It’s official: you’re getting a tattoo.
So you’ve come to a decision after weeks of careful contemplation and discussion.
You’ve opted for a small tattoo.
Together with your tattoo artist, you’ve decided on a fantastic small tattoo design that you feel perfectly captures what you want, and which reflects a passion, your personality, has special meaning, or you simply like the look of!
Now, the final step: deciding where to get a small tattoo.
Before we dive in, there;s just one small disclaimer we’d like to make…
At the end of the day – get your tattoo wherever you want it!
Above all, choosing a spot for your tattoo simply comes down to personal preference.
There’s no wrong or right place to get a tattoo, but we do understand that people are out there doing their research and appreciate the guidance, even though there aren’t clear-cut rules.
So in saying that, we hope to provide you with suggestions of where your small tattoo could go, rather than telling you where it shouldn’t go.
Where should you get a small tattoo?
Small tattoos are a popular choice among our clients – in particular, they’re big hits with first-timers.
We suspect this is because they’re:
- Discrete and subtle
- A great foray into the exciting world of tattoo art
- Less expensive and quicker to complete than larger tattoos
One of the best things about small tattoo? They can go just about anywhere!
You’d think that choosing a spot for a small tattoo would be easy, right?
Not always!
There’s a bit of thought that often goes into choosing the location of a tattoo.
In particular, you might want to think about…
Tattoo design and scale
Our tattoo artists have worked with all sorts of small tattoos: portraits, custom tattoo designs, minimalist tattoos… the list truly goes on and on.
And if you ask us, small tattoos are often better suited to some parts of your body over others.
Say you’re getting a favourite quote or a small snippet of scripture inked.
You might like to consider a relatively flat section of your body, lest the tattoo curve or warp, leading to a distorted image.
Okay, so what if you go for an even smaller tattoo? Surely, that’ll give you more freedom, right?
You’re right, to an extent – you won’t have to worry about curving as much.
However, you should keep in mind that a small tattoo can lose its impact if it’s on a larger part of your body like your torso or back.
Exposure matters
… and not for the reason you might think!
Just because you’ve decided on a small tattoo doesn’t mean you want one that’s hidden.
Say you want your tatt in a place where people can see it, like your forearm.
This comes with its own problems – namely, UV.
While tattoos may be permanent, that doesn’t mean that your tattoo won’t lose its colour over time.
Essentially, UV rays break down tattoo ink. The result? A tattoo that starts to fade as the years pass.
This is especially true for minimalist designs, or a small tattoo design with fine lines.
Say your plan calls for a small tattoo on your forearm. Would you be open to considering moving it to the inside of your forearm? How about your upper arm?
This might help reduce the amount of direct sunlight it’s exposed to. If you’re set on your forearm, just make sure you’re using proper sun protection daily!
Sunlight isn’t the only thing that can cause fading…
Our tattoo artists get a lot of requests from people who want to be inked up on their:
- Fingers
- Palms
- Hands
- Feet
- Elbows
While we’re always happy to tattoo these parts of the body, it’s important you understand how to best care for your ink in the long-term.
The reason for this because the skin in these parts of your body reacts differently than, say, the skin on your thigh. It’s much thicker for one, making the job considerably harder.
Not to mention, areas of skin that see a lot of friction or chafing can wear tattoos out faster – and what sees more usage than your hands and feet?
Pain
We all have different pain thresholds, so it’s literally impossible to come up with a universal answer to the age-old question, “Do tattoos hurt?”
Everyone is subjective, but in our experience, more sensitive areas (i.e thinner skin or closer to bone) tend to hurt clients more than flesher parts of the body.
These areas may include:
- Hands/fingers
- Feet
- Armpits
- Neck
- Ribs
- Knees
- Ankles
- Spine
In the case of hands, armpits and feet, these parts of your body are absolutely packed with nerves – that’s what makes these parts of your body so ticklish.
It also means that when you get a tattoo here, you’ll likely feel some mild stinging!
And in the case of knees, spine and ankles, these areas aren’t very fleshy.
That means less “padding” – with less tissue protecting the sensitive nerve endings, mind pain is not uncommon!
Got a small tattoo in mind? Visit our Essendon tattoo parlour!
As you can see, even small tattoos need a lot of careful thought and consideration – just because they’re small doesn’t mean you can afford to cut corners!
Sin City’s tattoo artists in our Essendon tattoo studio ensure that this doesn’t happen.
We’re all about fantastic-looking tatts – we believe that nobody should ever have to subject themselves to a sloppy or poorly executed tattoo.
Our team of passionate artists:
- Work with you to create a small tattoo design that perfectly aligns with your vision
- Help you understand where your small tattoo can be placed
- Craft genuine pieces of art, created to the highest standards
- Implore only the safest and most hygienic tattooing techniques
If you’ve decided on small tattoo, our team will approach the issue with the same passion and can-do attitude that we apply to complicated, custom-made designs.
Ready to take the next step? Enquire now and we’ll get back to you soon!
Want to ask a question or speak to our friendly team? Fill in this form with all your questions and we’ll be in touch. Alternatively, you can give us a call on (03) 9379 1181.
And if you’re in the area, why not pop in? Walk-ins are more than welcome in our Essendon tattoo studio!