Almost half of all Americans have tattoos, and just like the rest of our skin, we must protect our ink from the sun. Contrary to what some rumors would have you believe, having a tattoo does not increase your risk of skin cancer, however as much as you’d like to show off that fresh body art at the beach, be sure to follow the aftercare instructions from your tattoo artist and take the proper time to give the special attention to your tattoo until it is completely healed. This is not the time to be exposing your tattoo to the sun directly and sunscreen is not recommended when the skin is still traumatized from the tattooing needle.

After your tattoo has had time to heal, now it’s time to show it off after taking the necessary steps to protect it. Like the rest of your skin, the sun’s harmful UV rays are a threat to your tattooed skin, but you don’t need a special product. Any standard sunscreen that is SPF 30 or higher should do the job, just be sure to re-apply regularly after about two hours. If you’ve ever had a photograph framed in a sunny spot of your home, you may notice that the picture fades rapidly. The sun can have the same effect on your tattoo. If you are worried about your tattoo fading, you can look for a sunscreen that contains zinc oxide to reflect rather than absorb the sun’s rays. A zinc oxide content of at least eight percent is recommended. Give the skin a break from the sun from time to time with a nice thin cotton shirt. A light white beach shirt may even allow the ink to show thru from underneath and invite the conversation to reveal what lies beneath!