Sunburn and UV light can affect healing time. (Once your tattoo heals, you should apply sunscreen.) NEVER itch or pick your tattoo: Picking off scabs or itching your tattoo will delay healing and may damage your ink. Drying your tattoo with washcloths or towels can also remove scabs and delay healing.
Excessive Sun Exposure. Excessive sun exposure can quickly ruin a new tattoo. Especially during the first 40 days, stay out of the sun as much as possible. If you have to go outside, then make sure to cover up your fresh tattoo with clothing.
Sunburn and UV light can affect healing time. (Once your tattoo heals, you should apply sunscreen.) NEVER itch or pick your tattoo: Picking off scabs or itching your tattoo will delay healing and may damage your ink. Drying your tattoo with washcloths or towels can also remove scabs and delay healing.
Simply put, UV rays break down the pigment in your skin, which can cause the ink to become discolored. Additionally, sun exposure breaks down the collagen and elastin in your skin, which can result in sagging that makes your tattoo look wonky over time. The quality of the ink used for your tattoo is also a factor.
Sun Exposure
Avoid sun exposure for the life of your tattoo, which translates to your entire life. It's even more vital to stay out of the sun during the healing process. Sun on an exposed new tattoo is bad. No other way to put it.
Use the Aquaphor for the first 2-3 days then switch to a regular FRAGRANCE-FREE lotion such as Lubriderm, or any other fragrance-free brand. 5. Fresh tattoos sometimes “weep” during the first couple of days, meaning that plasma and ink form a thin moist coating on the skin. This can be DABBED with a clean paper towel.
Unfortunately, there's no way to control what your body does while you sleep, but keeping your new tattoo covered during the night will help mitigate the risk of causing any injuries by scratching it.
Another clear sign that a tattoo may not be healing properly is if the oozing around the tattoo continues after a week has passed. A tattoo healing normally also will ooze near the beginning of the healing process, but this should only take place within the first few days.
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), a group of chemicals which are known carcinogens, was found in a fifth of the samples tested and in 83% of the black inks tested by NICNAS. Other hazardous components included barium, copper, mercury, amines and various colourants.
A thin layer is strongly suggested, too much aquaphor can pull out the ink and damage the quality of the tattoo, which results in a higher chance the tattoo will need a touch-up.
You can pat the tattoo gently with a clean paper towel, but you must let the tattoo dry, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes after each cleaning. Any extra moisture trapped by immediately covering the tattoo is an invitation for bacteria to multiply.
Pressure can cause irritation and disrupt the healing process. Instead, try sleeping on your back or on the side opposite the tattoo!
Plus, if you bugger up the healing process of your skin by not taking the best possible care - who knows what can go wrong - from infection to tattoo blowout. Don't scratch and pull out your skin 'cause it may cause an inflection and that in turn may put your tattoo at risk of spreading far beyond the lines it should.
And as your skin stretches, the ink pigments in your tattoo can break down, which may cause your tattoo to fade. Another factor is friction. Too much constant friction can rub off the layer of skin that protects your tattoo.
Don't worry, this is completely natural. It happens because the old skin, damaged during the tattooing process, forms a thin layer over your tattoo and masks its true appearance. In time this old skin will naturally exfoliate itself, revealing your tattoo underneath in all its vibrant glory.
Black ink tends to outlast any other color because it is super pigmented. Other darker colors like dark blue, dark green, gray, and dark purple will have a similar lifespan to black ink. Lighter inks like yellows, reds, oranges, whites, and any pastel tones tend to fade a bit more quickly than darker inks.
If you are worried about tattoo blowouts, avoid areas where the skin is particularly thin – such as the wrist or the top of your foot. And go for a tattoo location with thicker skin – like the upper thighs or the calves. Finally, be sure to continue a thorough aftercare routine.