How do you stop a tattoo fading in the sun?
Keep it out of the sun completely while it heals, then use a high-factor sunscreen on it for the rest of its life. Ultraviolet light breaks pigment down, and sun exposure is the single biggest reason tattoos look tired years earlier than they should.
While it is healing
No sun at all for the first two to four weeks, and no sunscreen either · you should not be putting SPF on an open wound. Cover it with loose clothing instead.
Sunburn on a healing tattoo is the worst case on this page. It damages skin that is already damaged, and the result is patchy and permanent.
Once it has healed
For as long as you have the tattoo, not just for the first summer.
- Factor 30 as a minimum, factor 50 on anything you want to keep sharp.
- Reapply. Once in the morning is not sun protection for a day outdoors.
- Clothing beats sunscreen. A sleeve is more reliable than anything in a bottle.
- No sunbeds over a tattoo. Concentrated UV, deliberately, on the thing you are trying to protect.
What the sun actually does
UV breaks down the pigment particles sitting in the dermis. Black and grey holds up better than colour; of the colours, lighter tones and white go first.
It is gradual, which is why people do not notice it happening. Two identical tattoos, one kept covered and one not, look ten years apart after five.
On holiday
A tattoo done less than a month before a beach holiday is a tattoo you have paid for and not protected. Tell us the date at the consultation and we will work backwards from it.
Still want to ask somebody? That is what the first conversation is for.
Start a conversationWritten and checked by THRONE, a tattoo studio in Northampton.
Last checked 28 August 2026.
