Exposure to the Sun Ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun will penetrate the skin and essentially break down the pigments in the tattoo. Once those pigments are damaged, the tattoo will ultimately appear much lighter and less vibrant than it once did.
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?
Wipe with Baby Oil or Coconut Oil: - Applying baby oil or coconut oil can help dissolve some of the ink. Gently rub it over the tattoo and then wipe it off with a clean cloth. Tattoo Removal Creams: - There are over-the-counter tattoo removal creams, but their effectiveness varies, and they can irritate the skin.
Overall, home remedies for tattoo removal are ineffective. While options like salabrasion, lemon juice, and hydrogen peroxide are cheap, the risky side effects and poor results should deter anyone from attempting a natural tattoo removal. Remember, tattoos are designed to be permanent displays of self-expression.
Sun damage
You can't avoid the sun forever and you probably want to show off your artwork, but you can protect your skin and tattoo by using an SPF with a high UVA and keeping it covered in intense, direct sunlight. Anything that affects or damages your skin will make your tattoo fade quicker.
Natural ingredients such as lemon juice, glycolic acid, and hydrogen peroxide are known for their mild bleaching properties, which can be employed to fade tattoo ink gradually.
Lastly, the American Academy of Dermatology states that petroleum-based products can cause the ink to fade. After all the pain and hard work you had to endure to get that beautiful new piece, surely you're not too keen on it just fading from something as simple as petroleum jelly, would you?
Hydrogen peroxide
It is designed to work as a disinfectant but is moderately effective at fading superficial layers of ink. On its own, hydrogen peroxide is not potent enough to penetrate the second layer of skin. As a result, fresh tattoos or deeply embedded tattoos won't be phased by it.
Laser tattoo removal is the best and most effective way to remove unwanted ink. High-speed pulses of light break apart ink molecules in the skin so that they can be naturally flushed through your immune system.
A salt/saline solution is a common, effective approach to lightening tattoos. Although it is a slower process than other treatments, this method is popular because it is safer than other tattoo lightening procedures.
While laser is definitely the best method of removing tattoo ink, certain pigments used in cosmetic tattoos don't respond well to laser treatment. The ingredients in these pigments can be very different from those used in conventional ink, and laser treatment could change the color of some rather than lightening them.
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.
Can A Fresh Tattoo Be Removed? If you immediately regret your new tattoo you may be wondering 'can a new tattoo be removed' and the answer is yes. Tattoos are removed using lasers which break up the pigment colours.
The only way to safely remove ink is through laser treatments, which will need to start once the tattoo is healed.
How to lighten a tattoo effectively? Laser removal is by far the best way to fade a tattoo. This is the quickest, safest, and most efficient removal process, says Cooper Ferreira, a Removery technician and experienced RN. “This is a process that utilizes your immune system to remove ink in a safe way,” he emphasizes.
Choose laser removal
Due to the fast speed at which our laser pulsates, there is less downtime needed between each laser tattoo removal session, meaning you can get your ink removed more quickly than other types of treatment.
If a tattoo hasn't fully healed, then it will be more challenging to remove and can also increase the likelihood of scarring or lasting side effects.
Other Tattoo Removal / Fading Options:
Hydrogen Peroxide and Exfoliation - Exfoliation paired with hydrogen peroxide can do wonders to gradually fade tattoo ink naturally.
Both Paul and Shuliar recommend Aquaphor healing ointment for tattoo aftercare because it's unscented and designed to create a protective healing barrier while allowing oxygen to pass through.
We too were surprised to learn that certain moisturizer formulas can actually have a negative effect on your tattoo. The AAD states that petroleum-based products, like petroleum jelly itself, can actually cause your tattoo ink to fade.