How Tattoos Age: Is Your Tattoo Too Small?

Have you ever been told by a tattoo artist that your design is too small? 

There are many reasons an artist might say this, but one of the main reasons is because of how it’s going to age. Tattooers aren’t just thinking about how your tattoo is going to look when you walk out of the shop, but how it’s going to look in 6 months, 2 years, 10 years, 20 years.

Why size and spacing matter

One of the biggest contributing factors to why an artist might tell you that your design concept might be too small and age poorly is because of the space between the lines, or lack thereof. 

This tattoo was done entirely too small. Almost all of the original detail has been lost, as there was not enough space between any of the lines or dots. The ink naturally spread, and the result, while still readable as a moth, has become blurry.

How tattoo ink changes over time

Tattoo ink naturally spreads over time as it settles into the skin and ages. Think of a fine-tip Sharpie on paper; as soon as the ink hits the paper it starts to spread, and the lines become thicker than the point of the marker itself. Tattoos essentially do the same thing, just at a much slower pace. 

The ink doesn’t just stay where the needle has deposited it; those pigment particles continue to move slowly under your skin as you age. Therefore, if you place lines too close together, eventually, they will blur into one another. This results in a muddy, blurry tattoo after time; even if it was crisp as a sheet on day one!

This tattoo healed perfectly. There is enough space between each of the lines to account for how the ink will naturally spread over time. The ink has thickened, but it's still legible.

What this means for small tattoos

This concept obviously doesn't just happen with small tattoos; all tattoos soften over time. However, the thickening of lines in tiny script pieces or micro-designs will always be more noticeable. 

It’s important, even when you’re feeling impulsive and “just want something small!”, to be aware of how tattoos age. You might really want a dainty little cutie tattoo today, but future-you might not be so stoked on the blurry, illegible script they have to look at every day.

The script on this tattoo was done a little too small, but it's still legible (for now). Unfortunately, this tattoo is full of blow-outs (ink deposited too deep/into the wrong layer of skin), which makes the lines look even thicker as it ages.

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If you have any examples of tattoos that have gone from crisp to blob, we wanna see them!