A friend of mine just got a tattoo two weeks ago and is wondering how long she should wait before going tanning with it. If regular tanning doesn’t work or isn’t healthy for the tattoo then what about spray tanning? would it hide the tat?
Thanks!
I don’t have a tattoo myself, but from siblings who do I know you’re supposed to slather it with sunscreen, even after full healing, or it will fade over time.
Spray tanning stains the surface layer of skin, rather than painting it, so it shouldn’t actually cover up the tattoo.
No “real” tanning, ever, if possible. Spray tans won’t cover it up, it will just make any white / light portions orangey.
I think a 2 week old tattoo could go tanning, as long as she’s not had any redness or infection or the like. She should use high SPF (I use 50) on it, no matter what other SPF she is or is not using. Tattoos should always be well protected from the sun or they’ll fade. If she’s concerned about a halo of pale skin around the tattoo I suggest using a Q-tip or small paint/make-up brush to apply the lotion to just the tattoo lines/colors.
I’ve never used spray tan, but I don’t imagine it would do any lasting harm to the tattoo, though it might look discolored the first day or while the spray is soaking in.
Tanning fades and blurs tattoos over time (speaking from experience) and also isn’t that great for one’s skin over time (ditto) but I don’t see how spray tanning would change the appearance of the tat much.
It’s been quite a while since my last tat - I recall being told to keep it covered for a couple of weeks. She ought to call the shop that did it and ask them. A WAG, but there may be some variation in the type and color of ink in regards to aftercare.
Moved MPSIMS --> IMHO.
Thanks all!
The interesting thing about her tattoo is that the color is actually white, so you can’t see much of anything and it looks more like a brand than a tattoo, so I don’t think it would be too much of an issue with spray tanning, but she would prefer the regular tanning because it’s warmer/more comfortable
Most reputable tattoo artists refuse to work with white ink (especially on people with light skin) because it’s so impermanent. It tends to fade MUCH faster than any other color. Hopefully she’s already aware of that. White tattoos aren’t a very good idea unless you’re black.
The artist made us very very aware of that.
He went through a lot of the positives and (mostly) negatives of using white, but she was pretty hell bent on it…and actually enjoys the branded look more than if it was black.
Although on a related note the guy who did it said that if she wasn’t happy with the White that in 2 months time he would redo it in black for free. Helluva nice guy…
Cool, as long as she’s aware! Do you have a picture of it? I’m curious to see the effect 