Small but mighty: sometimes a tiny design says more than a full sleeve. A minimalist tattoo is personal, stylish and goes with everything you wear. Whether it's your very first tattoo or your umpteenth little one, in this post you'll find out why small tattoos are so much fun, where they look best and how to keep them looking great.
Why choose a small tattoo
There are plenty of reasons to go small:
- Perfect as a first tattoo. A small tattoo is a nice introduction. The session is shorter and afterwards you know exactly how getting tattooed feels for you.
- Subtle. You decide when to show it. Handy for work, family, or just because you like it that way.
- Meaning in a few lines. An initial, a date, a symbol only you understand: minimalist doesn't mean less meaningful.
- Easy to build on. A small design can later become part of something bigger.
- Spontaneous. Because the design is simple, a small tattoo often works perfectly as a walk-in.
Popular small and minimalist designs include a heart, moon, star, wave, little flower, a simple line drawing or a few letters.
Popular placements (wrist, ankle, fingers)
Where should your small tattoo go? A few favourites:
- Wrist and inner arm: classic, easy for you to see and a flat, stable spot.
- Ankle: playful and easy to hide or show off.
- Behind the ear or on the neck: subtle and just a little bit edgy.
- Collarbone: lovely for small, elegant designs.
- Fingers: super cute, but with a caveat.
About those fingers: tattoos on fingers and hands have a tough life. You use your hands all day, they're constantly in contact with water and soap, and the skin there renews quickly. Especially on the inside and sides of your fingers, a tattoo can fade faster. Read all about it in Finger tattoos before you decide.
How small can a tattoo be?
Smaller isn't always better. Ink can soften and spread slightly over the years. On a very small design with lots of detail, lines can drift together over time, and that cute tiny detail turns into a blur.
A few rules of thumb:
- Think about the future. What looks perfect today should still look good in ten or twenty years.
- More detail needs more space. A simple heart can be tiny; a detailed portrait can't.
- Letters need room. Small text looks great, but letters that are too small become less readable over time.
- Take advice. A good artist will tell you honestly when a design would work better a bit bigger or simpler.
At Piercings Works, our artist translates your idea into a design that will still read well years from now.
Pain with a small tattoo
Does a small tattoo hurt? Honest answer: yes, a little. But a small tattoo is often done quickly, and the shorter the session, the easier it usually is. How much you feel depends mostly on the placement: over flesh and muscle it feels different than right on bone, like your ankle or collarbone.
Tip: eat well beforehand, come well rested and skip the alcohol. You'll feel much better during the session. And if you're nervous, just tell your artist. Taking a short break is never a problem, and talking through what's going to happen often takes away a lot of the tension.
Aftercare
Small doesn't mean aftercare matters less. Quite the opposite: with fine lines and tiny details, you'll quickly see it if a tattoo doesn't heal well. General tips:
- follow the aftercare instructions you get from us; everything is also in our tattoo aftercare instructions (PDF);
- touch your tattoo as little as possible and wash it twice a day with a mild, fragrance-free soap, then pat it dry with a clean towel or tissue;
- if you like, apply a thin layer of Bepanthen Wound Cream or another suitable tattoo aftercare cream with clean hands (regular Bepanthen only once your tattoo is fully healed);
- no sun or tanning beds (not even with sunscreen), no swimming pools, hot tubs, natural water or saunas while it heals; that usually takes about 2 weeks;
- once it has healed, always use a high SPF in the sun.
Ready for a little one?
We're a walk-in studio at Reguliersbreestraat 46, right by Rembrandtplein. You'll find our opening hours and contact details on our customer service page. So you can just walk in for your small tattoo, or book a tattoo appointment in advance. You always get a personal quote; read how the price of a tattoo is determined. Our team speaks six languages, so we're happy to help even if English isn't your first language. See you soon!