After your tattoo is healed, from now on, you will always want to protect it from the sun's ultraviolet rays. These can fade and damage a brilliant tattoo very fast. Tanning isn't really good for your skin anyway, but it's even harder on your tattoos. Ultraviolet rays, while adding a nice bronze tone to your skin, drain the life out of a tattoo. The more you tan, the more the ink fades.

What can really help?
Find the highest SPF level you can find and re-apply often if you're going to spend a lot of time outside. If you just can't accept having pasty white skin and your goal is to go out and get some color, make sure you at least protect your tattoos with as much sunscreen as possible.

The best protection, of course, is to avoid exposure to the damaging UV rays – a great idea, but not that practical, since you can be exposed to UV rays while driving your car and even while sitting in your living room! You CAN, however, try and avoid hanging out in the sun when the UV exposure is at its highest.

Most of us spend more time exposed to the sun than we realize. Ever get home and find your left arm sunburned from resting your arm on your car window while driving? Or find yourself getting tan lines just from running errands or working outside? Any time that your tattoo is going to be exposed to the sun, cover it! You can cover it with clothing or sunscreen, or stay in the shade.

Tanning Beds
The ultraviolet rays are much more concentrated and people tend to over-expose themselves in tanning beds, not realizing their own limits. Burning the skin damages a tattoo even more than slowly tanning. Again, if you must do it, protect your ink!

Risks
The sun is your tattoo’s worst enemy! It fades ink, causes premature skin aging that can mar the beauty of your art, and according to the American Cancer Society, is the primary cause of skin cancer – the most common type of cancer. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is the most important factor in the development of skin cancer.

Sunless Tanning Lotions?
If you use sunless tanning lotions for a tanned effect, this is as safe to your tattoo as applying any other type of lotion. As long as the tattoo is completely healed, nothing can hurt the tattoo that doesn't hurt the rest of your skin. However, depending on the shade and color of the particular sunless tanning lotion you use, it may create an odd effect to your tattoo's appearance. It would make more sense just to avoid putting the lotion directly over the tattoo.

Suntan Lotions
Sun, sunbathing or long beach time hang out could damage your new fresh tattoo. There were a lot of discussions about how to keep the tattoo color shiny and bold... In general there is no cream or special aftercare treatment how will help you in this. The skin's pigment is changing time to time and it's natural for your tattoo to fade in time. Nowadays, the tattoo industry has made a lot of super powerful crams, sprays etc...  But non of this articles are going to help you in this. When it comes to the fresh, new tattoos there are several thing you should keep in mind, just to stay away from infections, allergies...

Taking care of a new tattoo will ensure it heals properly and remains beautiful for years to come. Your tattoo's care doesn't end there though; you'll need to protect if from sun exposure every day. Applying suntan lotion to your tattoo gives it protection from the sun's rays; but wait until the advised time frame before slathering it over your tattoo.

The Healing Process
After you receive a tattoo, your skin starts the process of forming a new protective layer of skin. During this time your skin may flake, peel and scab to exfoliate itself. It may even look blurry or cloudy as it heals. The healing is complete when all exfoliation has stopped.

Time Frame
Most tattoos heal visibly in two weeks. Healing time varies with each person and tattoo. Proper hydration and diet give your skin what it needs to heal quickly. Feet and hands reproduce skin cells more quickly than other body parts; tattoos in these other body parts may take up to an extra two weeks to heal. Columbia University recommends giving it 45 days for your skin to fully repair from the damage caused by the tattooing process.

Protect
Do not apply suntan lotion while the tattoo is healing; instead keep it covered with loose clothing. Avoid tanning beds and stay out of the sun as much as possible. Once healed, keep your tattoo covered whenever possible to avoid fading or discoloring the tattoo.

Applying Sunscreen Lotion
After your tattoo is healed, apply sunscreen lotion whenever your tattoo will be exposed to any amount of sunlight. Use a suntan lotion containing at least 50 SPF. Re-apply every few hours, based on the lotion's directions. Applying sunscreen lotion will not stop your tattoo's aging process, but will lessen the effects of sun exposure.

Wear clothing over it when sleeping. If the clothing sticks to it, wet the clothing with water and it will separate from the tattoo. The clothes should be made of cotton.

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