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Are you thinking of getting a tattoo? Your new tattoo might look pretty awesome now, but have you ever wondered what it’d look like when you’re older? There are many reasons and factors why this happens, and many answers to the question of how tattoos age. 

One way to keep your tattoo looking fresh and prevent it from aging is to ensure that you follow the proper healing procedures, as even the best tattoos can be affected by not taking proper care. Most parlors will advise you about care and tattoo aging, so make sure you pay attention!

As tempting as it might be, don't spend too much time touching your new tattoo idea that came to life, as this can lead to discoloration and infection. If your tattoo is new, then try to keep it out of the sunlight, even when it’s fully healed. Make sure you always moisturize your skin with the highest SPF sunscreen on any exposed tattoos whenever you’re out and about.

Finally, never forget to search for a highly skilled and qualified tattoo artist, as he is the one who will execute the work, making sure you won't regret it. Now scroll down below to find how some of the old tattoos look today—not all of them stood the test of time.

What Happens to Tattoos Over Time?

Image credits: Life-Of-Pix

When it comes to aging, the type of tattoo ink can make a big difference, for example, with cheaper ink often fading much quicker than higher-quality alternatives. 

The color of the ink makes a big difference, too, as the lighter the ink, the faster it fades (remember that next time you’re thinking about getting one of those white ink tattoos!). Another thing to consider is the placement of your tattoo, as this can also influence the speed of fading. 

Tattoos on areas that see a lot of activity, such as your feet and your fingers, are much more likely to fade than tattoos on your back or chest, for example. Also, the design comes into play, too—the smaller and more intricate the tattoo’s detailing is, the more chance it will get blurred years later. 

If body art fades with time, what do tattoos look like when you get old? Well, check out this tattoo aging time-lapse compiled by Bored Panda to see for yourself how aged tattoos look now.

#5

Intricate Tattoo 10 Years Later

Intricate Tattoo 10 Years Later

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J.E.C.
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I mean, it is small print very close together. You know it is going to bleed a little so this was a bad call, the tattoo artist should have told them this would happen. Maybe they did..

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#6

Aged Finger Tattoo

Aged Finger Tattoo

When I had decided to get the tattoo done, I knew that the area was not ideal and that the tattoo would fade at some point. I made a point to follow the aftercare instructions "to a T". My expectation was that I would have this tattoo for longer than a week.

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Martha Liebenberg
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's called a blowout. Happens when the needle goes too deep into the skin. Fingers are very hard to do, the skin is flimsy. It could happen the most skilled artists. It's just a poor choice in placement. That's all.

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#7

Back Tattoo After Healing

Back Tattoo After Healing

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Laury M.
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Lighting, camera angle and quality are all wildly different, so that's not entirely fair.

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#9

Aged Wrist Tattoo

Aged Wrist Tattoo

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Michel M. Prins
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Interesting tribal design. A quick touch up should do the trick, that's the nice part about a tribal tattoo

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#10

Small Tattoo After 7 Years

Small Tattoo After 7 Years

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#12

Celtic Tattoo 15 Years Later

Celtic Tattoo 15 Years Later

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Michel M. Prins
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The dark tone of the current one actually compliments the fact that it should represent an ancient Celtic symbol. Giving it a touch-up would be nice, but won't be all that necessary

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#14

Aged Neck Tattoo

Aged Neck Tattoo

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#15

Tiny Aged Tattoo

Tiny Aged Tattoo

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Luc Mailloux
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Where on the body is this? Context would be great... Looks like the foot to me, which would make this fading make perfect sense.

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#16

Aged Hand Tattoos

Aged Hand Tattoos

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Lola July
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ridiculous, doesn't look anything like it originally did. If they wanted a boring 2 tone prison Tat I'm fairly certain they wouldn't have spent the bucks on the original.

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Shauday Smith
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

note to self, don't get tattoos with a lot of red ink, that s**t don't last.

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Joe Dad
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6 years ago

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Not a good note to self. A better note to self would be to NOT get any tattoos...

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Psalm Kivinen
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

certain brands of red and yellow pigments are known for fading. A lot of these red seem to be a specific brand of colours I am familiar with as an artist for colour bomb work, which is nice and juicy to start with, but prone to fading. I, personally, have a red in a piece of mine, on my hand, and completely uncared for over time, that is still fairly strong after 21 years. It was never as "juicy" at first, but it is still strong a couple of decades later. I am hoping the artists are talking to people about colours... I used to warn every client that yellows and whites would be gone in less than a year, so to be cautious about designing a tattoo that relied upon them

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Stacy Lauren
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not bad for 15 years later. And I'm sure they've been in the sun and elements.

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Dannielle Dycus
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Colors actually faded quite well for these. Hands are used constantly and cleaned quite often. They also receive more sun exposure.

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J.E.C.
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm not sure why people expect their tattoos to look the same as whent hey just get them done...

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Lou Varner
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

coansidering where this is placed this is real good for 15 years most have more fading and muddle

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Arlene Burke
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not too bad. Just needs to be re - blued and the flame relit.

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Arnon Foronda
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Did the color fade so much that orange became skin? The orange is gone, look at right hand so noticable.

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amy jo holmes
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is all the stuff that I talk about in my book: You Get What You Pay For, A Tattoo Survival Guide

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Bryan Benge
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Traditional tattoos hold up a lot better than some portrait tattoo's. All you would have to do is get these touched up. This is what happens when you have tattoo's that are always visible. They ink fades. Back in the day red ink was not the greatest, there have been many innovations since then.

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Eddie Diaz
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I call bs on this one. The bottom is a before and the top is the after with color added

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Cheryl Birkhimer
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I still love the vibrancy of fresh. But it has aged better than 99% of the other tats shown here.

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Tiffany Zhu
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

it seems the orange fades the most from what I've seen! Life tip: Don't get bright orange tattoos and expect them to last and still look pretty 5 yrs later!

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Simone Vii
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It looks like they turned the saturation up all the way in the "fresh" photo lol

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Helene Håvik
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As should be expected. Perfectly shows how fading of colour works. Blue always sticks well.

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Michel M. Prins
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Both looks great, but the one with faded colors looks a lot more calm.

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#17

Aged Shark Tattoo

Aged Shark Tattoo

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#18

Aged Mouth Tattoo

Aged Mouth Tattoo

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#19

Finger Tattoos Months Later

Finger Tattoos Months Later

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#21

Finger Tattoo 6 Weeks Later

Finger Tattoo 6 Weeks Later

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Crazy Cow Lady
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This one almost looks intentional, like the words really disappearing, like they do on the map.

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#23

Aged Tattoo

Aged Tattoo

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Pe Ka
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How much better cameras they've had 14 years ago!!! Unbelievable :)

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#24

Faded Tattoo

Faded Tattoo

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Wanni
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't know why artists did tattoos on this parts of a boby. They know that the tatt fades out on feets and fingers

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#26

Faded Palm Tattoo

Faded Palm Tattoo

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Cat Meow
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not sure what they expected when they decided to get a tattoo on their palm

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#30

Aging Of A Finger Tattoo

Aging Of A Finger Tattoo

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Most Popular Questions About Aging Tattoos

Despite ink changing over the years, this doesn't mean old people with tattoos look bad. We have answered some of the most popular questions about tattoo aging, so you can be more prepared.

Do Tattoos Fade Away When You Get Older?

Many people wonder what will happen to their tattoos as they age. Will they fade away or lose their vibrancy? The answer depends on several factors. Your tattoo may  begin to fade due to aging skin, natural skin cell renewal, ultraviolet rays, ink quality, and poor tattoo aftercare.

Have you ever seen an old person with tattoos? As you probably noticed, they may become blurry, dull, or wrinkled, while others maintain their look longer. Generally, tattoos on old people's skin tend to fade more than on younger ones because the aging skin loses collagen and elasticity, causing it to stretch and sag. 

Additionally, factors such as diet, weight gain, weight loss, and smoking can also affect the appearance of tattoos. Some tattoo styles, such as watercolor or colorful tattoos, may be more prone to fading than black or tribal tattoos.

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Therefore, before getting tattoos, consider these factors and choose a design that will age well. Prevent tattoo aging by taking good care of it by applying sunscreen, moisturizing, and avoiding infections. By doing so, you can enjoy your tattoo for many years.

What Are the Possible Options to Consider With an Old Tattoo?

Ultimately, a tattoo is a part of your skin and will change as you change. You could find yourself getting a tattoo cover-up, a new tattoo that hides the old one, or a laser removal.

However, both options can be expensive, painful, and risky and may not guarantee a perfect result. A touch-up is a great way to refresh the beauty and brightness of your tattoo. Still, it should be done by a professional and experienced tattoo artist, as a bad touch-up can ruin your tattoo even more. 

How Do Fine Line Tattoos Age?

Fine line tattoos are a popular tattoo style created using a single needle and has  thinner and more delicate lines. This technique is often used for small tattoos or small details in larger tattoos.

However, fine line tattoos are more prone to fading, blurring, and distortion over time, leaving you with a design that looks very different from the original. 

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