Forum Discussion: Does the Sun Really Fade a Tattoo or is it Just an Illusion??
Sunday July 2, 2006
becomethesignal writes: "A lot of people say that the sun 'bleaches' your tattoos. Is this true? I've heard that since your skin becomes darker in the sun that is why you can't see your tattoo as well and when the tan dissapears your tattoo has really not faded."
Is it just an illusion that your tattoo is faded? Here's some of the comments already added to this post.
Is it just an illusion that your tattoo is faded? Here's some of the comments already added to this post.
"A tan can affect your colors temporarily... it can cause colors to look wonky. UV rays can do damage. Yes, they can cause your ink to fade. And black fades just as quick as color. The fading happens gradually, so you may not notice it at first. But when new ink sits next to old on the same skin, it will definitely be noticeable."--SharptattoosHave a question, comment or suggestion? Join this discussion or start a new one now!"Think about it this way, if you leave say a pink shirt in the back window of you car for a few weeks, when you take it out it will have faded considerably, its the same with the ink in your skin or almost anything else you leave in the sun too long."--Wallflower1687
Comments
Hi,
Sun absolutely affects tattoo’s, clothing and even hair color, especially cosmetic tattoos.
Some people hyperpigment in the sun (skin turn darker) and some doe the opposite hypopigment (get pale spots). Other reasons for fading are the actual colors used.
As an example, the color yellow fades the fastest out of the skin and the color blue lasts the longest. Some people have added melanin in their skin and some do not. These are the skin cells that determine if you have the ability to tan or not.
I have been slinging ink(s) since 1975, I have done all types of ink, glow in the dark [UV ink] to VooDoo ink and Intenze ink, its all good! I try to do what anyone wants tattooed upon their body and sometimes thats a difficult task, theres so many factors involved, but the topic here is sun bleaching/fading colours, my oppinions/experience on this is “yes” the sun fades tattoos, colour and black, most ink that I know about is made using pigments and pigment is also what most people have in the skin, giving them skin colour, the darker someones skin, the more pigment that someone has in their skin, it is also like a dark skinned person sometimes is unable to take alot of colour even if they do not go out into the sun, their skin is simply too dark for the colours to show up on them. Well I have about 20 different colours of ink on myu body and I have gone out into the sun all my life, my colours come out more while my skin is lighter from lack of sun tanning and the brighter colours become affected, the black ink is also affected as well and appears lighter during a tan, both mny arms are sleeved out, I have one on my foot, it has faded, I wear shoes all the time, it is 20 yrs old. I have always recommended that anyone with tattoos that like their tattoos have a touoch-up of their tattoos about every ten (10) years anyway, just to keep their tattoos looking fresh and bright, time fades a tattoo and touch-ups keep them looking beautiful and nice even when you do not notice the fade, it is happening slowly, with or without the sun!
I have three tattoos so far, and one of them is on my right forearm, so it is constantly in contact with the sun. It looks ok, for being 2 years old, but it needs a touch up bad. My comment is that yes, sun will fade pretty much any tattoo after awhile. Your best bet is to get touch ups.