We all want our tattoos to look bright whether theyโre full colour or blackwork. After all you sat through the pain of getting them and healed them, you need them to look amazing forever.
Read on to find out what products you need to make your tattoos pop. Plus, Stories & Ink's resident hand poke tattooer Ellie Cryer (@elliecryer) shares theย insider tips and tricks you need to keep your tattoos looking their best.
Tattoo artist Ellie Cryer at work at the Stories & Ink studio, Falmouth (@storiesandinkfalmouth)
Keeping your tattoos bright
Weโve got you covered with our 6 top tips to ensure they stay bright:
1. Your tattoo artist
It all starts way before you even get tattooed. Choosing a reputable tattoo artist to do a good job in the first place will make sure your tattoos are always amazing.
Youโll want to check out your artistโs portfolio, social media accounts including images of healed tattoos. As well as making sure the studio they work in is licensed, clean and follows good hygiene practises. Look for things like hand washing stations, gloves and tattoo beds wrapped in clingfilm.
If youโre not sure you can always speak to your artist, ask any questions you may have and make sure theyโre the right tattooer for you.
2. Caring for your fresh ink
This oneโs a biggie. Caring for your new tattoo is super important. Itโs the difference between a patchy tat or one that looks brand new for life. As always youโll want to follow the aftercare advice of your tattooer, this could include:
- How long to leave the clingfilm on
- What products to use
- How to clean and dry your tattoo
Youโll also want to think about your aftercare routine as a whole and how youโll look after your tattoo once itโs healed.
"For keeping tattoos bright, I think itโs a case of making sure you allow them to heal the best you possibly can - follow your artists aftercare instructions really well, itโll give it the best chance of a beautiful heal,"ย Ellie says.
3. Moisturise your skin
Once your tattoo is fully healed you can keep your skin nourished and hydrated with moisturiser. You can use whatever moisturiser you like, but itโs always a good idea to use products designed for tattooed skin.
Takeย Stories & Inkโs Daily Moisturiserย -ย this brightening tattoo lotion is packed with skin-loving ingredients - it helps fight fade and intensifies your ink. It smells amazing too!
Stories & Ink's Daily Moisturiser contains Liftonin-Xpertโข that firms and smooths skin while intensifying ink.
4. Sunโs out, tats covered
Keeping your tattoos covered when itโs sunny is a sure fire way to keep your tattoos bright. Ellie agrees: "Always use sunscreen to keep them looking fresher for longer and then keeping skin hydrated in general."
Even if itโs cloudy youโll want to slather them in high SPF sunscreen to protect them from the sunโs rays. Over exposure in the sun can prematurely age your tattoos, as Dr Nicolas Kluger explains in our blog: Will my tattoos look good when Iโm 60?
Youโll also want to protect your non-tattooed skin, especially if youโve got a new tattoo booked. As you canโt get tattooed if you have sunburn, tattoo artist Hannah Gehrke explains all in our guide.
5. Tattoo touch-ups
Maybe some of the ink in your tattoo dropped out from a bad heal or perhaps the tattoo is on a body part known for a tough heal like your fingers? Either way you can ask the tattooer who originally did your tattoo for a touch up.
Ellie explains that "once a tattoo is healed, a touch up is something that might need to happen, although again, if you take really good care of it during the healing process this is less likely to be needed. Some artists will do this for free and some will charge after a certain amount of time has passed, so keep this in mind."
If you canโt visit your original tattooer for whatever reason, some artists will touch up other tattooistโs work. Make sure to ask about touch ups during your consultation.
6. Exfoliate your ink
Once your tattoos have healed you can exfoliate your new tattoo, and all your other healed tattoos too. Exfoliating helps to remove build up of dead skin cells, dirt and impurities which can make tattoos look dull.
An exfoliating body wash gently scrubs your skin leaving skin luminous.ย
Our blog, how exfoliation improves inked skin, lets you know how to achieve super smooth skin and shiny tattoos.
What can I put on my tattoo to make it brighter?
What you can use on your tattoo depends on what style youโve chosen to get inked.
Colour tattoos
Colour tattoos tend to become dull faster than black and grey tattoos, especially if theyโre done in pastels or white - think yellows, peaches and light pinks. For bright colour tattoos youโll want to choose an experienced tattooer who knows how to pack in colour, and make sure the ink sits in the right layer of your skin.
If you want to keep your colour tattoos looking fresh youโll want to wear a high SPF sun cream every day and moisturise as much as possible.
Black and grey tattoos
Black and grey or just black linework tattoos tend to stay brighter for longer. This doesnโt mean you can scrimp on caring for your tattoos though, SPF and a good moisturiser are always recommended.
Stories & Ink Vibrancy Serum can be used on all tattoos, whatever your style. Apply the brightening tattoo cream before you go to bed, leave it to do its thing and in the morning youโll have brighter ink. Enriched with gentle amino acids which exfoliate and Liftonin-Xpertโข which intensifies ink. Itโs our top choice for colour and black tattoos.
Stories & Ink's Vibrancy Serum contains gentle Amino Acids that brighten and exfoliate dull looking tattoos.
How can I make my new tattoo shine?
To help your new tattoo shine youโll firstly want to avoid anything that can cause it to fade. When it's freshly done youโll want to follow your tattooerโs aftercare and use an aftercare cream specially designed for new ink. Looking after your tattoo right at the beginning can really help it stand the test of time.
Do tattoo brightening creams work?
Adding a tattoo brightening cream to your skincare routine can bring amazing results. The best tattoo brightening creams work with your healed ink to bring it back to life.
Look for a cream that has amino acids to exfoliate and refresh skin, as well as natural oils to nourish and hydrate. Our award-winning Vibrancy Serum is a firm favourite, check out a few of our customer reviews:
Emily - โThis vibrancy serum has made a noticeable difference to my faded tattoos. It smells great and dries in really quickly.โ
Sue - โReally surprised just how much brighter it made my tattoos.โ
Liam - โMakes my skin shine. The results make my tattoos look brand new. Would recommend this cream to anyone.โ
Discover more top tattoo care products by shopping our full range now.
