We understand how important details can be in a tattoo design! But remember: don't choose lines that are too thin or too close together. This will increase the chances of your design smudging during application. Lines should be between 4px and 8px in width.
But most tattooists are in agreement that fine line tattoos fade more quickly than regular tattoos. But the longevity of your tattoo – in any style – relies on the location of the tattoo, how well you care for your skin and the quality of the tattooist's work.
These days the term 'fine line' is used for any tattoo that uses mostly (if not all) very thin lines, usually on the smaller side in size.” A lot of times these fine line tattoos are created with a needle that has one point instead of multiple.
Do Tattoo lines get thicker as they heal? Not really as they heal but they do spread as they age. If a tattoo isn't designed to allow for that spread, the piece will become a blob.
Do fine line tattoos hurt more? While you may experience less pain than getting a thicker tattoo, pain level varies based on the individual. Fine line tattoos may hurt less, given that smaller needles are used, and the groupings of needles are also smaller.
However, there are also some risks associated with fine line tattoos. Because these tattoos are done with smaller needles, they can sometimes result in blowouts - this is when the ink spreads outside of the desired area, resulting in blurry or faded lines.
In a best-case scenario, they may just end up fading and looking indistinct. More intricate pieces can quickly become blurred blobs as the ink naturally bleeds into the surrounding skin. But this doesn't mean that fine-line tattoos are a bad idea — they just need to be approached thoughtfully.
Yes, it is possible to get a highly detailed Fine Line tattoo, but it won't look good for as long. Eventually it'll blow out and get muddy, and not all tattoos can be reworked or recovered if they're super small.
As with all tattoos, some fading will occur with the ageing of the tattoo. Depending on the placement, some re-touching might be needed. Well done fine line tattoos, however, will not fade any more or faster than tattoos done in any other style.
Instead, your needle is making tons of tiny dots on the skin each time it moves down. The dots are so close together that it looks like a line. However, if you're holding your machine at a 90-degree angle above the skin, your lines will look faint because those dots are not overlapping.
Don't worry, this is completely natural. It happens because the old skin, damaged during the tattooing process, forms a thin layer over your tattoo and masks its true appearance. In time this old skin will naturally exfoliate itself, revealing your tattoo underneath in all its vibrant glory.
Certain tattoo styles that use black and/or grey ink, such as Tribal tattoos, Greyscale tattoos, and American Traditional tattoos (as well as bold lettering or Zodiac tattoos) are known to age well. These different tattoo styles feature bold, detailed linework that is deeply injected into the skin.
Fading: Fine line tattoos have thinner lines and less ink than traditional tattoos, which can cause them to fade faster. This means you may need to touch up the tattoo more frequently to keep it looking vibrant.
Aftercare & Aging
Fine line tattoos are applied with less ink. While the ink is still embedded in the second layer of skin, the single needle does not penetrate as deeply or deposit as much ink. As a result, it is common for fine line tattoos to fade with age.
Fine-line tattoos tend to age a little bit worse than other styles because the fine details fade easier over time. There is a reason “bold will hold” is a common saying in the tattoo world. Another culprit style for aging a little poorly over other styles are micro realism tattoos.
A good tattoo artist will use high-quality equipment and ink to reduce the risk of a tattoo blowout. - Talk about the tattoo aftercare process. Proper aftercare is crucial for preventing tattoo blowouts, as it can help the tattoo heal properly and reduce the risk of infection.
For example, tattoos on thinner skin (like the foot, ankle, or inside of the arm) are more likely to blow out. They can also be more painful and have a longer healing process. Women are more likely than men to get blowouts because their skin tends to be thinner.
"Linework tattoos can take longer than tattoos that are shaded," Mike explained, before adding that fine line tattoos respond "very well" to removal as they're usually not as dense, with ink applied lightly into the skin.
Fine line tattoos are said to fade more aggressively than regular tattoos, though both tattoo styles will fade with time, and may need touch-ups. The longevity of your tattoo in either style relies on the location of the tattoo, how well you care for your skin, and the excellence of the tattoo artist you choose.
One of the biggest reasons is because the fine line technique makes it possible to get tattoos that are more dainty and feminine. The smaller lines in the tattoos make it possible to get more details in the tattoo, making room for word tattoos, script, and more elegant-looking tattoo designs.
Many styles of fine line tattoos use a three round liner needle (3RL), while single needle tattoos use only a one round liner needle (1RL). Single needle tattooing is the thinnest of fine line tattoo line work, creating smaller and subtler tattoos with delicate and detailed artwork, much like a drawing.
Single Needle Tattoo vs Fine Line Tattoos
Single needle tattoos use one singular needle to complete the tattoo while fine line tattoos may choose multiple needles for shading and detailing. While both tattoo styles result in a delicately intricate design, single-needle tattoos feature a tad more detail and saturation.
The color of your ink will make your tattoo age a whole lot better. Darker colors, especially black, fade much less than brighter colors, especially red. Black and grayscale colors last usually longer than colored tattoos. This is especially the case with white hued tattoos.