Tattoos and the elderly

Tattoos in old age

“Do you think you’ll still be happy with your tattoo when you’re old?” This silly question is often asked to people with tattoos. But what exactly happens to tattooed skin when it ‘ages’? We’ve thoroughly investigated this for you and in this blog, we’ll show you what you can do to proudly wear your tattoo, even when you’re older.

Most people are satisfied with their tattoos even in old age

It’s a matter of style

Once you’ve delved into the world of tattoos, you rarely regret your decision. In fact, most tattooed people over 60 are generally still very happy with their tattoos. Even if there are one or two ‘mistakes’ that, in hindsight, they might have preferred not to get.

What matters is the tattoo style. A tribal without meaning, for example, or very trend-sensitive tattoos are eventually considered ‘a shame’ by older tattoo fans.

This does not apply to beautiful, timeless tattoos with a deeper, personal meaning. These will always retain their value. After all, you thought carefully about it when you got it.

It is also true that if you get a black & white or old school tattoo in your early twenties, you often continue to choose this style as you get older. This way you can still think back to your ‘wild times’ ?.

A tattoo stays beautiful longer than you think

The top layer of the skin changes over the years; that's completely normal. It's logical that tattooed skin changes along with it. There's no reason to panic, because even though this happens, the design remains good for a lifetime. With a few exceptions, but there are always those.

If you think your tattoo (or the design) could use a refresh, then retouching is something to consider. Retouching is a very pure, cosmetic way to ‘freshen up’ fine lines and bright colours of your tattoo.

By the way, this method is absolutely not necessary to preserve the design, only to touch it up.

Whether and when wrinkles change the design of the tattoo depends on where the tattoo was placed and the overall condition of the skin. Most parts of the arms, legs, buttocks, and torso remain wrinkle-free until old age and therefore remain clearly visible.

Tattoos on the hands, feet, and neck are indeed a problem. These parts of the body lose their firmness earlier, making fine lines change more easily.

You can always touch up your tattoo

Signs of aging in tattooed skin

We wouldn't be honest if we said that age does nothing to the skin and thus to your tattoo. Below are a few facts:

• As you age, the pores in your skin become deeper. The colour is often brighter in the pores than in the epidermis.
• Sagging of the skin. Straight lines develop a slight bulge as a result.
• Continuous dryness, which causes a pale grey haze over the tattoo. So, moisturize! With what? We'll tell you later in this blog.
• Fading of your tattoo's colour.
• The lines of your tattoo become thinner towards the end.
• Changes in colour tone (black turns blue, red turns pink).

Want to keep beautiful tattoos? Take good care of them. Especially for the long term

With good care, the colour pigment under the skin stays beautiful for much longer. And another advantage: they are not broken down by the body.

Perhaps you've heard the rumour that old paint particles accumulate in certain organs.

Unfortunately, that is true.

You can clearly see this in older tattoo fans with large tattoos. Their lymph nodes and adrenal glands have turned greenish or black after decades. This may sound intense, but if good quality ink has been used, it is not harmful to health.

So don't worry.

Below are a few tips to keep your tattoo's colour beautiful for as long as possible (and also to keep it where you want it ?).

How to prevent signs of aging in your tattoo(s):

• Avoid injuries, sunburn, pressure, and friction. Stressed skin cannot easily recover. As a result, the skin protects itself through natural protection (calluses and scabs).
• The TattooMed Daily Tattoo Care is a fine basic cream for tattooed skin and is specially made for daily use. This cream protects your tattoo against UV radiation, and due to its rich composition, the skin feels pleasant after use.
• Tattoos that are visible and therefore exposed to the sun need additional UV protection. Especially on sunny days. TattooMed Sun Protection 25 and 50 sunscreens are specially developed to cover large tattoos. And with the TattooMed Sun Protection Stick (factor 30), you can effectively protect small tattoos on your face or hands from UV radiation.

And as a final tip:
Eat well, get enough sleep, and take the right antioxidants (like…?). Because whether your skin looks good comes from both outside and inside!

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📅 This blog first appeared on July 4, 2023, and was last updated on March 8, 2024.

Questions about tattoo care?
Feel free to browse our tattoo aftercare blogs. Do you have questions or just want more information? Please feel free to contact us.