Are you rocking a new tattoo? Perhaps this is your first tattoo or one of many? Regardless, it’s important to understand how to protect your tattoo and why the right sunscreen product is crucial, particularly in the early stages. 

Why Sunscreen Is Important For Tattoos 

Naturally tattoo ink degrades over time. UV light can cause this process to occur more quickly and increase macrophage degradation. This is the process that causes white blood cells to attack foreign elements, including ink particles present in a tattoo. The amount of damage from UV rays depends on the age of the tattoo. If the tattoo is new, direct sunlight may cause blistering, which means it will not heal or set properly. If that tattoo is old, then it can fade when exposed to direct sunlight. 

 

Sunscreen Tips To Protect Your Fresh Tattoo 

There are numerous tips that you should consider to protect your fresh tattoo or all of your tattoos in general. For starters, making sure that you wear a broad-spectrum SPF is a daily essential in your skincare routine. Your sunscreen should contain both UVA as well as UVB protection.This will help protect your skin against both types of sun rays emitted from the sun.

 

Next, make sure that you do not expose your new tattoo to direct sunlight. This means that you should not sunbathe with a new tattoo or remain in the sun for a long time. If you are at the beach, make sure that you are avoiding direct sunlight as well as powerful UV rays or UVB rays. Direct sunlight like this will impact your ink and cause your tattoo to fade far more quickly.

 

When using any sunscreen, it’s important to ensure that any product you use includes high-quality moisturizing ingredients. This is because sunscreens that include moisturizing ingredients will ensure that you avoid issues with scraping, rubbing, or peeling. Our Black Girl Sunscreen SPF 30 is a great sunscreen choice to start with. Infused with moisturizing ingredients like carrot juice, sunflower oil, and cacao, it can potentially help your new tattoo heal the right way with extra benefits to the skin such as:

 

• Cacao is full of strong antioxidants and evens out your skin tone.
• Carrot juice has vitamin C, which makes it good for healing and helps with acne.
• Sunflower Oil stops burns and other things that can irritate the skin.

 

Sunscreens with plenty of moisturizing ingredients will also make your tattoo far less itchy overall. 

 

Finally, make sure that you do consider the SPF level you need. Remember, UVA rays penetrate the skin more deeply. In contrast, UVB rays cause damage to the top layers of the skin. If you have a new tattoo, you need to make sure that you are using an SPF level of at least 30 to protect you from both. If your skin type is more sensitive to powerful sun rays, then consider a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 50. If you’ll be in the water, remember to make sure your SPF is water-resistant. For best results on protecting your tattoos and melanin from the sun, be sure to reapply every 2 hours.

 

When Can You Start Putting Sunscreen On A Tattoo 

Experts generally advise waiting between 4 to 6 weeks before applying any sunscreen to a tattoo. This will ensure that your tattoo has the time required to fully heal and ensures that your epidermis recovers. If you are worried about your tattoo during this time, make sure that you cover it using loose clothing instead. 

 

We hope this helps you understand how to use sunscreen to protect your tattoos. Our specialized sunscreen formulas can help make sure your tattoos stay beautiful, just like you and the skin you are in.