There are summer where everything is fine, and then there are those where we start to ask questions. The sun hitsthe skin heats up, and a detail attracts your attention: this strange, localized, unexpected feeling. However, your tattoo dates from ten years ago. So why has this impression that something has changed?
What the sun awakens under the skin
A tattoo does not remain frozen in time. Even once heal, he continues to live with you. Inks – sometimes loaded with heavy metals or synthetic pigments – can react with heat, UV or even certain solar creams. Result: skin that scratches, swells, or worse.
Dermatologists regularly observe cases of localized eczema, intense pruritus or photosensitization On tattoos aged several years. For what ? Because UV rays can change the chemical structure of injected pigments. Certain compounds such as Red Cinnabar or certain Greens contain mercury or nickel, very sensitive to heat.
And then there is the phenomenon of “immune memory”. In other words: the body can start to see tattooing like a foreign body… long after its appearance. The solar exhibition then plays the role of trigger.
Itching, blisters or swelling: should you worry?
If you feel discomfort located only on your tattoo – and that the rest of your skin reacts well to the sun – it is probably not a simple solar allergy. It’s more devious. Several signs must alert:
- The tattoo becomes hot to the touch, with an abnormal relief
- Blisters are formed in a specific area
- A tingling or burning feeling returns every summer
- The color of the tattoo changes or becomes dull
These symptoms, although invisible in winter, can reappear every summer, forming what some doctors call “localized photodermatosis“. They are sometimes confused with classic sunburns, but resist usual treatments.
In the most extreme cases, inflammatory reactions may require the advice of a specialist, or even treatment with corticosteroids. Let us also remember that certain pigments, once degraded by UVs, could release carcinogenic substances. Hence the importance of careful surveillance.
The right gestures to adopt, even ten years after the tattoo
Preserving a tattoo of the sun does not stop at the healing phase. It is a life commitment. And yet, there are few who think of applying a SPF 50 sunscreen on their tattooed arms since 2006.
Some simple reflexes limit the risks:
- Avoid prolonged exposureespecially between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m.
- Apply a mineral filter sunscreen (non -chemical), renewed every two hours
- Hydrate the tattooed area each evening To limit inflammation
- In the event of an abnormal reaction, consult a dermatologist without delay
It is also advisable to avoid self -tanners and scented oils which can alter inks or strengthen skin reactions. Finally, beware of UV cabins: they expose the skin to very concentrated doses of rays that deeply penetrate the tattooed layers.
