Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Do Tattoos Fade?

The simple answer to this question is yes. Tattoos do fade. Fading is actually one of the major issues of tattooing. Even though it is a permanent coloration of your skin, over time and because of a number of environmental factors, tattoo colors do fade. One may say that a tattoo looks older than it is when color fading begins. There are actually a lot of pigments that tattoo artists use. There are permanent pigments that can be used that can assure no fading effect, but these products are possibly harmful to the body and can put the health of a person at risk. Being so, the tattoo industry is left with no other choice but to use alternative products that may not promise any fading effect, but are safe for use on humans.



In general, colored tattoos can easily fade compared to black and grey tattoos. It is also more obvious that a colored tattoo is fading compared to black and grey tattoo designs. You can easily tell when a colored tattoo is in its fading stage or not. Most tattoo artists use permanent colors that are very light. There are actually specific colors that fade faster than other. These include the colors magenta, orange, purple and yellow.



Why do tattoo colors fade? The main reason of such an occurrence is the presence of ultra violet light. When we go out and the tattoos get exposed to the sun, there is a higher risk of fading. But we can?t hide forever and stay out of the sun, can we? In this case, you simply have to cover your tattoos by wearing some clothes over them if you know you would be spending most of your day under the scorching heat of the sun.



Another reason that can possibly affect tattoo colors is how a tattoo artist applies the ink on your skin. Experienced tattoo artists know their way around inking and coloring. They can use the ink pigments in such a way that there would be less fading. There are certain techniques on how pigments are applied to the skin that amateur tattooist may still have to learn and understand. So if you are getting a colored tattoo with a number of bright colors, you might want to hire the best tattooist in your locality to avoid fading. Always get value for your money and find the right tattoo artist that you can work with.



Taking good care of your tattoo during the healing process is also important to avoid color fading. You should not expose it to sun as much as you can. Fresh tattoos should not be in contact with cloth, which can possibly erase off some tattoo pigments. Tattoo colors also fade in time, and there is no solution to that. Just like your skin ages, your tattoo would also fade in due time too.



As much as you don't want your tattoos to fade, it is a natural occurrence that is bound to happen at some point, no matter how much you take care of your tattoo. When this happens, you can always get your tattoos redone and relive its vibrant colors all over again.

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