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INKEDblog takes you beneath the skin of today's tattoo culture. Our mission is to celebrate tattooing as a modern art form which incorporates art, fashion, style, and pop culture. While paying homage and respect to the past, we look to present a contemporary take on the present and future of skin art.
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Friday Aug 05, 2005
Why Do Tattoos Fade?
Been wondering exactly why tattoos fade over time? Is there anything you can do to prevent it? We asked our resident expert, Jessica Lund to find out why tattoos fade and what can be done about it. Here's her report:
"All tattoos fade over time. Some of the reasons for premature fading are avoidable, some are not.
Avoidable Reasons for Fade:
The most common avoidable reason is the sun. Sun bleaches the color out of a tattoo. In order to minimize this reaction you should use strong sun block whenever your tattoo is exposed to the sun
The second most avoidable reason is improper healing. Absolutely do not go in salt water, chlorinated pools, hot tubs, or spas while a tattoo is healing. This can not be overstated. Until the skin is healed, water can get into the skin and dilute the tattoo, sometimes with disastrous results.
Never let your tattoo get a thick scab and never pick at scabs. This can cause scar tissue that will affect the lines.
Always go to an experienced artist. Tattoos performed by inexperienced tattooists often fade because they are either not done deeply enough and the color leaches away, or too deeply which causes scar tissue and excess scabbing.
Lastly, if you choose a design that is very small, it will have a higher probability of fading, as do tattoos on the fingers and feet. Experts think that the fading on fingers and feet may be due to issues with blood circulation in these areas.
Unavoidable Reasons for Tattoo Fade:
These reasons are a bit more complex, and require a bit of knowledge about the way that your body systems work. Your skin is made up of an outer layer, the epidermis; a middle layer, called the dermis; and an internal layer, the hypodermis.
One month after a tattoo is received, the bottom section of the epidermis is finishing its healing process. In the dermis, ink is concentrated in the uppermost section, surrounded by collagen. Ink is still being eliminated through the epidermis with ink present in tiny cells. This is why picking scabs can remove some of the ink.
After three months, the epidermis is completely healed, preventing any further loss of ink. Ink is now present exclusively in the dermis layer.
Experts believe that ink particles move into a deeper section of the dermis over time while your lymphatic system constantly flushes all layers of your skin to remove toxins in the body. This causes tattoos to look blurry and bluish after a number of years.
The best solution for fading is to make regular appointments for touch ups. When you decide on a tattoo, realize that like most good things, your body art will require some maintenance.
After avoiding all the avoidable reasons for tattoo fade, plan to visit your tattoo artist every few years to keep the lines sharp. Many artists offer this service for a free or reduced fee. This will keep your tattoo looking its best for the long haul!
Comments
how can you cover up alarge portoin of black ink? i have a large all black rose with a scull in the center on right upper arm with another small tatoo above that? and how many years does it take for all black too fade? and how long does it take for multi colors too fade which i have one tatoo on my forearm with alot of different colors such as....light blues orange greens and yellows and red.
Posted by: james a bailey at December 31, 2005 10:56 AM
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