Tattoo FAQ

Tanned skin has a negative effect on a tattoo in two ways. Firstly, a tattoo looks less contrasting on heavily tanned skin than on pale skin.

The shading loses its sharpness and the colors appear less vibrant. On the other hand, too much sun exposure is harmful in the long term, as it causes the tattoo colors to fade. This means that even if the summer tan fades, the tattoo can become paler and less contrasting than before the beach vacation.

The solution

Apply sun cream with a high sun protection factor to the tattoo before sunbathing.

If you still can't do without tanned skin, you are better off with very high-contrast tattoos, such as black Maori tattoos, than with finely shaded realistic motifs or very colorful tattoos, as these suffer more from UV radiation.