Tattoo and semi-permanent makeup wearer warned as summer heat arrives…
Award-winning tattoo artist, Alice Nicholls reveals how you can help prevent your client’s new ink bleaching on holiday this year with Four Tattoo Care.
“The sun is one of the surest ways to bleach out colour from a fresh tattoo, as well as newly pigmented brows and lips” explains Alice Nicholls, award-winning tattoo and semi-permanent make-up artist and founder for Four Tattoo Care - four skin hydrating and protecting balms formulated especially to help the healing process and protect all types of body ink.
She explains: “With temperatures rising and holiday season well underway, tattoo artists are reminding clients that summer can be one of the most damaging times of year for tattooed skin: excessive sun exposure, swimming, especially in chlorinated pools, and not protecting them with the right kind of skin care could mean that the colour fades faster with your tattoo losing definition.
Alice’s top tips for tattoo care
Steer clear of alcohol and caffeine
These should be avoided both before and for 48 hours after tattooing and microblading, as well other types of semi-permanent makeup, as they are blood thinning. Thinning the blood can affect healing time, slowing it down and ultimately effect the outcome of your new pigment and how long it lasts.
Stay hydrated!
Drink plenty of water in between summer cocktails to keep the skin healthy during the healing process and make sure you use an aftercare with the best nutrients to give your skin an extra hydrating boost.
Alice says: “The creams and ointments often provided by therapists and semi-permanent makeup artists contain chemical ‘nasties’ that can not only irritate and dry out the skin, but they can also adversely affect the pigment, dulling your new colour.”
Keep out of the sun
Best bet is to stay under a giant sombrero then use no higher than a 30 SPF on your fully healed treated skin, any higher and the chemicals within some barrier-style products can affect the colour. Smooth directly over the tattoo and reapply after each dip.
Moisturise!
Moisturise then moisturise some more! Make sure you use the correct tattoo care for your skin type by using Four Tattoo Care. These specially formulated balms are made with all-natural essential oils and botanical ingredients chosen to work with various skin types including oily and dry that have been proven to speed up healing, nourish and balance skin, as well as ensure that the pigment stays looking bright and fresh. Smooth a little balm over your new ink, once or twice a day to bring back the colour and sheen.
Four Tattoo Care balms (£15) are vegan and planet friendly, each hand-poured into sustainable glass. Available at selected stockists and at fourtattoocare.com.