It seems normal that new tattoos fade as they heal because the top layer of skin heals and scabs, thus changing color intensity. However, if you have ever had a tattoo that faded rapidly and are confused for answers, you might wonder, “Did my tattoo artist not go deep enough?”
Read the information below to check out if your tattoo was not tattooed deeply enough, what it looks like, or if anything else could be causing it to fade so quickly.
How Do You Know If Your Tattoo Artist Didn’t Go Deep Enough?
It will be hard to know if your tattoo artist went deep enough within the first few days because when your skin is healing, it may look strange, and hard to find out if it is faded.
Your tattoo will appear gorgeous and shiny after around two or three weeks, as your skin should have appropriately healed over your tattoo at this point, and the colors will begin to turn out clearly. This time is also ideal for you to define whether or not your tattoo artist has done the tattoo deep enough.
There are two ways to check if this is the case.
First, suppose your tattoo looks worse than it did on the first day you got it; after the healing period is done, there are noticeable gaps or missing pieces from your tattoo.
Second, your tattoos fade quickly or even lose a lot of linework and color, which may turn from black to gray. There is a high chance that the tattoo artist did not tattoo deeply in these circumstances. Hence, during the healing process, the ink scabbed and fell out.
What Happens If A Tattoo Is Too Shallow?
Your tattoo will peel off like a scab or a horrible sunburn if the artist does not tattoo the skin deeply enough and goes through the first layer instead of the first two layers. Then, if there is any image left, it will fade and not last long.
Suppose that happens to you. Then, there are some helpful ways you can try to slow down this process.
First, limit direct exposure to UV rays. Ultraviolet rays are already harmful to the skin. In addition, UV rays hasten the aging process of your tattoo and cause your ink to fade soon. Therefore, when you intend to be in the sun, it is crucial to remember to apply sunscreen, at least for the tattoo area.
Second, friction is also a reason for tattoos to deteriorate. The rubbing may come from clothes or exfoliating, so prevent those things from happening too frequently.
Third, keeping your skin soft and moisturized is also essential. Moisturizers help hydrate the skin, which helps reduce wrinkles that detract from the skin’s overall appearance, including any tattoos that may be present.
How Deep Should You Go When Tattooing?
To point out how deep you should go when tattooing, the first thing you need to know is the structure of the epidermis – outer layer of skin.
Indeed, there are three layers of skin: the first layer is the epidermis, the second is the dermis, and the last is a layer of subcutaneous fat called the hypodermis.
When you get inked, the tattoo artist must do it through to the 2nd layer of the skin – the dermis, for your tattoo to be of high quality and heal properly.
If your tattoo artist only tattoos through to the epidermis, your tattoo is not deep enough, as this layer of skin will peel away like a scab or a horrible sunburn which results in your tattoo fading away so badly.
If the artist reaches too deep into the hypodermis, the tattoo is considered excessively deep and will likely end up scarring or other complications.
To guarantee that your tattoo is done into the correct layer of skin, you should find a skilled tattoo artist who knows what he should do and what he is doing with your skin.
What If My Tattoo Artist Didn’t Wrap My Tattoo?
Wrapping your tattoo is a crucial component of the aftercare process for being well-protected from germs, bacteria, or dryness.
A new tattoo is sensitive and irritating. Because the ink is injected beneath your skin with a needle that makes that skin area open and exposes you to infection and scars.
This wrap will prevent you from those complications by penetrating microorganisms and ensuring that the tattoo heals properly and safely.
Moreover, there are also numerous benefits of wrapping, such as being breathable, assisting your skin’s regeneration faster, and reducing the effect of rubbing against your garments.
Suppose your tattoo artist did not wrap your tattoo. In that case, it will make you uncomfortable in your daily activities such as sleeping or showering and even put you at an elevated risk of infection as the worst case.
Conclusion
It is expected that your tattoo fades as it heals and will usually return to near-normal with due time. However, if you note that nothing changes after that, your tattoo still keeps fading. Then the problem may be in your artist that the tattoo is not deep enough.
If you are unhappy with the final result after healed, do everything you can to maintain the skin’s health in that area, and then seek out a professional tattoo artist who can improve its appearance.