical peels.
Why Vaseline and petroleum-based jelly aren't great for a new tattoo. Petroleum-based products can cause ink to fade and may trap moisture and bacteria on top of the tattoo, increasing your risk of developing an infection. Use water-based moisturizers on new tattoos instead.
Overall, the best way to lighten a tattoo is by using a white base layer and applying a lighter color layer. However, you may also do it by applying darker colors and a white layer.
Natural methods like exfoliation, lemon juice, and hydrogen peroxide can offer gradual fading but carry risks of skin irritation and inconsistent results. For safer and more effective tattoo removal, professional treatments such as the advanced Phantom™ Laser technology are highly recommended.
UV Exposure
UV rays cause damage to the skin that also extends to permanent ink. Sun exposure will cause all tattoo ink colors to fade. The best way to avoid UV tattoo fading is to cover tattoos when in the sun. If this is not possible, apply a high-SPF sunscreen.
Lemon juice
Lemon is nature's bleach. Do you remember putting lemon juice on your hair to get natural highlights from the sun? Putting lemon juice on an unwanted tattoo follows a similar logic. It will lighten the skin and, after continued use, may fade your tattoo.
Use light, circular motions with your fingertips. Avoid applying too much pressure, especially during the early stages of recovery. Keep massage sessions short—1 to 2 minutes at a time, twice daily. This promotes blood flow and lymphatic drainage without over-stressing the area.
At-home and DIY tattoo removal methods like hydrogen peroxide should be left to urban myth and tall tales, and never attempted. They are ineffective and worse, could lead to skin damage.
Use common household items to lighten your tattooed skin naturally. Lemon and lime juice, glycolic acid, and hydrogen peroxide can all produce mild bleaching action when applied directly to the skin.
Laser tattoo removal is the most common method health care professionals use to remove or lighten tattoos. The laser light energy shatters the tattoo ink into small particles, which the body's immune system clears over time. The type of laser used to remove a tattoo depends on the tattoo's colors.
Lemon, lavender, frankincense, helichrysum, and tea tree essential oils are the best options for fading tattoos. To use essential oils for fading tattoos, dilute the oil, use a carrier oil, and apply the mixture to the tattoo regularly.
Shades on the opposite end of the color spectrum will neutralize their counterpart. The most commonly used neutralizing color is a deep orange to cancel out the blue and blue-green shades of common tattoo inks. For tattoos with dark black ink, you should use a deep red neutralizer.
Buff out the damage once or twice a week on fully healed tattoos. Apply BUFF to a washcloth or shower scrubber and use a circular motion to gently polish off dead skin and grunge residue. If your skin gets red, sore, or inflamed, lay off the buffing and stick to moisturizing until your skin is healed.
There are rumors that Aquaphor makes tattoos fade, but from our experiences and many others, this just isn't true. If a tattoo is done correctly and the ink is where it needs to be, ointment should only help your tattoo heal correctly.
The AAD also advises that using the wrong type of moisturizer can actually harm your tattoo. Avoid using petroleum jelly and other petroleum-based products to hydrate your tattoo, as these can cause ink fading. Instead, opt for a water-based moisturizing cream or lotion to keep your tattoo hydrated.
No, Tattoo Goo will not cause your ink to fade. Even if you over-apply Tattoo Goo, it won't damage your tattoo because it does not contain lanolin or petroleum.