Say you have a tattoo or are thinking about getting a new one and wondering whether or not it will be affected by airbrush tan? You are not alone! Tanning salons are bombarded with this question all the time and so they have created this guide for you that will give you all the answers related to spray tans and tattoos.
Before you get an airbrush tanning done, it is very important to prepare yourself well. There are certain things that need to be done before the appointment that includes:
Exfoliation
Exfoliating right in advance ensures that the tanning solution will spread equally in your skin. On areas where you have tattoos, you must scrub gently to avoid abrasions.
Using a barrier cream
Usually, using barrier creams is not recommended before any tanning appointment as this prevents the solution from adhering to the skin. But, for people with tattoos, it is beneficial. The tanning salon professional can recommend you a barrier cream that can be applied to the tattoos so that they are not darkened by the solution.
Customizing the spray
If you have larger tattoos, you can request your tanning artist to avoid that area altogether. Your tanning artist will only spray the organic spray tan around the edges of the tattoos. Once it is completed, they will clean the tattoo with a wet wipe to make sure that no solution remains on the ink.
Will Airbrush tanning affect your tattoos?
Airbrush tanning will not affect your tattoos unless it is fully healed. This is a very reasonable question but it is important to know how airbrush tanning works. Airbrush tanning solution has an active ingredient known as DHA. When it comes in contact with the amino acids in the skin cells, a chemical reaction takes place and causes the skin to develop a tan. This pigment sits on the outer layers of the skin known as the epidermis. This is why it is important to exfoliate and moisturize before your tanning appointment if you have tattoos.
This also is another reason why the tanning solution will not harm your tattoo. Tattoos are permanent on the skin because the ink is injected into the second layer of the skin, also known as the dermis. The needle injected into the skin causes a reaction with the white blood cells and absorbs the pigment and moves it through the bloodstream. This makes the tattoo permanent since the pigment in the tattoo’s ink is larger than the white blood cells to dispose of.
Because the airbrush tan sits only on the topmost layer of the skin, it will not affect the longevity of your tattoo in any way.
Will airbrush tanning make the tattoos darker?
If the tattoo is older and lighter in color or is not that dark at all, chances are that it can get darker after applying an airbrush tan. The ink of the tattoo sits right below the outer layer of the skin and so when there is a tan, there is an essence of a darker, bronzy filter to the body, and this includes the tattoo too! So the answer to this question is - Yes! Airbrush tanning will make the tattoos appear slightly darker. But, there are certain ways to prevent it. Firstly, you must know that the tanning process does take a while.
So, the moment you reach home after getting an airbrush tan done, you can take a damp towel and rub it on the tattoo. This way, any product sitting on the tattoo will be wiped away and prevent the tanner to react with your skin and developing further on your tattoo. Another thing you can do is to ask your tanning artist to apply a barrier cream on the tattoo to prevent it from reacting with your skin.
Final thoughts
The only concern when it comes to airbrush tanning and tattoos is that it tends to darken light-colored tattoos or delicate ones. But, if you are not a very big fan of it and don’t like the way it looks, you can simply skip applying the tan on your skin covered with tattoos. The beauty of airbrush tan is that it is temporary as it lasts only for a couple of weeks. And the big picture here is, as long as your tattoo is fully healed, airbrush tanning is not going to damage the ink. It is a much better option for people who burn easily and are worried about the damage on the skin or those who want to preserve their tattoos and still look like bronzed goddesses all year round.
So, if you are one of those, searching for “best tanning salons near me”, your hunt is over! Get that glowing skin without harming your tattoo with Airbrush Tan. Their aestheticians know how to darken your skin up by several shades and keep the tattoos vibrant looking.
What are you waiting for? Feel free to contact them and book your tanning appointment right away!Also, do not forget to check out our other articles right here.