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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?

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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
Community Member
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.
Community Member
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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#11

Detailed Tattoo After Healing

Detailed Tattoo After Healing

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Nikki Maj
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There is a part of a tattoo under the after healing picture that is not in the first! The details do not match up! It looks like an original picture and someone who got a copy of it done on them!

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

Its not even the same tat. Theres bits missing from the left hand photo, like over the shoulder area, the hair over the face and some detail at the bottom, also the eyes are a different shape.

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

It´s a different tattoo, and it´s simple to prove. Look at the bottom on the right one (the "healed). Theres a spider tattoo that was just not there in the fresh version? Makes no sense. In my opinion, the right one it´s a copy of the tattoo on the left, in poor quality made by a not so good professional.

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Renne Kouba Pinson
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not the same tattoo...The hair parted and hanging is different, the overlapped teeth in the front are lined up in right photo, some of the wrinkles are missing, and the hair hanging on the right side of the face is arranged diferently. Sorry...busted!

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Tayler Webb
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

i could be wrong but wouldn't the glassy white eyes have almost disappeared instead of becoming a bright yellow as well?

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

Super creepy. The first one is going to kill you. The second one is going to continuously f**k with you eventually die at your own demise, be it heart attack or suicide.

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Matthew Thompson
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is absolutely not the same tattoo and a quick image search will prove that

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Sonja Bow
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

These are actually two different but same tattoos if you look at the small details, same but not

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Craptavaganza
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's not the same tattoo. The second photo is an artist who tried to copy the tattoo of the first photo.

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Brad Murza
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Obviously different tattoos on different people , all it was , was the same artwork I don't know who the hell thinks whited out eyes are going to turn yellow once healed lmfao and look at the left eye, how would it have MORE black shading once healed lmfao

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

Once again a different tattoo the second picture has more shading above the head and the hair strands are different!!

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Cheyenne Gibson
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The faded tattoo looks rad. Way different than the original, but rad in its own way in my opinion.

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Hyenaholic Productions
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It came out pretty well, actually, although I think he'll regret it for other reasons.

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Whitnie O'Brien
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not the same tattoo. Lines don't change direction or shape over time lol.

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Whitnie O'Brien
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This isn't even the same tattoo. Color fades, but lines don't suddenly just change over time. Nice try, but this is two different people.

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

looks like the left hand is a touch up of the right, look at the part behind the watermark

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

After healing...and getting a spider tattooed below it and more shadows above it...

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

Why would you do that to yourself in the first place?

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

On the right one you can see the start of another tattoo... So they are not the same

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

Different tattoos, look at the trail of blood on the bottom right, they don't follow the same path !

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

this is my favourite picture here, amazingly interesting and suits people like me

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

It´s a different tattoo. The spider tattoo on the bottom of the right one (the "healed) it´s missed in the left one, and we can clearly see that was not possibly to use it as a cover up (in the case of someone come up with this idea) .

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

Maybe it's just me, but this decomposing head stinks. How long is healing? Month or so? Hate to think what this will look like then.

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

It looks to me that the guy in tatoo is starting to heal too...

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

Before healing: Yeah... Here I AM! After healing: What??!! Is that me???!

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

Fresh always looks crisper, I get that . Even still, this tattoo looks f*****g cool

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

One thing is fading, but you know something is off when everything is faded except they eyes that changes colour instead of fading...

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

Lol of course a zombie tattoo looks better when it's still literally bleeding.

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

Did they expect the colors to be as vibrant as when it was still fresh? I wonder what some people expect

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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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#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
Community Member
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
Community Member
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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