Tattoos are essentially permanent accessories. You should love a tattoo, since you committed to it and had it etched onto your body forever. Things like coverups and laser removal can be painful, expensive, and imperfect. You want to show off your tattoos in warm weather, when you are wearing less clothes and skin is bared. But you have to be smart about it. You can show off your tattoo(s) at the beach without ruining your ink.
You just have to be clever and careful with how much you cover it up and with what.
Tattoos are tender and some of the pigments can fade due to repeated sun exposure. You should be protecting your skin in general with sunblock and SPF anytime you plan to be outside for a prolonged period of time. This especially applies your tattoos, as well. Slathering them with SPF is a must. It's just a good idea for your skin but especially for your ink.
Here are four ways you can show off your tattoo at the beach without ruining or breaking down your artwork.
Check out RiRi, how regularly sunbathes and frolics under the rays of the sun in bikinis while showing off her copious tattoos. She has so many that they are hard to hide.
Rihanna has tons of tattoos. There is no way she doesn't take the proper protective precautions to keep them fresh and bright.
Follow these rules.
1. Sunblock
Continue to protect your ink with a generous supply of sun protection. Do at least SPF 30. The higher, the better.
2. Quality Time
Don't keep any of your tattoos exposed to the sun for a long time. If at all possible, try not to expose them during peak sun hours. Show a little bit here and there... all the while fully SPF'ed. Cover it with a towel or sit under a beach umbrella for added protection after 15 minutes or so of exposure.
3. Tease
Depending on the placement of your tattoo, if it's on your lower back or on your biceps, you can show just a hint and turn it into a fashion tease. Wrap a sarong around your shoulders or your hips and let just a hint of the tattoo show. It's playful and cute when only a little bit is visible. Rihanna once knotted up an Hermes scarf and still showed off her underboob tattoo. If your tat is on the back of your neck, throw your hair in a high pony.
4. If It's A Fresh Tattoo...
If the tattoo is brand new, you really need to avoid the sun and the beach altogether. The new tattoo is healing and is particularly vulnerable to the elements.
5. Body Jewelry
If you have a small tattoo or a small sprinkling if ink, why not further accessorize with body jewelry, like Kendall Jenner did last summer? It's a way to show off your cool girl style and the pieces might even obscure some of the tattoo, acting like a shield.
So, in general, you can show off your tattoos at the beach if you do so for a very short period of time and while sunblock slathered.
Images: Rihanna/Instagram (2); Kendall Jenner/Instagram (1); Courtesy Coppertone (1); Giphy (1)
