Tattoos For Over 50s - Can You Get A Tattoo On Ageing Skin?

The top 5 Tattoo FAQs for anyone over 50

At Celebrity InkTM, we believe you are never too old to get a tattoo. We’ve worked with tattoo-lovers of all ages since our brand was founded in 2013. Only a few months ago, an 88-year-old woman came into our Surfers Paradise studio, keen to get a tattoo for the first time.

When asking why she decided to get one at 88-years young, she replied that it was the first tattoo studio she had felt comfortable venturing into.

She acknowledged that the friendly look and feel of our store was inviting and our energetic staff made her feel welcome.

So if you’re over the age of 50, and have never been tattooed, maybe now is the time! You only live once and why not embrace your body, style and freedom in your later years?

Top 5 tattoo FAQs for the over 50s

Does a tattoo look good on ageing skin?

If you’ve ever heard that age old phrase ‘You’ll regret that tattoo when you’re older,’ you can shrug off all doubts if you get the tattoo in your advanced years!

Generally, as an older adult, you’ve had a bit more time to contemplate getting a tattoo, and as such you are probably less likely to regret your design choice than you may have at the age of 18.

And rest assured, beauty has no age limit and your tattoo will look just as good on you now as it would have a decade or more ago.

Will a tattoo last if I get one over the age of 50?

The good news is that later in life you get a tattoo, the better the ink will look.

After sporting a tattoo for ten years or more, it tends to fade. How much it fades by will depend on the type of ink used, the tattoo artist who did the job, your skin type and how well you look after the tattoo.

If you forget to regularly apply sunscreen, your tattoo’s colours might fade quicker than they would with a sun care regime. Some tattoos can also become blurry over time.

So if your tattoo is fresh, you can expect it to last longer if you get it done after you’re 50 than if it was a tattoo from your 20s! Incentive, right?

Does a tattoo hurt more the older you are?

Unfortunately, as we age our skin is more likely to feel pain or bruise more easily. This doesn’t just apply to tattoos of course, it’s evident with minor bumps or trips and falls, so we always ask you to monitor your own threshold here.

Our skin becomes thinner as we age and its elasticity also reduces. The more exposure you’ve had to the sun over the years, the thinner your skin may become, and this can affect how painful it is to get a tattoo.

Aim for your stronger or fattier areas of your body to help ease any discomfort.

How long will it take to get a tattoo if you’re over the age of 50?

While someone who is 21 might be able to complete their tattoo within one session, if you’re older you might like to get tattooed over a period of time – perhaps two or three sessions.

This is to reduce the impact the needles might have on your skin, as it’s more fragile than younger skin that is full of natural collagen.

It’s best to talk to your tattoo artist about what they would recommend.