If you’ve got any tattoos, then you’ve probably heard the whole tattoo care spiel: Keep it clean. Wash with soap. Be patient with healing. But one thing that gets overlooked in tattoo care is sun safety. 

Unfortunately, tattoos and sun exposure don’t go very well together. In general, UV rays can cause all kinds of damage to the skin — from hyperpigmentation and sunburns, to premature aging and skin cancer. 

Why is sun protection important for tattoos?

With tattoos, the sun can fade your ink and make the design look old or washed out. And don’t forget, new tattoos are pretty much open wounds, so sun exposure could also lead to blisters, itchiness, swelling, peeling, and more. 

How can you protect your tattoos from sun damage? 

If your ink is fresh from the studio, experts suggest keeping your tattoo covered up outdoors and wearing loose clothing, at least for the first few months. If you get sunburn, this would only extend the healing process and may even lead to permanent scarring. 

Using sunscreen to protect your tattoos

Want your tattoo to look as pristine as the day you got it? The name of the game is SPF. Once the healing stage ends, make sure you’re applying sunscreen religiously – no matter if you’re indoors by a window, or outside at a music festival. 

If you’re under the sun for a longer time, don’t forget to reapply sunscreen every 2 hours (no excuses). You might be wondering, why do you need to reapply sunscreen? That’s because sun exposure will eventually break down the ingredients in your sunscreen, which means the SPF is doing its job! 

Wearing everyday sunscreen may sound like a bit of a chore, but here’s a tip to make it easy: find a formula you actually want to wear. Our Everyday Humans Oh My Bod! is the best body sunscreen. This multi-use body lotion with SPF is super protective and long-lasting. Not only is it an SPF 50 sunscreen, it’s sweat- and water-resistant for up to 80 minutes too. 

On top of that, it’s lightweight and packed with hydrating hyaluronic acid. It’s also important to moisturize tattoos to help with the healing process and keep the area nourished. You don’t want your expensive tatt looking crusty, do you? 

But whether you’re inked or not, don’t skip the sun protection. You’ll get to prevent sun damage, painful burns, lower your risk of skin cancer, and more. Your future self will thank you!