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What is a Faded and Blurred Tattoo? How to Repair?

When you get a tattoo, you want to be sure that the piece you are getting will be a long-lasting addition to your body art, with it not fading and beginning to blur after time. While all tattoos begin to fade after a long period of time, some factors may cause the ink to blur and fade much faster! It is important to understand what these factors are and what to look out for when getting a tattoo to avoid this happening to you! The following is a look at what blurred and faded tattoos are and how to avoid your tattoo becoming blurry and faded!

What is a Blurry Tattoo?

How a tattoo is applied is incredibly important, application not only impacts how a tattoo will affect your skin but also the overall look of the design. When a tattoo artist presses too hard on the skin and forces the ink to go into the lower layer of the skin, the ink begins to spread out into the fatty layer. When in the fatty layer, your skin is far less likely to hold onto the solid lines of the ink, making it seem as if it is a bit blurry. Blurry tattoos, also known as tattoo blowouts, can look very bad on the skin as the ink begins to spread out and not be as precise as it would normally look. A blurry tattoo can be avoided by ensuring that you go to a tattoo artist who has the skills, tools and knowledge to avoid pressing down on the skin too hard. This makes finding a good tattoo studio and artist to complete your tattoo a vital factor to take into consideration if you are thinking about getting a tattoo.

What Causes a Blurry and Faded Tattoo?

Blurry and faded tattoos are often caused by the tattoo artist applying low-quality ink or not applying the ink properly throughout the tattooing process. The most common cause of a blurry tattoo is a tattoo artist incorrectly applying the ink, pushing down on the skin too hard and forcing the ink into the lower and more fatty layer. This layer of skin is not able to hold onto the ink as well as the higher layer, causing it to splay out and spread, making lines and colors look as if they were blurry. When it comes to avoiding this, picking out a tattoo artist that has the experience and the right tools is incredibly important! It is important to note that it is normal for a tattoo to be a bit blurry while healing, as the swelling of the skin often causes lines to seem enlarged. Before going back to the tattoo artist or looking into getting a blurry tattoo touch-up, wait for the area to heal entirely!

Faded tattoos can also be caused by not going to a good tattoo artist, but in this case, it has more to do with the quality of the ink that is used. When going to a tattoo studio, you want to be certain that the artist is using the highest quality ink to complete the process. If the ink is not of high quality, you run the risk of having your tattoo begin to fade over time, much quicker than if good quality ink is used. Another factor to consider when it comes to faded tattoos is the aftercare process. When tattoos are not looked after properly when they are healing, there is a risk of the tattoo beginning to fade much sooner than if it were to have been cared for correctly. This makes the aftercare process vital to consider so be sure to think about whether you are able to do this!

Another important risk factor to consider when it comes to faded tattoos is the sun. When tattoos are exposed to sunlight without any protective layer covering them, they will fade much faster. This is because the UV rays from sunlight will be absorbed into the skin and ultimately begin to break down the pigment of the ink, resulting in a blurry and faded tattoo. When going into direct sunlight, be sure to wear sunscreen with a high level of protection or cover the area with clothing or a bandage!

How to Prevent Faded Tattoos?

The last thing you want is to see your new and beautiful tattoo begin to show signs of fading. There are a few things that can be taken into consideration when it comes to avoiding faded tattoos, so be sure to consider the following when looking at the studio and design of the tattoo that you get.

Selection of a Tattoo Artist

When it comes to faded tattoos, the tattoo artist you decide to go with is imperative to consider. You want to be sure that you are going to an artist who can both bring your vision to life and also ensure that your new art is long-lasting on your skin! The type of ink and tools as well as the technique that the tattoo artist uses are incredibly important and can end up making or breaking the overall look of the design. A reputable studio will have examples of the work that they have done before and may even provide you with a few references for previous clients so be sure to do your homework when selecting your tattoo artist!

Tattoo Placement

Where you place your tattoo will also have an impact on whether or not it begins to fade and dull. As sunlight is a large factor to consider when it comes to faded tattoos, where you place the tattoo can have a significant impact! For those who cannot keep up with ensuring that the tattoo remains out of the sun or is continuously slathered in sunscreen, it is best to place the tattoo on an area that is easy to cover when in the sun. Having tattoos on the lower arm region or on the legs can be hard to keep covered, so it is best to avoid these areas. Thinking about tattoo placement is therefore an important thing to consider when getting a tattoo!

Tattoo Supplies

The supplies that are used to tattoo are vital to consider as this will impact the longevity of the piece. When low-quality ink is used, you will find that the tattoo begins to fade much faster than if good-quality supplies are used. This is because the ink needs to become embedded in the skin and not wash away over time. Low-quality pigment tends to break up much faster, leaving your tattoo looking faded and the colors seeming a bit dull. It is important to not rush into fixing these errors in your tattoo and wait for the area to heal entirely. Tattoo color may begin to fade when you have just received the piece but when entirely healed, the color and vibrancy do begin to come back to life! Be sure to talk to your tattoo artist about this as it is most common with certain colors and shading styles!

Tattoo Aftercare

How you look after your tattoo once it has been completed has also been known to impact the quality of the work. Tattoos that are not cared for properly may begin to form scabs over the area and when peeled away or when they fall off, it can take bits of the pigmentation with it causing the tattoo to fade. This usually happens when tattoos are not moisturized and cared for properly so be sure to consider this when you get a tattoo!

How to Fix a Blurry and Faded Tattoo?

If you have blurry or faded tattoos, there are ways that you can fix them! The following is a look at a few of the most common tips and tricks to help in deciding on the best faded and blurry tattoo fixes.

Renewing a Tattoo

Renewing a tattoo involves adding extra ink to the tattoo in the style of the current piece. This gives a renewal in the color and look of the tattoo! This kind of fix is often used on faded tattoos as the addition of extra ink and color fixes the faded look of the design.

Though colored tattoo fades are more common than simple black designs, renewing a tattoo is possible for any piece of ink! While the trick is to avoid the tattoo fading altogether, this can be done for those pieces that are not looking as good as they should be.

Tattoo Cover-Up

Tattoo cover-ups are usually done on tattoos that have faded or were not done well. If you are unhappy with the state of your tattoo, you can look into getting a cover-up! Cover-ups involve placing another tattoo over the area and using the style, design and colors of the previous tattoo to create a new one! Tattooing over this area will cover up the previous faded tattoo and give you a new and beautiful piece of art!

Tattoo Removal

Tattoo removals can also be done to tattoos that have become faded and are not looking their best. Tattoo removals are done by using a laser to remove the pigmentation in the skin, leaving behind a skin-colored scar. This process has been known to be incredibly painful, so be sure to look into other ways to fix your faded tattoo before thinking of this option!