Finger tattoos are unique, attractive, and very popular among some groups of people. A lot of celebrities have recently been shown with their finger tattoos prominently displayed. The fact that celebrities have tattoos on display encourages others to want to have the same kind of tattoo work done.
Finger tattoos are unfortunately not long-lasting. When you think of other tattoos that last for years and decades, the finger tattoo lifespan is just a blink of the eye. You can expect your finger tattoo to look good for about 6 months. If you are careful with it there is a possibility that the tattoo will last as long as 8 months.
Why Finger Tattoo Fade So Quickly?
The area where the tattoos are created is in constant motion, sees a lot of washing, and is used frequently. The tattoo is exposed to more soaps, more chemicals, more sun, and more distress.
The skin of the finger does not have the depth of layers that the skin of other areas of the body so the ink of the design is not far below the surface. You know that sun, chemicals, and skin sloughing off are all elements that fade normal tattoos.
Extra Aftercare is Needed
These tattoos are usually small and are placed shallow beneath the top layer of skin. That makes them need additional aftercare.
With a finger tattoo, you have to make sure to try and move the tattooed area as little as possible until the scabs heal and come off on their own. This can be hard to do, so when you have the tattoo created flex your hand in the ways you do the most often, and choose a place on one of your fingers that is moved the least on an average day.
Tips and Advice to Help Slow the Fading
There are no proven methods that can be applied to stop a finger tattoo from fading. It is inevitable, but there are things you can do to help lengthen the life of your ink.
- Keep the fingers clean. You want to wash your fingers using a gentle soap that is not abrasive. If you let your hands get really dirty and have to use abrasive cleaners to remove the grime the tattoo will fade faster.
- Use moisturizing lotion to keep the skin of the hands from drying out. Your hands are exposed to the weather, water, cleansers, the sun and all manners of things that cause the skin to lose moisture. Apply quality moisturizing lotion several times each day. Make sure that the lotion you apply does not have dyes or heavy scents as these components may make the moisturizer less effective.
- Coconut oil is a fantastic moisturizing product that will not be heavy on the skin and will not cause further damage to the ink
- Do not apply petroleum products like Vaseline to your hands. Petroleum products cause the ink of tattoos to break down faster so your tattoo will fade faster.
- Sunscreen protects your hands from the damaging effects of the sun. You need to wear moisturizers that have at least a 30 SPF. The sun is one of the most devastating things that can happen to a tattoo. It draws the ink closer to the surface and since the ink on a finger tattoo is not far below the surface it quickly fades away the body art.
- Wear gloves in the winter to protect the skin from the harsh cold and the damages caused by cold. Wear thin summer gloves in the hotter months to help protect the skin from the sun and the ravages the heat creates.
- Drink plenty of water. If you become dehydrated then your skin begins to dry out and shrivel. You should consume no less than eight glasses of water each day. Those should be 8-ounce glasses. Remember that alcohol is devastating to skin because it can cause you to dehydrate. You have to drink the water and limit the alcohol and caffeine if you want young- and healthy-looking skin.
- Wear rubber gloves when cleaning or doing the dishes. Your fingers are exposed to the detergents you use to clean with on a daily basis. Rubber gloves protect your skin from this exposure and helps you keep that tattoo looking new and fresh.
Touch-Ups
You can actually visit your tattoo artist and have them brighten your fading tattoo by touching up the ink. This could get to be expensive if you have a lot of tattoo work, so we recommend that when you get finger tattoos you keep the design and the colors used on them simple.
Minimal tattoos like a simple cross or a simple word in one color of ink can easily be touched up without you spending a fortune on the work.
Warming
Finger tattoos are painful. The fingers are home to a lot of nerve endings and that makes them more painful to puncture with the tattoo needle. If you get a color touch up you may find that the touch-ups created on top of an existing tattoo are often more painful than the original tattoo was.
Final Thought
When you do consider a finger tattoo before you make up your mind talk to people who have these tattoos and to tattoo artists about the problems and shortcomings the tattoos have.