Can You Tan After Laser Tattoo Removal?
Removing a tattoo is high-maintenance, just like getting a tattoo. That applies even when you do it via advanced technology like a laser. There are some strict dos and don’ts you must abide by before going for your tattoo removal, including tanning.
Experts recommend against getting tanned after your laser treatment due to the risk of getting additional pigmentation. The treated place may also get discolored. If you have to go, you must wait 4 weeks at the very least following the laser tattoo removal.
One may not find a link between the two in a case like that. But each impacts the other. Learn more from the rest of the discussion.
How Will The Sun Impact My Treated Skin?
When you expose your skin to a lot of sunlight, it grows the amount of melanin and vitamin D in your body.
Vitamin D has ample benefits, and it will do you no harm. But the increased melanin will cause potential health problems. When the melanin takes in radiation, it will turn your skin brownish, too much of which can lead to burning, giving way to danger.
How Is It Harmful To Get Tanned After Laser Tattoo Removal?
It is harmful because you already have your skin damaged by laser technology during your tattoo removal procedure. But that is not permanent, instead necessary to eliminate the tattoo ink from your system.
Afterward, the treated area will need time to recover like it did when you got your tattoo. It should have protection from sunlight and heat exposure during the healing period, which is 4 to 6 weeks long.
If you do not wait at least a month, the excess production of melanin from the sunlight will pose a threat to your lasered skin, prolonging its healing, burning it, and leaving scars.
Read More: Is there any way to remove tattoo without laser treatment?
Can I Get Tanned Before Having My Tattoo Removed?
That is an even bigger NO. You should not undergo the process of laser tattoo removal under any circumstances. You would be just back from huge sunlight exposure, which will be unsafe and dim the laser’s function.
When your body experiences a boost of melanin, it will chip away the pigment, making your skin significantly less protective and responsive to laser treatment. It is better to stay careful, assess the situation from every angle, and get your tattoo removed in a suitable setting.
When Is The Right Time For Laser Tattoo Removal?
Now you are asking the right question. For starters, considering laser tattoo removal after getting tanned is not the right time. The safety and effectiveness of the process depend on your skin condition, which is best when entirely natural.
The right time is to wait 4 to 6 weeks after receiving substantial exposure to UV radiation from sunlight before scheduling your laser tattoo removal. It will work on your suntanned skin but will generate less effective results than expected or usual.
That is because the excess melanin in your skin will make it one hell of a job for the laser removal equipment to split the pigment. If the ink removal becomes difficult, you will need more sessions than generally required. Although minor, there are often repercussions from frequent laser exposure within a short span of time.
The other right time is in the case of getting the tattoo removal first. The waiting period is the same. You will need to give your tattoo 4 to 6 weeks to heal before submitting yourself to laser treatment.
Read More: Small Portable Laser Tattoo Removal Machines
What If I Get A Fake Tan?
Fake tans are also detrimental to laser tattoo removal. People with artificial tans should refrain from applying products for 14 days prior to their laser treatment to get effective results. And for sunbed tanners, it should be a minimum of 30 days, best if 45.
What If I Have To Go Out In The Sun Before Or After My Laser Treatment?
If it is not avoidable, you must wear sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 50. It should be non-sticky and soft that is quick to dry.
Final Words
To wrap up the discussion, here are three key points you should remember about tanning before or after getting laser treatment.
First, you should avoid fake tanning or suntan after and before removing your tattoo through laser. Secondly, if you want to tan after the removal, let your skin heal entirely beforehand. Do not give it even a thought to getting tanned before it.
