Life’s a Beach

As the weather gets warmer and the Spring showers subside, we start looking for any excuse to have some fun in the sun. The quarantine has certainly put a damper on enjoying time outside, however, for those outside the cities, we can enjoy soaking up rays from our backyards or if we’re lucky, splashing around the local watering hole.

Now, I’m not able to predict the future, so I have no idea when restrictions on the quarantine will be lifted, but I do know that when that happens we need to be prepared. Our skin is vulnerable to sunlight and regardless of whether you have tattoos or not, you’ll want to keep it protected.

If you have healed tattoos, wearing sunscreen when spending time outside is an absolute must. We recommend using at least SPF 30, as it blocks 97% of UVB radiation. Sunscreen should be reapplied every two hours, or immediately after swimming or heavy sweating.

If you’re in the minority of people who’s getting tattooed during this time, it’s best to avoid spending prolonged periods of time in direct sunlight. Fresh tattoos cannot be protected with sunscreen, as they’re essentially open wounds, so you’ll want to cover up your ink or hold off on that picnic until after the tattoo is finished healing. It’s also important to avoid submerging your tattoo in water or allowing it to be in contact with sand, as these can both lead to infections.

And if your tattoo is covered with second skin, you’re not off the hook. If you were to spend the day in the hot sun with your second skin on full display, there’s a chance it can melt into your fresh tattoo—yikes!

In honor of National Sunscreen Day, we’re celebrating by sharing some of our favorite beach tattoos. Even though this summer will definitely be different, we hope everyone can enjoy some time in the beautiful weather. And if all else fails, at least all seasons of “The Office” are on Netflix—am I right?