How to Fix a Sun Damaged Tattoo

While everyone who has received a tattoo from a professional shop and artist has been told to limit their skin’s exposure to sunlight, especially in the first 6 months after getting inked, many have not been able to adhere to the pledge. It’s often a side effect of being proud of one’s tattoo, as people want to show it off, especially in balmy weather when fewer layers of clothing are required.

What exactly happens when a tattoo is over-exposed to the sun? Over-exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun can result in the following

:

• Fading: UV rays can penetrate your skin and break down the tattoo ink, causing it to fade over time. Light-coloured inks typically fade faster, although dark inks (black, dark blue, etc.) can fade too.
• Blurring: UV rays can penetrate your skin and break down the tattoo ink, causing edges and lines to blur. A once crisp and cleaned, lined tattoo will be left less defined.
• Colour Distortion: The breakdown of ink can also lead to colour distortion, with some colours shifting or becoming more prominent as others fade.
• Scarring: This may occur when the tattooed area is sunburnt, leaving the skin damaged.

As someone who has not been very diligent in managing sun exposure (you’re not alone!) you have noticed that over time the integrity of your tattoo has been compromised. This has brought you here, wondering how to fix a sun damaged tattoo. Below is a summary of options that are available to you, depending upon the level of damage that has been sustained by the sun’s impactful UV.

4 Options for Fixing a Sun Damaged Tattoo

When it Has Faded

A tattoo that has experienced only light to moderate fading can be corrected through traditional touch-up work. A touch-up is a procedure where a tattoo artist (preferably the one who did the work in the first place) goes over an existing tattoo to fix imperfections, deepen colours, or sharpen lines that may have faded or been lost after prolonged sun exposure. It's essentially a minor correction or refresh of the tattoo that may take only one or two hours, depending on the size.

When it Has Blurred

As with fading, a tattoo that has experienced only light-to-moderate blurring can be corrected through traditional touch-up work. More severe forms of fading cannot be touched up in the traditional sense. In the latter scenario, when there is no easy way to repair the piece, we recommend either fully removing the tattoo via laser treatment or lightening it further so that a cover-up with a new tattoo can be applied. If you want the same tattoo that was lost to the big ball of fire in the sky, then you will have it completely removed, allow it to heal (contingent on the size and complexity of the tattoo), and replace it with an exact replica.

When Colour Has Been Distorted

As with fading and blurring, a tattoo with only light to moderate colour distortion can be corrected through traditional touch-up work. More severe forms of colour distortion cannot be touched-up and will instead require laser removal or fading for cover-up.

When There is Scarring

Dealing with UV ray scarring that has ruined a tattoo is the same as it is for most types of post-tattoo injury and subsequent scarring. Laser removal and fading for cover-up are the only real solutions. Read this guide for what to do after a scar has ruined a tattoo.

Laser Tattoo Removal in Vancouver as a Fresh Start

Do you live within, or can you visit the Vancouver area often enough to undergo more than one laser removal or fading session? Schedule a FREE noncommittal consultation at our West 4th Avenue studio. We also have tattooists on-site at NIXX who can perform touch-ups as needed.