Birds fly south for the winter, your taxes are due in April, and tattoos fade over time. 


It’s a hard pill to swallow for something we all love so dearly, but fortunately, there are multiple steps that you can take to preserve your tattoos from day one, and some of them might surprise you.

Use A Skin Care Routine

Tattoos fade a day at a time, so it makes sense that tattoo preservation also takes place a day at a time. You must be consistent to see actual results, which means using a daily skin routine. 

If someone is trying to lose weight, the biggest reason people usually fail is inconsistency. You can’t starve one day, then stuff your face the next and expect to see any real results. 


You have to be diligent, have a plan, and use high-quality skincare products.

Sunscreen

The number one enemy of tattoos is the sun. The sun’s harmful UVA rays break down the pigmentation of the ink, and our white blood cells, not knowing any better, take the damaged ink away. 


Over time, your tattoo will begin to look splotched and patchy. The well-defined outline will lose its keen edge and blend into an unreadable mess. Colors fade, and the tattoo slowly dies.


Sunscreen is the best guard against sun damage aside from staying out of the sun altogether, but that’s not living life. We all want to go out and have fun while looking our best.


We suggest using TLC’s SPF 30 Sunscreen to protect your tattoo from fading. It’s designed specifically for tattoos and will keep your tattoo looking new for years.

Moisturize

Your skin staying hydrated is paramount to keeping your tattoos looking new. 


Stay out of the sun all you like to protect your tattoo, but if your skin is always flakey and dehydrated, you’ll look like a mummy. Dry skin makes your tattoos look dull and faded.


Outside of drinking lots of water (we’ll get to that in a minute), you’ll need to use a high-quality lotion, cream, or serum to keep your skin moisturized.

TLC’s Cream uses only premium all-natural ingredients so your tattoos stay fresh, vibrant, and hydrated. 


Besides sunscreen and creams, a serum is the best long-term product for tattoos.


Serums nourish your skin by providing vitamins and nutrients to plump up your skin cells and dramatically reduce the signs of aging. As we age, our skin sags, and our tattoos sag with our skin. TLC’s Serum prolongs the youth and glow of skin, so tattoos look newer, longer.


Using all of these products together is essential as each has a role. 


  • Sunscreen— protects from the sun.
  • Cream— moisturizes and hydrates the skin.
  • Serum— nourishes the skin to keep it looking young.

Live A Healthy Lifestyle

The most important and least talked about aspect of long-term tattoo care is your overall health.

All the skin products in the world won’t help your skin if you live an unhealthy lifestyle. 

What does it mean to live a healthy lifestyle that will keep your tattoos vibrant, bold, and long-lasting?


  • Drink lots of water.
  • Limit sun exposure and use sunscreen.
  • Eat healthy foods.
  • Avoid excessive weight gain/loss.
  • Get lots of sleep.
  • Establish a skincare routine.

Staying healthy helps to lock in your skin quality, and your tattoos will age dramatically slower when you follow these steps. People who smoke and drink all the time look like they smoke and drink all the time. It’s fun, but it comes at a cost. 

Touch Ups

The last step, and one that people rarely take is to schedule a touch-up with your tattoo artist. A touch-up means your artist goes back over some of the more critical aspects of your tattoo, like the outline, to bring it back to its formal glory.


A touch-up will help, but it’s costly, and, honestly, it won’t look as good as the day you first got it. You’re better off starting a skincare routine on day one. That being said, you can start taking care of your skin at any time, and you’ll see results.

Conclusion

Tattoos fade over time, there’s no way around it, but with proper care, you can prolong the life of your tattoo by decades.


If you want to keep your tattoos looking new, there’s no better way than to sign up for our ForeverCare program.


With ForeverCare, premium long-term tattoo care products will be delivered right to your door. You can have a recurring delivery scheduled whenever you like, and delivery dates are easy to change or put on hold.


Sign up for ForeverCare and automatically save 20% on every delivery.