Throughout the ages, people have used tattoos to express there unique association to the things they prefer in life and to show there artistic tastes. It's not just men getting tattoos these days, woman are also getting tattooed. It is estimated about one quarter of the population now have a tattoo.

A tattoo basically is the skin being permanently marked with ink, the ink being put into the skin by a needle penetrating the skin layer at a high speed repeatedly, the ink penetrates the skin through the needles high powered insertions and the ink becomes deposited in the epidermis.

Once someone has gotten a tattoo, how long the tattoo will retain its color and stay healthy depends on how the individual looks after the tattoo, and how the person looks after there skin. After getting a tattoo, potential to get an infection is also an issue, but the health of the tattoo must be retained in reference to the highest possible amount of ink being kept. As the ink is further deposited into the epidermis the tattoo will take on its shape and color, the tattooist will cleanse and disinfect the tattoo as he goes.

Tattoos' biggest enemy is the sun and when tattoos are exposed to the sun they can begin to fade; blue and black tend to fade less then colors such as red and yellow. It is best to consider tattoo's part of the skin that needs to be cared for and kept healthy, when going out in the sun, cover up your tattoos and also use a sunscreen.

If you properly care for your tattoo with the tips mentioned above, and if your tattoo has been applied to your skin in the proper manner and if healing has been done in the appropriate manner, your tattoo should stay at its finest for many years. The fact is the sun and just plain time are the enemy of tattoos. Although you can do your best to protect your tattoos and you can definitely slow down the aging process in the end nothing can be done to fully stop the effect of time.