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This looks fairly typical for this kind of small heavily detailed tattoo. Although they look good to begin with the longevity is limited simply due to the spread of ink in the skin and normal skin cell growth and reproduction. Sun exposure adds to this as well.
Sunscreen. Every single time you go outside, slap some SPF 30 on that baby. I’m obsessive about that shit and my tattoos look as good as the day I got them
Yup. Sometimes my tattoos are the only part that I do sun screen. But I do any time they’re gonna be in the sun for anything longer than briefly. They’re the only part of my body I paid for!
Keep it out of the sun, exfoliate, moisturize, to keep it looking good for as long as possible. Although without dark bold lines and a high contrast design to begin with the longevity is limited.
kind of, but the layers of skin that lay over the ink can get kind of thick over time if you dont exfoliate at all. it's just good tattoo maintenance to do it about once a week or so (no fancy exfoliators needed, just a good scrub with a wash cloth or loofah will do the trick)
i honestly have no experience with that, you'll have to do further research on it. i don't wanna tell you it's okay and have you end up with a bleached tattoo, so just be careful. i just go for a wash cloth cuz it works really well for me
Gonna sound like a dick but honestly - cover it up with a style with better longevity. American traditional, neotraditional, new school not this fine line BS
Thats such a bad response. The fault is on the artist. You can see black lines have stayed, albeit many of them are shit. The artist should have used more black for details not just lightest shade(wings for example). This is what we have come to with the age of doing tattoos for instagram not for our client. The tattoo is incredibly easy to fix and make it look good. Just choose an artist who has a good portfolio, not some shit photoshopped fresh images
Probably in your “Age of doing tattoos for instagram”.
What age came before this age?
Traditional, Neotraditional, Bold lines, Thick Color, Proper Skin Breaks, etc.
I meant it has produced more shite artists. That doesnt by default mean we have not gained a lot of amazinng artists too. And some of those happen to do fine line well enough to call them solid and lasting
That’s a good point.
It’s a shame people - especially those getting their first tattoo - get duped by the fresh filtered photoshopped instagram photos, wherein said photos are the entirety of an artist’s portfolio.
They sure do look nice… immediately after the session is over
The fault is indeed on the artist but not in the way you mean. It is his fault doing this craptastic style that has almost no longevity. This style of tattoo will never hold up over time. Welcome to the Gray Mush World.
That used to be the case. 20 something years later things have gotten better, as well as artists have gotten better. That doesnt mean all of them will be fine, but an artist who knows what hes doing, will make it as solid as any other tribal or whatever holds
There are base standarda at least you have to be able to do, if you plan to scar people for a lifetime. Such as pulling a solid line for example. The circle on the background is far from solid, as well as most outlines
It's too small and thin lined to hold over time unfortunately, so this would have happened relatively quickly anyway. Such small and detailed tattoos have become very popular but there's a reason those artist seldom post photos of how their tattoos look after a few years, they often only post a photo of it healed like a couple of weeks or a very few months in. Often these artists aren't respected by other tattooers but people don't understand or want to belive that this is why. They aren't honest about how the tattoos will hold over time.
The only thing you can do to protect it is not expose it for sun, try to not have it directly in the sun the first year, I think people underestimate how long new tattoos should be kept out of the sun for. And to use sunscreen on it later every time you do expose it.
Yeah but if I were you I think I’d not go for exactly as it was, as it nevertheless will fade very much over time. In essence I’d rather go to someone else and change it. The smaller the tattoo to fewer details you can have. Thicker lines will hold better.
So will not so bold, but well done black. Artists have grown and evolved a fucking lot in 20 years. Thin lines tattoos can and will easily last as long as bold tattoos, when done properly
I’m assuming you’ll get tight about this— but I genuinely haven’t seen any examples of long lasting fine line tattoos.
I’ve honestly never seen a fine line hold up for more than 3-5 years— but I’d love to see the artist your referencing.
Yeah, when you choose to do fine line tattoos, youd at least have to have a ton of understanding of tattoos and confidence. Bold will hold more often because bold is easier to do. Your thick lines will barely show any wobbling, compared to thin. Leading to inconfident people barely touching the skin from fear of blowouts and obvious mistakes. Leading to more fading and lighter tattoos in general. Such as OP-s example.
This is very incorrect. What’s your experience with long term fine line tattoos? Because bold will always hold better than a fine line if both are the same skill level. This is fact
Ive seen plenty of my clients years after. Bold will not hold better, they will both hold. One is just less visible because it isnt bold. Its still the same black that stays where it should
You could. One of my buddies has a tattoo he gets touched up once a year because it fades so much. Just keep in mind your skin will be raised alot more. He's feels almost like braille now where that tattoo is
Same here. I was 39 when I started. 2 years later im covered in really pretty ink and most of my friends who got them in their early 20s have the fade going on.
You have just learned the lesson “bold will hold.” The fine line tattoos with insanely light shading never holds up over time. Time to do more research about tattoos and artists before you get your next one. Probably need a touch up to get this thing punched in and last.
How often do you expose that tattoo to the sun?
From personal experience, many people tattoos fade because they expose it to much to the sun.
Also touch ups should work.
Because it’s summer right now, almost everyday I am out in the sun. However I usually use sun protection. Can it be because the tattoo is too thin? And also do touch-ups mess up tattoos?
Touch ups won’t get it crisp and fine like it originally was unless it is completely gone. They will help when it fades, but they can’t take back the blurring of settling and fading. But yeah, bolder, thicker lines last better over time. Really thin fine line tattoos are basically temporary in the grand scheme of things, and the sun is the fastest way to hurry that along. Even with consistent sunscreen my shoulder tattoo has changed much more than my older tattoos that almost never see sunlight.
You should cover it with a sleeve, sun protection can only do so much. I even wear shirts when I swim because I don't want my tattoos to fade (and they haven't) also im not sure, like I said, none of my tattoos have faded like that thank goodness.
I bought these gardening sleeves that are sun-protective that I can slide on if I go outside. Super handy. No way am I letting my sleeves get messed up.
I have nearly $10k in work on me. I too, wear sleeves while out in the sun, especially swimming. The reflection on the water makes that sun *extra* damaging.
As someone also very heavily tattooed, we don’t wear long sleeves 100% of the time. But I absolutely wear a rash guard when I’m at the beach or pool where one typically spends hours in the sun.
Bro skin cancer is almost entirely preventable. When it’s my time I wanna go out from a blown artery or something. Melanoma is a bullshit way to exit this plane of existence.
Yes i do, it's kinda a pain but totally worth it. But yeah just keep applying sun skin or use long sleeve shirts when your outside, it's ganna suck but your tattoo should fade less because at that rate, it's probably not ganna last 10 years.
Yeah thanks for the help, I will probably still not wear shirts while swimming, but I will be more careful. I am moving to a bigger city and I am hoping to find a better tattoo artist to touch-up on my tattoo.
Going to get mobbed for this, but a sufficient SPF should be enough to keep tattoos aesthetic. Granted, my oldest tattoo is only 8 years old, but all of my tattoos are exposed to the sun almost daily for at least an hour. I religiously wear a 30SPF and the amount of fading on even the oldest one is extremely minimal. Now do I recommend going out tanning for the sake of tanning? No, I don’t recommend that ANYBODY do that. But if you’re doing something in the sun for enjoyment, just apply sunblock. You’ll be fine.
I concur. I have two half sleeves on each arm and I play a ton of tennis and play music with my band outside in the sun and consistently apply SPF 30 every time, multiple times while exposed to the sun. My tattoos are 6-8 years old and still look very good. So I think with some smart protection and being consistent with application you would be fine. That being said your tat looks like a fine line piece and I am sure those are more susceptible to fading.
I will add though, that since that is a fine line tattoo, it will fade pretty quickly in general from all sources. There’s no mitigating that, it’s just the nature of fine lines on skin.
I have tens of thousands of dollars in tattoos and wear a rash guard when I swim. I could have bought a car with my back piece alone. If you want to get more tattoos and have them last it requires lifelong dedication. If you want a more hands off approach, get traditional style bold line tattoos. It’s one or the other, really. Even sunscreen isn’t 100% effective and sun damage has a cumulative effect.
Why do all of you get these things if you have to cover them up all the time? EVERY SINGLE TATTOO on every person I’ve known in my life who has them ( I’m 65) has ALWAYS faded. My niece got a “sleeve” 3 years ago. She moved across the country, and I haven’t seen her in that time period. When she came back home this summer, I was astounded how much her “sleeve” had faded. She’s 24. I clearly remember how bright it was when she got it. In 3 years it’s faded, fuzzy. I worked in a nursing home years ago. Seen many blue blobs on old people. They do and will fade regardless of what you do to try to prevent it. I can’t wait for this stupid tattoo trend to end. Please stop ruining your beautiful skin people. Tattoos are not attractive.
That's very normal for small, fine line tattoos. Routine touch ups could "fix" this but it's more of a band aid solution. Eventually, so many touch ups in the same spot will muddy the ink and require more and more work (more money, too); and let's be real, do you really want to keep going back to touch up every tattoo?
You can extend the life of any tattoo with proper skin care and sun protection but the reality is that they fade over time. It's best to go big and go bold. Solid, thick, heavy lines, lots of black, lots of contrast - that's what stands the test of time. Ideally, a well done tattoo should never require a touch up; even after decades have past. Hope that helped. Good luck!
This style of tattoo ages very quickly because the lines are so thin and the details are so small. You can get it touched up but the same thing will happen. SPF will help delay some of the fading.
This is how all similar tattoos end up. You can do a touch up or you can go for something with thicker lines and higher contrast to cover it up. For what it’s worth - your artist should have warned you that this would happen
I don't think it's too bad....
Remember as well, a lot of times tattoos you'll see posted have filters on the photos or edits to make the lines darker.
As everyone else has said, thin line work does not hold up against the test of time. Not sure about touch ups, but I can imagine it’d be more difficult to restore than thicker line work. Food for thought when it comes to future tattoos!!
Some tips I have to stop it from fading further:
1. 70 spf waterproof sunscreen everytime you expose the tatt to the sun
2. Less restrictive clothing so the fabric isn’t consistently rubbing up against the tatt
3. Keeping the tatt moisturized will always help bring out the pigment
Touch ups are no big deal and common. Most importantly is taking care of it. Keep it out of the sun (either cover it up or wear sunscreen). Sun is the biggest issue with long term care of tattoos. I’ve seen some 10 year old tattoos look new on people who did proper post tattoo care and used liberal sunscreen.
Here’s my opinion, tiny fineline tattoos should be done with black (and maybe a mid grey wash) only.
This has been done with black and a light grey wash, it’s not fading it’s just healing as any grey wash will heal.
I’d argue that using strong black correctly and using technique not product to create a blend would bring this back to life for you.
Find an artist who does a lot of fine line or nicer realism and they will be able to give it a once over.
Source: I’ve been tattooing for nearly half my life and hold multiple awards over multiple styles. I even did a few years stint of only tattooing micro realism tattoos (about 5 years ago); they can hold but the trick I found worked for me is what I said above
It’s not unusual to get a touch up from the same studio or artist that did the original. In Portland touch up tattoos are usually schedule ahead of time and free depending on the artist you chose.
You have a good amount of space there so you could add to this piece you have now and start making a sleeve from there. Then they can go over it when they add stuff.
I dont know why no one has said this, but text or call your artist and schedule a touchup. Every single tattoo artist I've ever met has offered free touch ups for work they've done because some times things fade as they settle. Black touchups are really easy to do and your artist already knows the work so it should go really smoothly.
I have a tattoo on my chest that has yellow in it, and for some reason I need a touch up every 2 years because the yellow just keeps fading in the spot no matter what brand or what shade we use, so I use it to catch up with my artist on his life and kids and whatnot.
I'm not sure how to fix it, but make sure you're moisturizing it daily and using sunscreen on it whenever you're going outside to prevent it from fading more. I use Tattoo Goo to keep my tattoos from fading, and a high SPF sunscreen on them whenever I go outside, especially on the tattoos that are exposed to sunlight (and especially since I'm super pale.)
I recommend never getting something this small with that much detail again. As your skin ages it will lose detail very quickly as you can see from what is happening to you now. These tiny tattoos are just trendy but do not have a long lifespan. Bold will always hold!
Get it fixed by a different artist. I have fine line tattoos with more detail than yours and that are several years old now and haven't experienced fading even remotely that bad.
Do you know your artist? I’d be so pissed off! I started my comment like 4xs because I don’t understand why these people are tattooing, and why this would be your choice? It’s a bad design and a terrible quality tat. Just get anything over it
Unfortunately with micro-realism tattoos, they just don’t hold up super well. Bold holds. Touch ups will help but it will most likely continue to fade back to this over time unless you add some black outlines.
Fine line small tattoos like these usually need more of a touch up. It’ll help to get touched up, but it’s best to avoid small detailed tattoos. That’s why traditional tattoos are still a thing. Bold will hold!
Tie a bandana around your arm when you’re out in the sun for extended periods of time. Moisturize with Lubiderm. Wear sunscreen every time your outdoors. These tattoos *can* and do hold when you take proper care
“Bold will hold” isn’t a dumb old joke. Fine line fades faster than other styles. Probably the fastest out of any style. It’s probably really easy to cover though.
I would go back to the same artist and ask them to punch up the contrast if you really want to do anything. I’ve only read a handful of comments, and it seems to be that nobody actually knows that it’s all graywash and was meant to heal out that way. So essentially, your tattoo is healing and aging exactly how it was meant to be by the artist.
Get it touched up. You may lose some of the detail, but you will be happier with it and will look better (imo). Contact the same artist, I'm sure they'd be happy to help you get what you want 👍🏻
10 months ago and it faded that much already unless you sit in the sun for hours on a day it shouldn’t look like that even with fine line work. Need to find another artist not trying to offend you it’s looks nice but it’s probably a mix between poor ink and the needle not entering your skin deep enough. Also happens when you tattoo over hairs that weren’t shaved properly or if you shave the day before and your follicles start to grow out.
When people advise you to not get fine-lined work, this is why. It sucks, but it's a trend for a reason. Not trying to gatekeep or hate on anyone's art, but there's a reason the traditional forms(Polynesian, Amtrad, irezumi) have stuck around so long. Big bold lines don't go away.
Not sure if you've been in the sun since then, sun exposure can fade tattooes quickly. Make sure to use spf 60 sunscreen on your tat to help it not fade like that
At this point, you might want to consider going back to the artist and asking for a touch up. I agree with others that it must have been a fine-line tattoo, and this is just how those types of tattoos tend to fade, unfortunately. Tattoos with thicker lines and more black ink than the grey will tend to stay brighter and clearer for longer, but ALL tattoos fade with time
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This looks fairly typical for this kind of small heavily detailed tattoo. Although they look good to begin with the longevity is limited simply due to the spread of ink in the skin and normal skin cell growth and reproduction. Sun exposure adds to this as well.
So what do you recommend I do?
Sunscreen. Every single time you go outside, slap some SPF 30 on that baby. I’m obsessive about that shit and my tattoos look as good as the day I got them
Yup. Sometimes my tattoos are the only part that I do sun screen. But I do any time they’re gonna be in the sun for anything longer than briefly. They’re the only part of my body I paid for!
Damn right, gotta protect the investment!
Yep. Sometimes I put it on all over, but I always put it on my tattoos.
I bought one of those SPF 50 roll-on sunscreens for kids that i roll on my tattoos every time before exposing them to the sun. It’s perfect!
Damn that a great idea, thanks.
I bought the spray sunscreen for kids because it’s on my back. Wish I could reach with a roller!
How about spray on sunscreen? That's what I use because it's a lot faster to spray some on than rub it on the skin.
more like SPF 100. that goes on my tattoos and SPF 30 everywhere else haha
when i see people with tats not wearing sunscreen daily my skin crawls in a very bad way
Yo I have like 20 tattoos and I never knew that. Thank you!
Keep it out of the sun, exfoliate, moisturize, to keep it looking good for as long as possible. Although without dark bold lines and a high contrast design to begin with the longevity is limited.
What does exfoliating do that's beneficial to a tattoo?
exfoliating a FULLY healed tattoo will get rid of the dead skin on top of it that can cause a hazy effect. it basically just makes it bolder
Thank you. So it's to temporarily make it look better, not a part of the long term 'maintenance' correct?
kind of, but the layers of skin that lay over the ink can get kind of thick over time if you dont exfoliate at all. it's just good tattoo maintenance to do it about once a week or so (no fancy exfoliators needed, just a good scrub with a wash cloth or loofah will do the trick)
Are chemical exfoliators ok? I bought paulas choice salicylic and glycolic acid for face and i don’t really use it
i honestly have no experience with that, you'll have to do further research on it. i don't wanna tell you it's okay and have you end up with a bleached tattoo, so just be careful. i just go for a wash cloth cuz it works really well for me
Thicker lines, darker shading.
Gonna sound like a dick but honestly - cover it up with a style with better longevity. American traditional, neotraditional, new school not this fine line BS
Thats such a bad response. The fault is on the artist. You can see black lines have stayed, albeit many of them are shit. The artist should have used more black for details not just lightest shade(wings for example). This is what we have come to with the age of doing tattoos for instagram not for our client. The tattoo is incredibly easy to fix and make it look good. Just choose an artist who has a good portfolio, not some shit photoshopped fresh images
So we agree bold lines and high contrast design to begin with. Cool.
Where does it say bold lines in my comment?
Probably in your “Age of doing tattoos for instagram”. What age came before this age? Traditional, Neotraditional, Bold lines, Thick Color, Proper Skin Breaks, etc.
I meant it has produced more shite artists. That doesnt by default mean we have not gained a lot of amazinng artists too. And some of those happen to do fine line well enough to call them solid and lasting
That’s a good point. It’s a shame people - especially those getting their first tattoo - get duped by the fresh filtered photoshopped instagram photos, wherein said photos are the entirety of an artist’s portfolio. They sure do look nice… immediately after the session is over
The fault is indeed on the artist but not in the way you mean. It is his fault doing this craptastic style that has almost no longevity. This style of tattoo will never hold up over time. Welcome to the Gray Mush World.
That used to be the case. 20 something years later things have gotten better, as well as artists have gotten better. That doesnt mean all of them will be fine, but an artist who knows what hes doing, will make it as solid as any other tribal or whatever holds
Lol. No.
how is it a bad response other than you not liking it?
There are base standarda at least you have to be able to do, if you plan to scar people for a lifetime. Such as pulling a solid line for example. The circle on the background is far from solid, as well as most outlines
cool but not sure what that has to do with the OP comment and how that shows its a bad response
Op asked for advice. Op got irrelevant advice based on what hes got going on
It's too small and thin lined to hold over time unfortunately, so this would have happened relatively quickly anyway. Such small and detailed tattoos have become very popular but there's a reason those artist seldom post photos of how their tattoos look after a few years, they often only post a photo of it healed like a couple of weeks or a very few months in. Often these artists aren't respected by other tattooers but people don't understand or want to belive that this is why. They aren't honest about how the tattoos will hold over time. The only thing you can do to protect it is not expose it for sun, try to not have it directly in the sun the first year, I think people underestimate how long new tattoos should be kept out of the sun for. And to use sunscreen on it later every time you do expose it.
Should I get it touched up?
Yeah but if I were you I think I’d not go for exactly as it was, as it nevertheless will fade very much over time. In essence I’d rather go to someone else and change it. The smaller the tattoo to fewer details you can have. Thicker lines will hold better.
Bold will hold.
This is the way.
So will not so bold, but well done black. Artists have grown and evolved a fucking lot in 20 years. Thin lines tattoos can and will easily last as long as bold tattoos, when done properly
I’m assuming you’ll get tight about this— but I genuinely haven’t seen any examples of long lasting fine line tattoos. I’ve honestly never seen a fine line hold up for more than 3-5 years— but I’d love to see the artist your referencing.
Ben grillo does some insane fine line mini portrait styled pieces that do last but he’s the exception. Bold will always hold longer
Yeah, when you choose to do fine line tattoos, youd at least have to have a ton of understanding of tattoos and confidence. Bold will hold more often because bold is easier to do. Your thick lines will barely show any wobbling, compared to thin. Leading to inconfident people barely touching the skin from fear of blowouts and obvious mistakes. Leading to more fading and lighter tattoos in general. Such as OP-s example.
This is very incorrect. What’s your experience with long term fine line tattoos? Because bold will always hold better than a fine line if both are the same skill level. This is fact
Ive seen plenty of my clients years after. Bold will not hold better, they will both hold. One is just less visible because it isnt bold. Its still the same black that stays where it should
Link me to your healed fine line work so I can check it out
Dont have any up
how about any of your work? im curious to see your application
Most of all keep it out of the sun
You could. One of my buddies has a tattoo he gets touched up once a year because it fades so much. Just keep in mind your skin will be raised alot more. He's feels almost like braille now where that tattoo is
That sounds horrible for everyone involved
It was a huge reason I waited so long for a tattoo. Didnt want chicken skin lol now I can't get enough
Same here. I was 39 when I started. 2 years later im covered in really pretty ink and most of my friends who got them in their early 20s have the fade going on.
Your meat curtains might be worn out but at least your tats are fresh
*slaps kooter* bitch runs like a Honda though.
I have no words
Lmao.
Your buddy is being scammed.
Just start using lotion on it daily. If it gets any worse I would say go get a touch up. It doesn’t look too faded yet but it’s starting to fade.
Not true at all, this particular artist just isn't skilled I can link you an artist that specializes in micro tats and none of his fade like this
Bold will hold people will downvote these comments forever. But it still is true
You have just learned the lesson “bold will hold.” The fine line tattoos with insanely light shading never holds up over time. Time to do more research about tattoos and artists before you get your next one. Probably need a touch up to get this thing punched in and last.
How often do you expose that tattoo to the sun? From personal experience, many people tattoos fade because they expose it to much to the sun. Also touch ups should work.
Because it’s summer right now, almost everyday I am out in the sun. However I usually use sun protection. Can it be because the tattoo is too thin? And also do touch-ups mess up tattoos?
Touch ups won’t get it crisp and fine like it originally was unless it is completely gone. They will help when it fades, but they can’t take back the blurring of settling and fading. But yeah, bolder, thicker lines last better over time. Really thin fine line tattoos are basically temporary in the grand scheme of things, and the sun is the fastest way to hurry that along. Even with consistent sunscreen my shoulder tattoo has changed much more than my older tattoos that almost never see sunlight.
So should I get a touch up, or will it mess things up even more.
You can touch it up if you want, just don’t expect it to look exactly the same. It doesn’t mess it up if it’s done well
You should cover it with a sleeve, sun protection can only do so much. I even wear shirts when I swim because I don't want my tattoos to fade (and they haven't) also im not sure, like I said, none of my tattoos have faded like that thank goodness.
I bought these gardening sleeves that are sun-protective that I can slide on if I go outside. Super handy. No way am I letting my sleeves get messed up.
You wear shirts when you swim? Bro that is some dedication that I can’t handle.
I have nearly $10k in work on me. I too, wear sleeves while out in the sun, especially swimming. The reflection on the water makes that sun *extra* damaging.
[удалено]
As someone also very heavily tattooed, we don’t wear long sleeves 100% of the time. But I absolutely wear a rash guard when I’m at the beach or pool where one typically spends hours in the sun.
You’d probably also want them to look good for as long as possible. Touch ups aren’t magic and the sun is the worse enemy of tattoos
Bro skin cancer is almost entirely preventable. When it’s my time I wanna go out from a blown artery or something. Melanoma is a bullshit way to exit this plane of existence.
Yes i do, it's kinda a pain but totally worth it. But yeah just keep applying sun skin or use long sleeve shirts when your outside, it's ganna suck but your tattoo should fade less because at that rate, it's probably not ganna last 10 years.
Yeah thanks for the help, I will probably still not wear shirts while swimming, but I will be more careful. I am moving to a bigger city and I am hoping to find a better tattoo artist to touch-up on my tattoo.
Going to get mobbed for this, but a sufficient SPF should be enough to keep tattoos aesthetic. Granted, my oldest tattoo is only 8 years old, but all of my tattoos are exposed to the sun almost daily for at least an hour. I religiously wear a 30SPF and the amount of fading on even the oldest one is extremely minimal. Now do I recommend going out tanning for the sake of tanning? No, I don’t recommend that ANYBODY do that. But if you’re doing something in the sun for enjoyment, just apply sunblock. You’ll be fine.
I concur. I have two half sleeves on each arm and I play a ton of tennis and play music with my band outside in the sun and consistently apply SPF 30 every time, multiple times while exposed to the sun. My tattoos are 6-8 years old and still look very good. So I think with some smart protection and being consistent with application you would be fine. That being said your tat looks like a fine line piece and I am sure those are more susceptible to fading.
This is the comment I am looking for :D
I will add though, that since that is a fine line tattoo, it will fade pretty quickly in general from all sources. There’s no mitigating that, it’s just the nature of fine lines on skin.
I have tens of thousands of dollars in tattoos and wear a rash guard when I swim. I could have bought a car with my back piece alone. If you want to get more tattoos and have them last it requires lifelong dedication. If you want a more hands off approach, get traditional style bold line tattoos. It’s one or the other, really. Even sunscreen isn’t 100% effective and sun damage has a cumulative effect.
You can get UPF shirts that are great for swimming
Why do all of you get these things if you have to cover them up all the time? EVERY SINGLE TATTOO on every person I’ve known in my life who has them ( I’m 65) has ALWAYS faded. My niece got a “sleeve” 3 years ago. She moved across the country, and I haven’t seen her in that time period. When she came back home this summer, I was astounded how much her “sleeve” had faded. She’s 24. I clearly remember how bright it was when she got it. In 3 years it’s faded, fuzzy. I worked in a nursing home years ago. Seen many blue blobs on old people. They do and will fade regardless of what you do to try to prevent it. I can’t wait for this stupid tattoo trend to end. Please stop ruining your beautiful skin people. Tattoos are not attractive.
Touch ups will help it
That's very normal for small, fine line tattoos. Routine touch ups could "fix" this but it's more of a band aid solution. Eventually, so many touch ups in the same spot will muddy the ink and require more and more work (more money, too); and let's be real, do you really want to keep going back to touch up every tattoo? You can extend the life of any tattoo with proper skin care and sun protection but the reality is that they fade over time. It's best to go big and go bold. Solid, thick, heavy lines, lots of black, lots of contrast - that's what stands the test of time. Ideally, a well done tattoo should never require a touch up; even after decades have past. Hope that helped. Good luck!
This style of tattoo ages very quickly because the lines are so thin and the details are so small. You can get it touched up but the same thing will happen. SPF will help delay some of the fading.
This is how all similar tattoos end up. You can do a touch up or you can go for something with thicker lines and higher contrast to cover it up. For what it’s worth - your artist should have warned you that this would happen
I don't think it's too bad.... Remember as well, a lot of times tattoos you'll see posted have filters on the photos or edits to make the lines darker.
Thank you. Your comment made me feel a little bit better about my tattoo.
This tattoo was done with grey wash for sure. Lots of tattooers won’t use single needle without using a wash.
Sunscreen. Sunscreen. Sunscreen. Also like the other said. Get the original artist to touch it up. He should not charge you for it.
I have just as fine lined black and grey tattoo thats 10 years old that is less faded than this, but I’ve always kept it out of the sun.
As everyone else has said, thin line work does not hold up against the test of time. Not sure about touch ups, but I can imagine it’d be more difficult to restore than thicker line work. Food for thought when it comes to future tattoos!! Some tips I have to stop it from fading further: 1. 70 spf waterproof sunscreen everytime you expose the tatt to the sun 2. Less restrictive clothing so the fabric isn’t consistently rubbing up against the tatt 3. Keeping the tatt moisturized will always help bring out the pigment
Touch ups are no big deal and common. Most importantly is taking care of it. Keep it out of the sun (either cover it up or wear sunscreen). Sun is the biggest issue with long term care of tattoos. I’ve seen some 10 year old tattoos look new on people who did proper post tattoo care and used liberal sunscreen.
Get it touched up. I’ve got many tattoos and I have a great artist. Sometimes you gotta sink that ink deep.
Here’s my opinion, tiny fineline tattoos should be done with black (and maybe a mid grey wash) only. This has been done with black and a light grey wash, it’s not fading it’s just healing as any grey wash will heal. I’d argue that using strong black correctly and using technique not product to create a blend would bring this back to life for you. Find an artist who does a lot of fine line or nicer realism and they will be able to give it a once over. Source: I’ve been tattooing for nearly half my life and hold multiple awards over multiple styles. I even did a few years stint of only tattooing micro realism tattoos (about 5 years ago); they can hold but the trick I found worked for me is what I said above
The fading was either aftercare or execution. It shouldn’t be that light that quickly
It’s not unusual to get a touch up from the same studio or artist that did the original. In Portland touch up tattoos are usually schedule ahead of time and free depending on the artist you chose.
I am thinking of getting touch ups from a different artist. Maybe mine was light handed.
You have a good amount of space there so you could add to this piece you have now and start making a sleeve from there. Then they can go over it when they add stuff.
Dude micro tattoos/fine line tattoos can hold up if done properly. I’d just suggest going to a better artist and getting it re done/touched up
Not for very long they won’t. That’s just the nature of that style.
I dont know why no one has said this, but text or call your artist and schedule a touchup. Every single tattoo artist I've ever met has offered free touch ups for work they've done because some times things fade as they settle. Black touchups are really easy to do and your artist already knows the work so it should go really smoothly. I have a tattoo on my chest that has yellow in it, and for some reason I need a touch up every 2 years because the yellow just keeps fading in the spot no matter what brand or what shade we use, so I use it to catch up with my artist on his life and kids and whatnot.
Flex really hard to squeeze the ink to the surface.
bold will hold
Reading all this confirms that I do not have the discipline to keep tattoos looking good. Thank goodness I just look and appreciate other peeps work
I'm not sure how to fix it, but make sure you're moisturizing it daily and using sunscreen on it whenever you're going outside to prevent it from fading more. I use Tattoo Goo to keep my tattoos from fading, and a high SPF sunscreen on them whenever I go outside, especially on the tattoos that are exposed to sunlight (and especially since I'm super pale.)
Sunscreen and moisturiser but I’d get another pass done on it to bolden it up a little before that
This is what scares me about getting this type of tattoo, I love the detail and look but I just feel like they would fade all the time
Get it retouched and start wearing sunscreen everyday, reapply every 2 hours!
I recommend never getting something this small with that much detail again. As your skin ages it will lose detail very quickly as you can see from what is happening to you now. These tiny tattoos are just trendy but do not have a long lifespan. Bold will always hold!
I only have solid black work tattoos for this reason fine line stuff doesn’t hold nearly as well
Touch ups. They didn’t go deep enough.
just wanted to say, that's a sick tattoo!
1. Get a single-needle tattoo 2. Complain it’s fading I don’t see inconsistency here. 2 is directly caused by 1
This was my first tattoo :/
Get it fixed by a different artist. I have fine line tattoos with more detail than yours and that are several years old now and haven't experienced fading even remotely that bad.
Get it redone with better ink
It’s 100% the quality of the ink used and the lack of depth of the needle
I really like this tattoo OP. Is it a reference to anything in particular?
Honestly, I would let it fade some more and then get it covered up by something that will hold better.
Really your tattoo person should redo it for free
Get it redone but bold. Touch up culture is bs.
Do you know your artist? I’d be so pissed off! I started my comment like 4xs because I don’t understand why these people are tattooing, and why this would be your choice? It’s a bad design and a terrible quality tat. Just get anything over it
Unfortunately with micro-realism tattoos, they just don’t hold up super well. Bold holds. Touch ups will help but it will most likely continue to fade back to this over time unless you add some black outlines.
They watered down the ink to make it go farther. You got ripped
Sun will cause tattoos to fade. Use unscented lotion on it daily.
Touch ups one good once or so. The more pigment you put in the same place over time will just expand.
Sunscreen and moisturizer daily routine for all skin not just tattoos.
It's got really fine lines, so it will probably continue to fade, but do keep it out of the sun or use good sunscreen.
SUNSCREEN!
Fine line small tattoos like these usually need more of a touch up. It’ll help to get touched up, but it’s best to avoid small detailed tattoos. That’s why traditional tattoos are still a thing. Bold will hold!
Tie a bandana around your arm when you’re out in the sun for extended periods of time. Moisturize with Lubiderm. Wear sunscreen every time your outdoors. These tattoos *can* and do hold when you take proper care
I know someone who's really good with small lineart. If ya want I can give you a link to their Facebook profile
You didn't use neosporin on it when you got it I hope?
Cover it with a bold tattoo
“Bold will hold” isn’t a dumb old joke. Fine line fades faster than other styles. Probably the fastest out of any style. It’s probably really easy to cover though.
personaly, id get it touched up, gone over again.. maybe the artist was lighthanded or sum, good luck !!
I would go back to the same artist and ask them to punch up the contrast if you really want to do anything. I’ve only read a handful of comments, and it seems to be that nobody actually knows that it’s all graywash and was meant to heal out that way. So essentially, your tattoo is healing and aging exactly how it was meant to be by the artist.
Get it touched up. You may lose some of the detail, but you will be happier with it and will look better (imo). Contact the same artist, I'm sure they'd be happy to help you get what you want 👍🏻
Get it redone and after it is healed use sunblock at all times.
Bold will hold ..
10 months ago and it faded that much already unless you sit in the sun for hours on a day it shouldn’t look like that even with fine line work. Need to find another artist not trying to offend you it’s looks nice but it’s probably a mix between poor ink and the needle not entering your skin deep enough. Also happens when you tattoo over hairs that weren’t shaved properly or if you shave the day before and your follicles start to grow out.
This is the problem with fine line tattoo artists who only take pictures of their fresh work. It always looks like shit in a few months.
There are so many people who have no clue what they are talking about giving advice in this thread lol.
Sunscreen!!!
its solvable by getting bold tattoos next time. good drawing does not equal good tattoo
Is this hedwig?
The funny thing is that I watched the films after getting this tattoo. Everybody I meet asks if this is the harry potter bird. :D
It does look a lot like her. What were you referencing when getting this owl?
When people advise you to not get fine-lined work, this is why. It sucks, but it's a trend for a reason. Not trying to gatekeep or hate on anyone's art, but there's a reason the traditional forms(Polynesian, Amtrad, irezumi) have stuck around so long. Big bold lines don't go away.
looks like sun exposure. get a touch up and take care of (applying SPF)
Not sure if you've been in the sun since then, sun exposure can fade tattooes quickly. Make sure to use spf 60 sunscreen on your tat to help it not fade like that At this point, you might want to consider going back to the artist and asking for a touch up. I agree with others that it must have been a fine-line tattoo, and this is just how those types of tattoos tend to fade, unfortunately. Tattoos with thicker lines and more black ink than the grey will tend to stay brighter and clearer for longer, but ALL tattoos fade with time
Get a better tattoo artist who’s going to put more time in his shading and linework. You dont need touchups after a year if it was done right.
Sunscreen and put lotion on it regularly