Ways to Keep Your Old Tattoos Looking Fresh and New (2024)

There's nothing like the feeling of a tightly wrapped, freshly inked tattoo. When you get home and peel off the protective plastic wrap to wash your new tattoo, the colors are bold, the lines are sharp and you feel like a walking masterpiece.

However, as the years go on, you notice those colors are lighter and those lines aren't as defined. As your tattoo fades, you may question the quality of the ink or the artist, but they're likely not at fault.

Instead, you can blame that fading on the aging process, sun damage or even on yourself for not wearing sunscreen and other poor health habits, like smoking. Because most of the reasons tattoos fade are natural. But there are simple things you can do to prevent changes in their appearance. Still, tattoos will age just like we do, but perhaps it's time to embrace that aging is part of the beauty of tattoos.

Contents

1. What Causes Tattoo Fading?
2. Prevention Starts Before You Get a Tattoo
3. What to Do After You Get Your Tattoo
4. Should You Get Your Tattoo Touched Up?

Tattoos are simply marks or designs created by ink deposited beneath the epidermis — or skin — with needles. The ink should go deep enough so it won't be shed with the upper layers of your skin cells.

However, your body can break down and absorb the ink over time, but the main culprit for a change in the appearance of tattoos is sun exposure and aging skin, says Megan Zoeller, co-owner of The Collective, a tattoo studio in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Though we like to treat our skin like a canvas, our skin cells are elastic and loosen over time. As we age and our skin becomes more pliable, so the lines and edges of tattoos can blur, Zoeller says.

"Tattoos fade because we are human and we age," she says. "Skin will wrinkle and sag, which affects the appearance of tattoos. All tattoos will soften and spread on the skin over time. Lines will get a little thicker, a little softer, which can be bad for very small details."

UV rays also break down collagen fibers in the skin, which contain pigment. Sun exposure, especially on unprotected skin, can harm the color pigments in your tattoo. Alas, there's no stopping time, but there are several things you can do to care for your tattoo for years to come.

If you don't like the idea of a faded tattoo, there are a couple of essential steps you should take before ink ever touches your skin, including choosing the right tattoo placement, selecting a reliable tattoo artist and establishing healthy skincare habits.

If you want bonus points from your tattoo artist, drink plenty of water before your appointment, Zoeller suggests. "Even a light exfoliation of the skin a day or two before your appointment can make the tattoo process a little easier for the tattooer," she says.

The first step after your tattoo, Zoeller says, is to closely follow your tattooer's instructions for aftercare. "They can differ slightly, but definitely don't go swimming or sunning," she says.

We all know we should drink more water and wear sunscreen, but Zoeller says this is essential for tattoo protection, too.

Moisturizing improves your skin's elasticity, which can postpone wrinkles and the effects of aging on your tattoo. Moisturizing creams like Aquaphor will do the trick, but some tattoo enthusiasts have developed their own all-natural moisturizing balms for healed tattoos, like Mad Rabbit's Tattoo Balm. It's made with a blend of beeswax, shea butter, cocoa butter, sweet almond and calendula. You can apply it daily on new and old tattoos.

If you are going out in the sun with your healed tattoo, apply sunscreen and drink water. Experts say your sunscreen should have an SPF of at least 30 for daily use and even higher if you're at a high altitude or somewhere like the beach.

If you are worried about the appearance, Zoeller says you can certainly refresh an old tattoo, but keep in mind that it can't fix other effects of aging. "If the issue with the tattoo is that small details have blurred or become hard to read, adding more ink to that area will not solve the issue," she says.

So just understand that tattoos will fade — it's a natural part of the artistic medium. If you are looking for a tattoo that won't fade or age as you age, Zoeller says you should just "rethink it."

Zoeller has been tattooing for 16 years and says that, while we should do all we can to care for ourselves and our tattoos, age is part of the beauty.

"Try to remember that aging is a privilege and the old, soft and fuzzy tattoos are just as cool as the fresh new ones," she says. "You can help slow the fading, but time marches on, and that is part of the beauty of tattoos."