Why do tattoos fade? Its Causes and 6 ways to keep your tattoo safe
Everything in this world is temporary. Such as If we only consider our own life, we cannot stay young all our life even if we want. Because we have to go through the process of growing old and our body loses its elasticity and our skin loses its freshness. But we can prolong our youth by taking good care of our health. So unsurprisingly our tattoos also pass through the same process of fading.
But why do tattoos fade? what is the reason that fades out tattoos quickly? What strategy will keep my tattoo fresh for a long time? Can we save our tattoos from fading?
As a tattoo lover, it is the most heartbreaking moment when you see a tattoo losing its colors and shine. But the good news is that we can prolong the life of our tattoo. And The secret behind it is nothing big you just need to take good care of your tattoo, eat healthy foods, and strictly follow the overall aftercare instructions of your tattoo artist.
But before going into a deep explanation about how to prevent tattoos from fading. Let me explain to you why do tattoos fade and what are the major causes behind tattoo fading.
Why do tattoos fade? (Its causes)
When you get a tattoo the artist injects ink into the epidermis and treated your body as a wound. the epidermis is the outer cell of our skin. Our immune system is very strong and is constantly fighting for keeping us healthy. So they send macrophages to protect us from infection. The white blood cell hangs the ink molecules and settles it as beautiful art. But after some months or years, the macrophage cells die and new macrophages take place of it so they absorb the ink. So this is why do tattoos fade slowly over time.
Some everyday routines that Cause a Tattoo to Fade
Initial Care
Initial care means the healing of your wounds in the fresh days of your tattoo. Its starts when you leave your artist shop. This time is very important for vibrancy and tattoo life. So if you treat your wounds well, clean them daily, and apply your artist-suggested moisturizer then your tattoo will live long. On the other hand, If you do not take care of your tattoo from day one then it will start fading quickly.
Wrong Tattoo Placement
Tattoo placement plays a very important role in fading. Some parts of the body fade tattoos faster than others and this is due to friction. Such as if you get a tattoo on your feet, Fingers, hand, and Elbow so we all know that these parts of the body face a lot of friction all day so they will fade quickly as compared to others. So wrong placement of a tattoo can also be a cause of tattoo fading.
Sun
Sun is the biggest enemy of your tattoo it fades colors very quickly. Exposing your tattoo in sun not only reduce the life of your tattoo rather it also cause skin infection. Because UV rays are very dangerous for your open wounds. So walking in the sun without any sunscreen protection can fast your tattoo fade.
As we all know about laser tattoo removal. In the laser tattoo removal process, the artist uses light and heat to break the ink molecules in order to remove them.
Poor Nutrition
“you seem pale” is frequently used to describe persons who are unhealthy because of poor eating habits. When a person does not receive the necessary vitamins and minerals on a regular basis, their skin will unquestionably react in this way, and your tattoo will follow suit. Even though poor nutrition may not immediately or directly affect the hue of the skin, it does have an impact over time. Consuming antioxidant-rich foods such as blueberries, acai berries, goji berries, and other dark berries, as well as foods high in carotenoids, and taking beta-carotene supplements can encourage the production of melanin, which can keep your tattoo looking dark/colorful (as appropriate) and healthy for years.
Smoking
As we mentioned above in this article that aging and elasticity of your body raise tattoo fading over time. Now a question arises here that is smoking can cause tattoo fading?
The answer is yes, Cigarettes contain nicotine that makes you and your skin older fast. Your body loses its elasticity due to which your tattoo starts fading.
Overall, smoking is a harmful habit, thus we usually suggest that smokers give it up. Therefore, tattoo fading is a good justification for quitting smoking. Undoubtedly, you may extend the life of your tattoo by giving up smoking and focusing on a healthy lifestyle.
Over-Cleansing of Skin
Anything in excess becomes harmful. cleansing your tattoo is essential in the healing process but over-cleansing can ruin your tattoo. There is a lot of difference between cleansing and over-cleansing. Cleansing means you will clean your tattoo when it needs to be cleaned. This means when your tattoo gets very dirty and oily then wash its dirt and excess oils. And over-cleansing means that you have nothing to do other than cleaninng your tattoo. And when you over-cleaning your tattoo you are removing protective barriers of skin which cause tattoo fading.
Over-cleansing not only causes tattoo fading but can also lead to an infection called tattoo bubbling. This infection occurs only when your tattoo is wet all the time. So the peel on the healing tattoo absorbs water and appears on the body in the form of bubbles.
So if you want that your tattoo not to lose its colors and you to stay healthy as well then do not over-clean your tattoo. Keep your tattoo dry and whenever you wash it do not rub your wounds frequently and strictly. always clean it softly and once or twice a week.
Aging
No one can do anything in this factor it is a natural process. When we become old a lot of changes occur in our bodies every part of our body loses its power and elasticity and our tattoos start fading.
How to Prevent Tattoo Fading?
Everyone who got a tattoo will face this problem. As I told you above that there is no big secret behind it you just need to take care of your tattoo in the first two-three months. Following are some tips and tricks that can help you to prolong your tattoo life and you can fight tattoo fading.
Search For A Professional Artist
Do not choose an inexperienced artist, search for a professional artist and let him to done your tattoo. A professional artist always uses high-quality ink and sterilizer tools that are safe for your health as well as a tattoo that is done with high-quality ink does not fade quickly. So doing a tattoo from a professional artist can prolong your tattoo life, I personally recommend you do not hesitate to pay a little more for good results.
Follow After Care Routine
The main thing that can prolong your tattoo age is strictly following the aftercare routine of your artist. I know in the first week it is a little hard keeping care for a new tattoo but it is essential for vibrant colors and long-life tattoos.
Buy a breathable bandage from a medical store and wrap your tattoo for at least two days to prevent it from bacteria and germs ( you can also wrap it for one week). After that remove the bandage and clean it with lukewarm water and keep it uncovered in the air to dry. After drying moisturize it with your artist-recommended lotion. Kept repeating the same process daily until your wounds healed properly. As a result of good care, you will get a long-lasting and colorful tattoo
You can also read Tattoo bubbling
Choose A Right Place
If you want that your tattoo last longer then placement is the main factor to keep in mind. As I told you above, I will tell you again that doing a tattoo on a part of the body that face a lot of friction all day will fade quickly as compared to those part who does not face friction all the time. So if you want your favorite tattoo to last longer, don’t get it on your feet, between your fingers, and on your Upper lip. choose another part of your body that experiences less friction.
Avoid Smoking
smoking is Overall a bad habit and can cause a lot of infections including cancer and heart diseases are the famous. But the question here is how avoiding smoking can prolong your tattoo life.
Smoking makes us age faster than our actual age and we get older faster, our skin loses its elasticity and as a result, our tattoos start losing their colors although we are still young.
Psoriasis is another infection that appears on the skin in form of red patches which inflamed and itch. Unfortunately, if it occurs on your tattooed area and you are scratching it, as a result, your tattoo will start losing colors.
So when you stop smoking, you automatically eliminate two types of reasons that cause tattoo fading and as a result, you prolong your tattoo age.
Moisturize Your Skin Regularly
Keeping your tattoo moisturized will help you to keep it safe from quick fading. So use your artist-recommended lotions on your tattooed area. And especially after taking shower because when you shower with hot water it removes all the oils and moisture from the skin. Moisturizing lotions help you to keep your tattoo fresh.
Stay Healthy & Hydrated
Drinking more water is good for both your health and your tattoo. To stay hydrated drink 9 to 10 glasses of water regularly. It will improve your mood and concentration and it will help your skin to heal tattooed wounds quickly. And when your skin looks fresh and good, so your tattoo will automatically shine too.
Faded Tattoo Touch-Up After Years
I will tell you the same thing again here every tattoo starts to fade after some time. Tattoo fading is different for everyone somebody’s skin loses its colors quickly while some take years. But by touching up you can renew the original shine and vibrancy of your tattoo. It is a quick way to get back the original shine of your tattoo. go to your artist shop and book an appointment now.
FAQs
Why Do Tattoos Fade When Healing?
While healing, it’s typical for your tattoo to appear faded or dull. The frequent poking and damage caused by the needles often result in scabbing and peeling, which indicates that the skin has recovered. And your body is replacing your damaged skin with new.
As time passes, a thin layer of this dead, damaged skin grows on top of your tattoo, diminishing its color and giving it a milky appearance.
How quickly do tattoos fade?
Most people will begin to follow standard aftercare within a few weeks or even months following getting a tattoo. However, over time this focus on your work of art usually starts to collapse. The faster this happens, the quicker it will fade.
But how quickly do tattoos fade? After the first year, a tattoo that isn’t properly cared for can start to fade slightly. In fact, with proper aftercare, a tattoo can last for years, maybe even a decade, before showing any signs of fading. The actual norm is somewhere in that midway zone.
Why is my tattoo fading after 3 days?
Don’t worry it is just a part of healing. Your body is recreating the damaged upper layer of your skin. And your tattoo will get beautiful and shiny after a few days.
Where do tattoos fade the most?
Tattoos on the Elbow, Face, Feet, and Nape of the neck, Forearms, and hands fade quickly because of friction.
Resources:
https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/why-do-tattoos-fade/
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