Summertime often means wedding season, soft serve ice cream trips, and, by the time August rolls around, cranking up the AC and counting down the days until fall. Along the way, a few sunburns are more are less inevitable. With this in mind, it's far better to book a new tattoo in the winter. During colder seasons, you can guarantee at least a few weeks of long sleeves and comfy pants to cover up your new ink. Although UV rays are particularly damaging for new ink, they can also fade healed body art over time.

"Sun protection is a vital component in keeping tattoos looking their best," dermatologist Naissan O. Wesley tells Allure, adding, "Sun damage leads to poorer skin quality — less dense collagen, wrinkling, mottled pigmentation — and also results in tattoo color fading more quickly." To keep your tattoo looking fresh throughout the summer, make sure to apply (and reapply) plenty of sunscreen. This will help preserve your skin's elasticity. Don't forget to freshen up your SPF every two hours, as Johns Hopkins Medicine suggested, especially if it's one of those super sweaty summer days.