In this article, we will be talking about why tattoos fade quickly. In case if you didn’t know, tattoos don’t stay as sharp and crisp as the day you got them. However, the longevity of your tattoo and how fast it fades all depend on whether or not you do these seven key things and how to keep your tattoo vibrant and bright.
We will start this list off right at the root, where everything begins, and everything can go wrong.
QUALITY OF THE INK
Not all inks are created equal. Good quality ink costs more, but they last longer. Believe it or not, certain shops still try to cut costs by using cheap, low-quality ink. These low-quality inks fade a lot quicker because of their components, but they can also cause an allergic reaction in some people. This is why it’s so important to go to a reputable artist that takes pride in everything they do, from creating the tattoo to the equipment they buy and the inks they use. However, if you’re still doubtful about what ink your artist is using, ask them the name of the ink brand and do your research on it.
DEPTH OF INK
Number two how deep the ink goes inside your skin. Now, this is all up to the experience of your tattoo artist, and three things can happen here. An inexperienced artist might not be going deep enough in your skin and only going to the top layer, which is your epidermis. At this point, your tattoo fades a lot faster because your epidermis is constantly shedding and regenerating, which you don’t want. The second thing that can happen if your tattoo artist goes deep into your skin past your epidermis and dermis into your hypodermis and cause a blowout. A fully experienced artist will go into the right spot, which is your dermis, and that’s where the ink will have the most longevity and fade the slowest with the least amount of problems.
STYLE OF TATTOO
Number three is the style of tattoo. Tattoo styles play a huge role in how long your ink lasts and how well it ages. Tattoos that last the longest are the ones with bold outlines and good solid saturation. That means the more ink in your skin, the harder it is for your body to break it down and get rid of it, and your tattoo will take a longer time to fade away.
On the other hand, tattoos that fade the quickest are the ones that use fine lines and lighter shades. Fine lines don’t hold much ink in your skin, and the reason why lighter shades tend to fade fast is that to get a lighter shade, your artist would have to water down the ink a lot more. Most artists know this better than anybody else, so if they’re trying to talk you out of a light design, then don’t take offense to it because they’re trying to give you the best long-lasting tattoo.
PLACEMENT
Moving on to number four is placement. Every part of your body is different from the next, and how well your tattoo holds and ages depend on where you get tattooed. Places with lots of friction and high activity like the hands, feet, and armpit tend to fade the fastest, but this also has a lot to do with your day-to-day activities and your lifestyle as well.
So take a good look at yourself and what you do for work daily. If you see that your regular activities interfere with the placement of your tattoo or your clothes and other objects are constantly rubbing up against it, then that’s something you should consider. Like I mentioned earlier, high activity on a particular body part will fade your tattoo quickly.
COLOR
Number five is color. Though every pigment is susceptible to fading at some point, certain colors fade and diminish at different rates. So here’s a quick rundown of which pigments last the longest and which ones fade the fastest.
You can never go wrong with black and gray tattoos because that’s the cream of the crop and your body holds that the best and lasts the longest. You should also know that the darker the color is, the longer it’s going to last. However, other colors like yellow, pink, light green, and white don’t hold very well over time and are more prone to fading.
SIZE
I hate to break this to you guys but size matters. The larger the tattoo, the better it’s going to age, and I’ll explain why.
When you get tattooed, the ink gets injected into your skin. Your skin is made up of layers of cells. As you age, these cells are constantly changing and displaced. So if you have a big tattoo, you have enough distance to accommodate these displacements. It also goes back to our earlier point. The more ink you have in your skin, the longer it’s going to take for your body to break it down. However, if your tattoo is small and has tiny lines or light shading, they get broken up faster, which means that your tattoo will look like a blurry blob in time.
AFTERCARE
The next point I want to talk about is aftercare. This one’s arguably one of the most important steps to ensure that your tattoo lasts as long as possible. Let’s say you did everything right from what we talked about earlier, like size, color, quality of ink, artists, etc., but how you take care of your tattoo determines how well it will look 10, 20, or 30 years down the line.
First and foremost, I always suggest you follow your artist’s aftercare advice and don’t flip-flop from one person to another. If they weren’t too clear on it, then here goes during the healing process,
- Avoid swimming or submerging your brand new tattoo in water.
- Avoid the sunlight and cover your tattoo up anytime you go out.
- Do not scratch your tattoo.
- Don’t peel off your scabs. Let your body do the work.
- Don’t use hot water to wash your tattoo. Use lukewarm water.
- Don’t over-moisturize. If you see your tattoo super glossy from the ointment, it means you’ve gone too far.
- Don’t wear super tight clothes that can suffocate your tattoo or rub up against it. Loose clothing does the trick just fine.
- Last but not least, make sure to enjoy the process because it’s a brand new experience and should be a good one.
Please feel free to chime in with your experience and add anything else that I missed that might fit your tattoo because your experience can help out many people.
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