According to Dr. Libby, UV rays from the sun "may fade tattoo colors over time," so she recommends applying a water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF 30 or higher and broad-spectrum coverage to protect against UVA/UVB rays.
What is the Best SPF Sunscreen For Tattoos? You should always apply sunscreen on your tattoos after they are past the healing stage to protect them from sunburn and fading. So, after your tattoo is past healing time, you must put sunscreen on it. The best option is to buy SPF 30 to 50 for your tattooed skin.
Make sure to choose one with an SPF 30 or higher, broad-spectrum coverage, and you should be ready for the sun! Remember to reapply your sunscreen every two hours or after swimming, sweating, or toweling off. Investing in quality sunscreen is an investment in your tattoo's long-term health and vibrancy.
If you want one with more protection, Andersson says any sunscreen lotion (NOT spray) with SPF 50 or higher will do. The La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt In Milk Body & Face Sunscreen SPF 60 ($26) is a great option.
There are sunscreens marketed for tattoos but you don't need to buy any special sunscreen, just make sure it has an SPF of at least 30.
We recommend using any sunscreen that is labelled broad spectrum, water-resistant and SPF30 or above. Interestingly, SPF50 offers only marginally better protection from UV radiation than SPF30 filtering out 98 per cent of UV radiation compared to 96.7 per cent blocked by SPF30.
The lighter your skin, the more easily it will get burned by the sun's UV rays. However, all skin types can get sun burned and suffer damage from UV rays. Therefore, dermatologists recommend that everyone use sunscreen of at least SPF 30.
It's best to apply sunscreen every few hours for optimal tattoo sun protection. Sunscreen can sometimes be the easiest way to cover your tattoo if your tattoo is located somewhere you cannot easily cover with UPF 50+ fabric, like your ankles, or feet—as long as you are diligent about reapplying.
The primary difference between SPF 30 and SPF 50 is the level of protection they provide against UVB radiation. SPF 30 blocks about 97% of UVB rays, while SPF 50 blocks about 98% of UVB rays. This means that SPF 50 provides slightly higher protection against UVB radiation compared to SPF 30.
“It is generally best to use a cream or lotion to apply to the tattoo to ensure proper coverage. For reapplication or for large surface areas, a spray can be used,” Dr. Garshick notes. Now that you're basically a sunscreen whiz, it's time to shop the nine best sunscreens for tattoos, as recommended by Dr.
After your tattoo has healed, maintaining it is a matter of keeping the area clean and moisturized. Be sure to stay hydrated and continue moisturizing your skin with gentle products. Sunscreen is also your best friend when it comes to preventing your tattoo from looking faded.
Avoid sunscreens containing oxybenzone, octinoxate, and other potentially harmful chemicals. Instead, look for physical sunscreens with non-nano zinc oxide as the active ingredient. Non-nano zinc oxide offers broad-spectrum protection against both UVA and UVB rays, ensuring your tattoos stay vibrant and protected.
When you first get your tattoo, you'll want to keep it out of the sun and refrain from putting it in direct sunlight until it has completely healed. After it has fully healed, you can start putting sunscreen on it regularly. “I suggest starting off with a a zinc oxide-based sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher,” says Dr.
After a week, the redness and swelling should have subsided. At this point, the skin should begin to scab and flake. The itchiness may persist, but the tattoo should gradually appear more vibrant as it continues to heal.
Saniglide is the tattoo care cream preferred by artists. This is the perfect salve to use during the tattoo process for soothing and lubrication.
The answer to this varies depending on you, your skin, and how much time you'll be spending in the sun. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends choosing a sunscreen that's in the SPF 15-50 range. SPF 15 is best for those who spend most of their time indoors or will spend a short amount of time in the sun.
Most dermatologists, as well as the American Academy of Dermatology, recommend an SPF of at least 30 for most people and most climates. “There's no harm in going higher, though,” especially for people whose skin burns easily or for those who have sun-exposure allergies, said Dr.
The SPF rating only refers to UVB rays. An SPF 15 sunscreen blocks 93% of UVB radiation, and SPF 30 blocks 97%. After that, the difference in protection is small. SPF 50 blocks 98%, and SPF 100 stops 99% of UVB rays from reaching your skin.
At the very least, make sure not to expose a new tattoo to direct sunlight for the first month of having it—especially the first two weeks.
New tattoos fade very quickly when exposed to sunlight. In addition, if your tattoo has not completely healed yet, exposing the area to sunlight could result in blistering. In general, you should keep a new tattoo completely protected from the sun for at least three to four weeks.
It's not recommended to put sunscreen on a new tattoo until it's completely healed, which could take 4-6 weeks. Sunscreen can pose many problems for fresh ink, all the way from slight skin irritation to harmful infections and ink fade.
Cancer Council recommends using any sunscreen that is labelled broad-spectrum, water-resistant and SPF30 or above. Remember to also check the expiry date, as products that are past their use-by date will not give proper protection.
An SPF 30 allows about 3 percent of UVB rays to hit your skin. An SPF of 50 allows about 2 percent of those rays through. That may seem like a small difference until you realize that the SPF 30 is allowing 50 percent more UV radiation onto your skin.
"Imagine that your skin normally begins to burn after 10 minutes in full sun without any protection. A 30 SPF sunscreen would provide 30 times the protection of no sunscreen." That means 30 times longer before you start to burn, or in this case, 300 minutes.
One potential problem with using super-high SPF is that it might backfire and lead to more UV exposure. "In real life, products with very high SPF often create a false sense of security," dermatologist Dr. Stephen Q. Wang wrote on the Skin Cancer Foundation website in May.