What actually causes fading?

MizzLolly

I'm wondering if anybody knows. Perhaps a tattoo artist here can answer. Has the ink fading got something to do with the artist, the persons skin or the ink that's used? I'm not talking about the normal fading that happens. For example, a tattoo I got over a year ago faded dramatically after 3/4 weeks. As in the lines became kind of thinner looking and the colour faded to a very faint shade. It's completely gone now and just looks like a normal skin tone.

Why would this have happened? I thought it was something to do with how the tattoo was done as there are many, many mistakes in my tattoo but could there be another reason?

I'm asking because, as I said in a thread here last week, I want to get my tattoo fixed. But I'm wondering if it's worth it or will it just fade and disappear again? Was it the ink or the artist? Or is it just my skin?

I don't want to go through getting it corrected if it's gona start looking like one of those transfer tattoos after a few weeks. :P

Replies appreciated

LD 50

I'm no artist, but I think in your case, it may have been a combination of the ink and the artist. It may have not gone deep enough, and the ink could have been of poor quality. Exposure to lots of sunlight would fade them too.

What colour's were they when you got it done?

MizzLolly

It was black and purple......


.... for about a month! :rolleyes:

Then *poof* it disappeared.

amazingemmet

Any pics of the fading?
I go with not deep enough from your general description.

Though in general tattoo's fade the mainly because of exposure to light.

amazingemmet

Any pics of the fading?
I go with not deep enough from your general description.

Though in general tattoo's fade the mainly because of exposure to light.

MizzLolly

Yup, there's a pic here. http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055437333

I've read that fading can occur after light exposure and over time but after a few weeks?? :eek: That's a real disappointment


I thought because there were so many mistakes in the actual tattoo that it was something to do with how it was done.


In relation to it not being deep enough, I went back after 2/3 weeks to get the mistakes 'fixed' (same artist), he had to stop because it was bleeding far too much. Like, I looked at one stage and couldn't even see any ink. Just a bloody mess :rolleyes: SO I thought it was deffo deep enough.. ugh

/faints

Krieg

How long did you have the cling film on?
An artist was telling me the last day that fading can be caused by using cling film for too long after getting inked, 72 hours being the max it should be used

MizzLolly

Krieg wrote: »

How long did you have the cling film on?
An artist was telling me the last day that fading can be caused by using cling film for too long after getting inked, 72 hours being the max it should be used

Ooooh :eek: I didn't know people left it on that long?! :eek:

Nah, I took it off when I got home. So maybe 2.5/3 hrs after the tattoo was done?

amazingemmet

From the look of the remains its definitely a case of not going deep enough.

LD 50

Thats what I said:D:p

keane2097

Henna?