Are you thinking about getting inked this year? Whether you already have a few tattoos and want to add to your collection, or you’re looking for a first-time tattoo, the body art trends for this year are sure to inspire you!
Here are eight tattoo trends to consider for your next ink appointment:
Mixing Tattoo Styles
Can’t choose between two different tattoo styles for your design? No problem! This is the year to mix the two.
For example, you can design part of your tattoo in a hyper-realistic style with many small details, and another part be done in a more simplistic, two-dimensional style.
This can create an interesting and unique final result.
Pet portraits done in the micro realism style are increasing in popularity. Tattoos of a beloved dog or cat have long been a meaningful body art choice; it has steadily shifted to tiny, finely detailed tattoos.
To mix styles, you could opt for your furry friend to be designed in hyper-realism, while the frame surrounding them or the flowers around them could be super simplistic.
- Hyper Realism Tattoos: 7 Things You Should Know Before Getting Inked
- Minimalist Tattoos – the Essence of Modern Style
Choose a professional tattoo artist and take the time to listen to their opinions. They’ll be able to tell you what’s going to look good and what’s not. This is especially important when you’re taking a chance and mixing tattoo styles.
Patchwork Sleeve Tattoos
“Patchwork sleeves are a style of tattoo that covers a person’s arm. But rather than being a fully themed and interconnected sleeve done by the same artist in one or a few go’s, they are made up of individual tattoos,”
Vivid Ink Tattoos
Instead of a fully connected sleeve tattoo that enjoyed popularity over the years, the needle has moved more towards smaller designs.
A patchwork sleeve allows a person to explore many different tattoo styles and images instead of needing to stick to one theme.
The popularity of patchwork sleeve tattoos could also be the result of the rise of small, meaningless tattoos.
Small, Meaningless Tattoos
Getting inked is not a big deal anymore! Tattoos are no longer taboo, and with this evolution, ink has become less meaningful. While many people still want meaningful tattoos, the popularity of inconsequential designs has risen.
Tattoo artists have seen an increase in people coming in asking for small designs, like a simple heart, a fruit, or a snowman.
This tattoo choice is more about fun designs you like, instead of trying to come up with a tattoo that has deep significance to your life.
Also, tattoos are not seen as permanent as they once were.
Laser tattoo removal has come a long way! Many people also opt to cover up tattoos with new designs.
- What Should You Know About Laser Tattoo Removal
- Small Tattoo Ideas For The Subtle Body Art Lover
- 10 Reasons Why You Should Consider a Small Tattoo
Cover Up Tattoos
Cover up tattoos are designed inked over scars or a tattoo you no longer like.
More and more people are seeing cover up tattoos as an alternative to laser tattoo removal. If you no longer like your ink, you can opt for a slightly bigger, darker design to get tatted over it.
- What To Do When You Hate Your Tattoo
- Cover-Up Tattoo Ideas: What You Need To Know About Erasing Unwanted Ink
Permanent Makeup And Permanent Jewelry
How we adorn ourselves is becoming more and more permanent.
Permanent makeup has come a long way since the dark thick eyeliner of the 80s and 90s. Now, more subtle approaches are the norm, with microblading eyebrows and lip blushing being regular cosmetic procedures for more and more people.
- 3 Things To Consider Before Getting Permanent Makeup
- Cosmetic Tattoos: Why More and More People Are Choosing To Go Under the Needle
Permanent jewelry in the form of delicate wrist and ankle tattoos is also seeing an increase in popularity.
“The designs are often shaped to mimic the way a bracelet would fall on the wrist, with individual dots that look like a chain of silver or gold,”
Allure
These ornamental tattoos can also be done on the ear, with small dots or stars, for example, mimicking earrings.
Nostalgic Tattoos
With the culture experiencing a throwback to the ’90s and early 2000s culture, the body art world is seeing an increase in nostalgic tattoos.
This can be seen in the rise of cartoon tattoos of millennials’ childhood, and even lower back tattoos.
Lower Back Tattoos
The ‘tramp stamp’ – a Y2K trend – is enjoying a revival.
“They’re everywhere now, but with a fresh take. They’re a small word or phrase, or the design is more simplistic,”
Byrdie
The negative connotation of lower back tattoos has been shaken off, with many women seeing it as a way to express femininity and dismiss misogyny.
This tattoo placement is also a great choice for someone who wants a tattoo that’s easy to hide, a versatile placement that allows for different types of designs, and a less painful tattoo experience.
Cybersigilism Tattoos
This is a tattoo style that mixes technology and AI aesthetics with tribal designs.
“Cybersigilism is a tattoo style characterized by its use of thin lines, sharp angles, and usually black ink, to create intricate patterns that resemble a mix of circuitry and organic forms,”
Mr. Inkwells
The symbolism behind this new tattoo trend is centered on humanity’s connection to the digital world.
There is a lot to be inspired by from the tattoo trends of the year! From going back in your childhood to your favorite cartoon characters, to those silly little tattoos you love the look of, go through the above trends for your next tattoo idea!
