How to protect your tattoo from sun rays.

After several years, the colour of a fresh tattoo can fade. The worst case scenario is leaking ink which is a result of poor protection from the sun's rays. Nota bene: the sun may give us a tanned complexion and a radiant appearance, but it is one of the worst enemies of our skin. That's why it's so important to protect your skin, and even more so the tattoos that decorate it. Specialists in the field give us all the tips to taking care of your tattoo during the summer, and even afterwards.

Why do tattoos require sun protection?

"UVB rays are warming, and only affect the outermost layer of the skin, also known as the epidermis . They cause sunburn, by drying it out the skin", explains Hellé, from the Anomaly salon in Paris. "UVA rays on the other hand are completely painless, there is no sensation of heat. These UV rays penetrate the epidermis and go all the way to the dermis, and it just so happens that the tattoo ink and scar tissue are in the dermis."

Paying special attention to new tattoos

For the past 10 years, Sandy has been running the tattoo parlour L'Officine 110, located in tValence, in the Drôme. "The support of the tattoo is the skin, so if the skin gets damaged, by the sun or otherwise, it will alter the pigments," she explains.. The most critical time is the healing period, during which the tattoo is very delicate and requires extra care. "During this period, which lasts on average 15 days to 3 weeks, we strongly advise against exposure to the sun, but also against swimming. The first few days, the tattoo is a wound, the pores of the skin are open. If you expose it to dust or dirty water, there is a risk of infection", Sandy explains.

When to go out in the sun after a tattoo?

Even after 15 days, going on holiday in the sun is not recommended. In the Anomaly salon in Paris, Hellé invites her clients to wait two months before going to the sun: "There are a variety of opinions on how long to avoid direct exposure to the sun. It's better to wait two months, because the dermis will take one to two months to heal perfectly. In the meantime, the best thing to do is to cover your tattoo or apply a bandage to it - even on a terrace.

Sunscreen, a great ally for your tattoo

Once the epidermis and dermis have healed, exposure to the sun is fine, provided you protect yourself well. SPF 50 is essential, no less, and should be applied every two hours and after being in the water. "Now there are some pretty cool things out there, sun cream comes in stick form. Before, you had to carry around a bottle, now you can apply a stick to your tattoo, it's really handy for small parts," says Sandy. And if the equipment shrinks, it's all the better, because as the tattooist says, "when you get a tattoo, if you want it to age as well as possible, it's a total screen all your life. A rather good student in this matter, Joris pays particular attention to his skin and his seven tattoos. He prefers to use natural and organic products. "I have a fragile skin with a tendency to eczema, so I often moisturise my skin. From time to time, I exfoliate it to remove dead skin, and then I put organic oil on my tattoos. When I go out in the sun I cover them with sun cream factor 50" he explains.

What are the effects of the sun on a tattoo?

Not protecting your tattoo from UV rays will show sooner or later. "The sun, especially on black and grey ink, has the effect of an eraser, literally," says Sandra. "Grey tattoos will get lighter and lighter, eventually looking like little translucent layers. And what about the colours? "They will fade. You also have to know that the more you get sun, the more melanin you'll have and therefore tan, and the more it will dull the tattoo. For further tattoo care, Hellé points out: "The lighter, more delicate and thinner the tattoo, the quicker the damage will show compared to a tattoo that has thicker lines and a lot of shading."

Tattooed friends, now you know why you should protect yourself from UVA and UVB!