Sun Tan Question.

[MGblues]

I know that prolonged unprotected exposure to the sun will wreck tattoos, but here's my situation. I work 90% indoors. I don't ever go outside without sunscreen on, and haven't had a sunburn since childhood. Despite all this, I tan really dark below my shirt sleeves at the first hint of Spring. I'm just wondering if turning this tan will eventually damage the tattoos. Because of my skin color I've stuck with black and grey tattoos below the shirt sleeves.

My only alternative is long sleeves year round and its miserably hot in Tennessee in the summer.

[Shmitty]

The actual sun exposure should be what ages the tattoos, not how your skin reacts to the sunlight. It seems like you would have "hyperactive" melanin, but as long as you are keeping the lotion on, your tattoos should age well.

[Wedge]

I think prolonged exposure to the sun will ineveitably have some effects on the tattoo, even though you're using sunscreen. Obviously the sunscreen helps, but over a longer period of time I think the sun will have some fading effects. I know for me it has, my arms get a lot of sun in the summer and although I use a good sunscreen there has been some noticable discoloration where I used to have more pronounced white ink.

[Shannon Shirley]

prolonged sun exposure will make you look tougher when youre old. It's OK. hehe

[MGblues]

I know, my forearms look like tattooed leather.

[Avery Taylor]

I wear lightweight western shirts in the summer. They are keep me cool and keep the sun of off my tattoos. Since the shirts are so lightweight some sun still comes through them, but a little sunscreen underneath and you are good to go.

[Colored Guy]

I'm outside a lot in the summer so I use a sun block product on my ink. It takes a bit to get it applied and re-applied but worth the effort. I use nothing less than a SPF 50.

CG

[SlowMoe]

Yeah I've been trying my hardest to wear sunscreen since my new tats

[Our Endless Days]

i've never used anything below spf 50. does it matter which spf you use?

[PhilB]

i've never used anything below spf 50. does it matter which spf you use?

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/07/health/07real.html

[Our Endless Days]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/07/health/07real.html

thanks

[Hunter Morrow]

After 30 with the sunscreen you have diminishing returns. You're basically 97+ percent from 30 SPF onwards. Doesn't really matter. Though I do get a real boost in confidence when I'm wearing like SPF 90.

Edit: When the tan diminishes the color will in some way return to the colors that would get darker from the sun tan, like white and yellow, right? That isn't permanent.

[Gregor]

You need to make sure your cream has a 5 star uva rating too as well as high spf

[Colored Guy]

My wife bought me some Neutrogena 45 the other day. Goes on pretty dry and hazy but soaks in in a few minutes. It does stay on when I'm in the pool or in the ocean. Of all the stuff i've tried, I like this the best. I get no sun burn on the areas I apply it to and no puffing up that I get at times with lesser sunscreens.

CG

[irezumi]

Tattoos fade one way or the other. I put on sunblock because I dont want to burn, not because of anything else.

[eisen777]

I dont burn in the New England sun, if im lucky I tan so I never put anything on. If my tattoo is healing Ill try to cover it with cloths. If you turn your skin into leather with the sun then yea your going to look like shit but your also prob going to have cancer.

[Natveggie45]

Going on a long bike ride this week end ( port dover friday 13 th tradition) with new tattoo. ( one week) . Any product you recommend?

[reverend1]

I really like the Copper Tone Sport Pro in spray form. It doesn't have that slimly oily feel that I hate and it does an excellent job of staying on in the water or during strenuous activities. I buy the spf 70.

[fuckhead]

I wear lightweight western shirts in the summer. They are keep me cool and keep the sun of off my tattoos. Since the shirts are so lightweight some sun still comes through them, but a little sunscreen underneath and you are good to go.

Same here. I also live in Minnesota though, so I'm in long sleeves about 8 months out of the year.

[Natveggie45]

I will try the coppertone, reverend. Sounds good: just want to enjoy the 3 days on the road without worrying about the tattoo. But dont want to ruin it either; comes down on my hand, so hard to cover.