tattoo smartwatch problems and solutions

Smart watches were introduced years ago and over time new models of them were released by different companies. Now, just like smartphones, these widely used wearable gadgets have become one of the essential tools of some users’ lives.

Checking heart rate, counting calories burned and providing information about the weather are just a small part of their countless capabilities. Now that so many brands are producing smartwatches, there are many options that you can choose from based on your budget.

There are so many smart watch designs that almost all people with any taste can choose and get the model they want. In addition to the practicality of this gadget, its beautiful appearance has also made smart watches become modern accessories that many like to use.

When we look at smart watches, almost everything looks great, but there is one thing that the creators of this attractive gadget did not think about; Tattoo!

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The connection between smart watch and tattoo

You might think to yourself, what do tattoos have to do with smart watches? The answer is more complicated than it seems. These devices work with skin sensors to do their job properly, but what happens if those sensors don’t?

Most wrist-worn wearables rely on photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors. These sensors work by shining light on your skin and determining various biometric data based on how much light is reflected. It’s a regular, non-invasive way to track your health metrics, but it has its drawbacks.

If you think back to elementary school science class, you’ll remember that we were taught that lighter colors reflect more light, while darker colors absorb more light. This is exactly why PPG sensors sometimes have problems when examining the hands of people with darker skin tones or heavily tattooed ink.

Many reports of Apple Watch problems have been published in this area. These smart watches use photoplethysmography, which, according to research by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, is a simple and low-cost optical technique that can be used to detect changes in blood volume in the microvascular bed of tissue.

Thanks to this technology, Apple watches can accurately track your heart condition using light. But if the sensor hits an obstacle like tattoo ink, it can’t do its job properly, and that’s where the problem starts. As a result, two things happen; Either we will encounter errors with the data or nothing will be displayed at all.

Is there a solution

What should you do if you or one of your friends has a tattoo on your wrist? Is there a way to use smart gadgets that monitor body health? Don’t worry because there is always a way.

Of course, you should know that currently, the only way to guarantee that the smart watch will work properly is not to put it on the tattoo. Now what to do if you have a tattoo on your wrist? Below are some methods that can be used to deal with this problem.

Epoxy stickers

One of the ways to solve the problem of smart watches on the tattoo is to use round, check and colorless epoxy stickers, which are not expensive and can be easily accessed. You can stick them on your watch sensor.

According to reports posted by Reddit users, this can fix problems with wrist recognition and sometimes even heart rate monitoring and exercise tracking. Of course, the mileage information may not be correct. For example, on the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 5, using a tag can prevent body composition analysis.

Since this solution is easy, you can at least try it.

Smart chest strap

If your primary focus is heart rate data during exercise, chest straps like the Polar H10 or Garmin HRM-Dual are great, affordable alternatives.

Unlike smart watches and fitness trackers, chest straps do not use light sensors and instead use electrocardiography. These straps have electrodes to read the electrical activity of your heart to determine your heart rate.

All you have to do is pre-moisten the electrode so it can conduct electricity and make sure the chest strap, usually an adjustable elastic band, is firmly in place.

Technically, chest straps are more accurate than their smartwatch counterparts. This is because electrocardiography measures your actual heart rate, while PPG sensors measure your pulse as a proxy for heart rate. Today, companies have dramatically improved PPG sensors and heart rate algorithms in smartwatches and fitness trackers, but chest straps are still less error-prone.

Many smart bands have Bluetooth and ANT Plus connectivity, so they can easily communicate with fitness equipment and smartphone fitness apps. You can even use them for heart rate information