Sunburn tattoos are so 2015. They are all over Instagram last year with skimpy-clad ladies and gents sporting their own sunburn art on their backs, hips, highs, tummy, and anywhere they think would look cool. But hey, looks like the fad isn’t going away. There is always summer and plenty of sun to create sunburn art. So, we’re probably going to see loads of them online next summer break. Health experts are not too enthusiastic though. Here’s why:
Repeated exposure may lead to skin cancer
“When you get any kind of unprotected sun exposure, you are doing damage to the DNA in your skin cells,” said Penn State Hershey Medical Center dermatologist, Dr. Michael Ioffreda.
This damage may accumulate over time, and the body’s repair mechanism may not able to keep up, causing skin cancers to erupt.
Premature wrinkles and ugly pigmentation
Too much skin exposure can dry out your skin and cause early wrinkles. It can also cause irregular pigmentation and colored spots—far from your idea of healthy looking skin.
Even individuals who have some degree of natural pigmentation that protects them from the harmful effects of the sun’s UV rays are not safe.
Increased skin damage for already tattooed skin
A freshly tattooed skin exposed to sun is at greater risk of damage. This is because the tattooing alone already breaks down your epidermis. Exposing tattooed skin to the sun, even after three months of tattooing, will add more to the damage.
To counter this, skin experts recommend the use of sunscreen or lotion with high sun protection factor (SPF) every day, especially on sunny days.
Sunscreen with 30 SPF is ideal. This should be lathered on skin for about 15 to 20 minutes before going out in the sun. Doing so will give the skin enough time to absorb the sunscreen and form protective shield.
